AFL SYDNEY – ROUND 1 REVIEW (8 JUNE 2024)
Written by David Redden
WOMENS PREMIER DIVISION:
The UNSW-ES Bulldogs registered their second victory of the season with a comprehensive forty-nine point over St George at Blacktown International Sportspark 2 (BISP 2). Final scores in a fixture transferred to BISP 2 due to inclement weather were UNSW-ES 9.9.63 to St George 2.2.14.
After the Dragons were only seven points adrift of the Bulldogs at the main break, the Bulldogs ran away in the second half, kicking seven goals to one in a dominant performance.
Gabrielle Wendelin kicked three goals for the Bulldogs, well supported by Abbie Traynor, who chipped in with two majors.
Wendelin, the consistent Senna Gulden, Rani Sossai and Hayley Stanford were the Bulldogs best players. St George’s best players were not available at the time of writing.
In one of our broadcast games on Saturday, Manly Warringah kept hosts North Shore goalless in the final three quarters in registering a solid seven goal victory over the Bombers.Final scores were Manly Warringah 7.10.52 to North Shore 1.4.10 as the Wolves again showed that their defensive structures are up there with the best in the tightly contested Womens Premier Division.
North Shore led by five points at the first change, but then Manly Warringah steadied the ship and showed their class the longer the game went on.
A Zara Hamilton master class led the Wolves to victory. Hamilton was simply magnificent and led all goal kickers with two majors in a superb individual display.
Hamilton was well-supported by Olivia Cameron, Hannah Woolf and Jessica Layton. North Shore were best served by speedy wing Lila Micheletti (who took one of the marks of the season as part of a huge performance), Heidi de Saxe, half-back kara Selvarajah and ruck/forward Alannah Green
Sydney University maintained their place in the Top Five with a convincing thirty-nine-point win over Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny Oval. Final scores were Sydney University 6.4.40 to Pennant Hills 0.1.1.
Vice-captain and key forward Lucy Gilfedder was the only multiple goal kicker in the match, kicking two goals for the Students.
Sydney Uni was best served by the Daisy George, the reliable Saskia Johnson, Asha Goddard and Ashley Dribbus. Best players for the Demons were Tara Coopman, Sheridan Baker, Kaitlin Noble and representative fullback Kaitlin Quinlan
In the late game at BISP 2, East Coast Eagles prevailed by twenty-three points over the UTS Bats in the 2023 Grand Final replay. Final scores were East Coast 7.5.47 to UTS 4.0.24, with the Eagles consolidating top spot in a congested Top Five.
The Eagles jumped out of the blocks and had a match-winning twenty-point lead at the main break. Both teams managed three goals in the second half, but the hard work done by the Eagles in the first half ensured a solid win for the reigning premiers.
Abbey Martin, thrust forward in the absence of key forward Rylee McGartland, managed two majors for the Eagles, with reliable forward Caitlin Davidson also chipping in with two majors for East Coast. Jessica Quade and Sophia Gaukrodger both kicked two goals for UTS, who hung onto fifth place on the Premier Division despite going down to the Eagles.
The Eagles best players were Jess Whelan, Michelle Foscarini, Renee Tomkins and Summer Hall. UTS were best served by Georgia Knight, Hannah Cerezo, Aoife Berry and Chaye Hartwell.
WOMEN’S DIVISION ONE:
The rescheduled Round One for Womens Division One will be staged on Saturday 20 July.
MENS PREMIER DIVISION:
In an entertaining Friday Night Football fixture at a chilly Mike Kenny Oval, Pennant Hills consolidated their spot in the Top Three with a professional twenty-five-point victory over Sydney University. With Mike Kenny Oval in good condition after Sydney’s heavy rainfall (again!), the Demons ran out victors 11.14.80 to 8.7.55.
Score were locked at 3.5.23 apiece at the main break, then Pennant Hills kicked six goals to three over a twenty-one-man Students outfit in an entertaining last quarter. Key backman Noah Connick appeared to re-injure his knee in the second quarter and took no further part in the match.
The return of forward Harrison Pitt, after illness last week, was pivotal for the Demons as the former Terrigal Avoca Panthers forward nabbed three majors. Exciting youngster Riley Hawes and Ethan Hyams both kicked two goals for the Demons in support of Pitt. Harry Morrison kicked three goals for the Students, with leading goal kickers Nik Dale chipping in with two majors.
Representative wingman Josh Boag seized control of the clearances after quarter-time and was clearly the best player on the ground. Boag was well supported by Michael Carroll, Nick Hey and Patrick Witt, with Witt’s solid presence in the clearances a feature on a chilly Friday Night. Sydney Uni was best served by Tim Barton, Declan Fitzpatrick, Jack Hiscox and Oscar Bosnjakovic.
In a crucial fifth v sixth fixture on Friday Night at a wet Monarch Oval in Macquarie Fields, a superb defensive performance from the Inner West Magpies saw them defeat hosts SW Sydney Blues by thirty-two points. Final scores were Inner West 5.8.38 to SW Sydney 0.6.6.
With the two teams spilt by only four points after a low-scoring first half, Inner West came out firing in the “Premiership Quarter,” kicking three goals to one behind on a Monarch Field drenched by twenty-four hours of heavy rainfall.
Inner West’s best players were William Sabolch, William Deller, player-coach Ben Klemke and skipper Callum McEvoy-Gray. SW Sydney was best served Bailey Stewart, veteran Kerwin Stuart, Jayden Flanagan and Josh Duncan.
North Shore defeated Manly Warringah by twenty-eight points in an entertaining fixture at Gore Hill Oval. With both sides missing plenty of troops, final scores were North Shore 10.12.72 to Manly Warringah 6.8.44.
After a tight and see-sawing first half, North Shore enhanced their premiership credentials in the second half, kicking five goals to two in a professional performance in front of a vocal crowd at Gore Hill.
Burly key forward Mitchell Rogers kicked three goals for the Bombers, with Ben Cunningham chipping in with two majors, one of which will surely be a Goal of the Year contender from an impossible angle in the Playground Pocket at Gore Hill.
Phelan Medallist Kale Gabila kicked two goals in the first quarter for the Wolves, but the Bombers managed to curtail his efforts in front of goal over the final three quarters.
North Shore were best served by Christian Loone, ruckman Frane Babic, Luke Robertson and midfielder Ned Campbell. Manly Warringah were best served by Aiden Adams, Lachlan Behagg, Nick Marsh and Gabila.
St George produced their second victory of the season with a thumping sixty-seven-point victory over reigning premiers UNSW-ES at BISP 2. Final scores were St George 17.12.114 to UNSW-ES 7.5.47, as the Dragons gained crucial percentage as they attempt to put pressure on SW Sydney and Inner West Magpies.
Tye Gander was unstoppable for the Dragons up forward, kicking seven goals in a match-winning display. He was aided and abetted by veteran Matt Saunders and Luke Arendse, who chipped in with three goals and two goals respectively as the Dragons finally kick-started their season after a slow start. Full-forward Jed Robin was a sole highlight for the Bulldogs, managing three goals on an otherwise disappointing day for UNSW-ES.
St George’s best players were Nelson Carey, Gander, Nathaniel McKenzie-Hicks and co-skipper Patrick Tegg. The Bulldogs had solid contributions from William Foster, Jarrod Wachman, Owen Turner and Jasper Hardy.
In the twilight fixture at BISP 2, a very entertaining and high-scoring fixture between UTS & East Coast Eagles was decided in a thrilling last quarter by Kevin Dyson’s young Bats outfit, UTS coming from behind at the final change to run out sixteen-point victors. Final scores were UTS 14.11.95 to East Coast Eagles 11.13.79.
UTS raced out of the blocks with a six goal to three first quarter, but then the Eagles clawed back a slender lead by the final break, leading by a mere four points with a quarter to go. UTS, inspired by a magnificent eight-goal performance from full-forward Hugo Birks, romped home with five goals to one in the final quarter to register their second victory of the season.
Birks’ eight goals from the fourteen kicked by UTS showed how dominant the burly key forward’s performance was. Marshall Poynter (three goals) and Tim Organ (two goals) were important up forward for East Coast.
UTS’ best players were Birks, Ryley Walker, Koby Grass and Josh Lee. East Coast were best served by Daniel Gauci, Jacob Jones, Poynter and Harry Elbourne.
MEN’S DIVISION ONE:
In the only Men’s Division One game played yesterday, Sydney University joined three other teams on twenty points with a crucial twenty-three-point win over Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny Oval.
