AFL Sydney Match Preview – Eagles v Wolves
Written by Michael Shillito
Manly-Warringah Wolves v East Coast Eagles
Weldon Oval, Thursday 6:30pm
Wolves – 1st. Played 12, Won 12, Lost 0, 225.32%. Streak – W12
Eagles – 8th. Played 12, Won 3, Lost 9, 54.89%. Streak – L2
While the rest of the Premier Division competitions take a week off for the Rep fixture against AFL Tasmania, there is one catch-up fixture to be played. This has been a game in hand since the opening round of the season, when a wet start to the season saw Weldon Oval closed and this game was unable to be played.
It’s unfortunate that the Women’s Premier Division game from that day, which was also called off, was unable to be rescheduled. With both Manly and East Coast in the top five in Womens Premier Division, it could have been a game to influence the finals lineups. But it is what it is.
For this Men’s clash, the players in the Rep game will be unavailable, while weeknight work commitments will rule other players from both sides out. But there’ll still be 22 determined players in each team. The Wolves looking to maintain their unbeaten run, while the Eagles will be looking to salvage something from the season.
Manly’s place in this year’s finals was mathematically guaranteed last Saturday at Weldon Oval when the Wolves completed a 37-point win over UTS. The Bats were a determined opponent, and there was only a kick in it at the long break. But the Wolves’ class shone through in the second half and the Bats were unable to stay with them. Cameron Manuel landed four goals in a best on ground performance; while Joe Harrison and Lachie Price put in impressive performances around the ground. Undefeated and in form; and they’ll appreciate having a game this week to keep their momentum going.
After this game in round 1 was postponed, East Coast won their first two games and had cause for optimism. But it’s been another tricky year for the Eagles, and they’ve only won one game since. Last week at Bruce Purser they were jumped by North Shore; with the Bombers landing five unanswered goals in the first quarter. The Eagles played better after quarter time, but the damage was done and they went down by 54 points. Jacob Jones, Reeve Simmons and Baylee Jones worked hard all day; but it was another challenging day for the Eagles. Going from playing North Shore to Manly is another tough fixture, and the Eagles will need to keep themselves in striking distance and not get blown away early.
These teams met at Bruce Purser in round 8, and on that occasion the Wolves were 49 points too good. Even with a strong of players absent on Rep duty, the Wolves will still be favourites this time. But this could be an opportunity for the Eagles, to catch the Wolves at slightly less than full strength. For the Eagles to break from their usual routine by playing on a Thursday night, to try a new challenge. They won’t be playing finals this year; but this is their opportunity to trouble the ladder leaders. But if they can’t put the Wolves under pressure, this could be another one-sided affair.
