Round 16, 2025 – Men’s & Women’s Premier Division Preview
Written by Michael Shilllito
Three rounds to go, the finish line is getting closer. In both the Men’s and Women’s Premier Division competitions, six teams are still in finals calculations. One will miss out.
In the Men’s comp, North Shore and Manly are separated by percentage on top. One of them will be minor premiers. The other will play the Qualifying Final. UNSW-ES can wrap up the other Qualifying Final berth this week if they can get up over Sydney Uni; otherwise it’s going down to the last fortnight. South-West Sydney have made their way to fourth, but have a tough run home. Sydney Uni are a game ahead of Pennant Hills for fifth; but the Demons’ poor percentage could count against them.
North Shore are top in the Women’s, but the Bombers have the bye this week. Manly could get within percentage of the Bombers. Sydney Uni’s loss last week keeps them third; and the Students can wrap up the double-chance if they beat UNSW-ES this week. If they don’t, East Coast are still in the running for the double-chance. And fifth spot is going to be tight between the Bulldogs and the Bats.
It all makes for an intriguing finish to the regular season. Some crunch games this week that could go a long way to deciding finals positions.
MEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
South-West Sydney Blues v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Rosedale Oval, Saturday 1:20pm
Blues – 4th. Played 15, Won 9, Lost 6, 110.97%. Streak – W1
Wolves – 2nd. Played 15, Won 14, Lost 1, 198.87%. Streak – W1
In their second season at Premier Division, the Blues are close to their first finals appearance. They’re not there yet, they’re probably one win short of qualifying. But the Blues have a massive challenge to get that win this week as they take on a Manly team that is in contention for the minor premiership.
The Blues got themselves within reach of the finals with a 25-point win over East Coast in wet and slippery conditions at Bruce Purser Reserve. Scoring was hard to come by in the tricky conditions, but the Blues were easily the stronger side and gradually increased their lead as the afternoon wore on. Angus Langley, Khy Gibbs and Finbar Delbridge featured prominently for the Blues as they dug deep but got the job done. They’re close to the finals, but this week is a big hurdle.
After Manly’s first loss, it didn’t take long for them to hit back and re-assert themselves as a force. Last week at Weldon against St George, they banged home six goals in the first term, and as they held the Dragons to a single goal in the first half, a big win was assured. The final margin was 62 points; with Zac Youlten landing five goals and Lachlan Price, Keiran Le Jeune and Tom O’Leary in the thick of the action. Back on the winning list, and the minor premiership remains in sight.
When these sides met at Weldon Oval in round 9, the Wolves were 66 points too good. At that point of the season, the Wolves were undefeated and the Blues were in a mid-season mini-slump. Now we’re on the Blues’ turf, and they’re on a mission to qualify for the finals. A win here and playoff action is assured. But Manly are also on a mission. They need not just a win, but a big win, if they are to leap-frog North Shore into top spot. The stakes are high between two teams with plenty to play for. This should be a closely-fought contest; and the Blues will certainly give Manly a run for their money.
St George Dragons v UTS Bats
Olds Park, Saturday 1:50pm
Dragons – 9th. Played 15, Won 2, Lost 13, 55.40%. Streak – L1
Bats – 7th. Played 15, Won 5, Lost 10, 73.79%. Streak – L1
The match between St George and UTS at Olds Park will not have any bearing on the finals. But after a disappointing season for both clubs, the chance to find a positive result in the tail end of the season, and build some confidence and momentum for 2026 and beyond, gives both sides plenty of incentive to do all they can to capture the points in this encounter.
Last week St George travelled to Weldon, but in difficult conditions they were never able to keep up with the Wolves; held to a single goal in the first half and going down by 62 points. Jordan Taylor, Matt Saunders and Jack Logan kept trying hard; but the Dragons couldn’t match it with a very strong Manly side and never looked like getting back into the contest. But now, back home and against a similarly-placed team on the ladder, this is the Dragons’ time.
Any faint mathematical hope the Bats may have had of a miracle finals appearance was blown away in the first quarter against Pennant Hills at Blacktown last week, when the Bats failed to score and found themselves 39 points down at quarter time. They played better in the second half to cut the final margin back to 23 points; but yet again for the Bats it was an opportunity missed to make a positive impression. Tom Charles landed four goals in the Bats’ second half fightback; while Ash Backlund, Henry Gosse and Josh Lee worked hard around the ground. But this was a season when the Bats would have expected better; but they can still salvage something from 2025 if they finish strongly and give opportunity to the Bats of the future.
The two sides met at Bat & Ball on the eve of the June long weekend. That night the Bats got up in a thriller. Now we’re in the Dragons’ lair, and there shouldn’t be much in it again this time. There’s no finals on the line, but both sides can take this as an opportunity to blood some young talent and prepare for success in future seasons. 2025 won’t lead to finals, but future years could. And the preparation starts now.
Inner West Magpies v North Shore Bombers
Picken Oval, Saturday 2:00pm
Magpies – 10th. Played 15, Won 0, Lost 15, 47.84%. Streak – L15
Bombers – 1st. Played 15, Won 14, Lost 1, 207.29%. Streak – W13
It’s been a season best forgotten for Inner West Magpies. After making the finals last year, they’ve found themselves struck by adversity in 2025 and have been unable to win a game; and will finish the season with the unwanted wooden spoon. And to make it even harder, this week they’re up against a North Shore team that has just demolished two top finals contenders by big margins; and is building their premiership defence nicely.
The Magpies’ difficult season suffered another mis-step at Henson Park last week against UNSW-ES; when in difficult conditions they were kept scoreless in the first half. Already 67 points down at the long break, the Magpies would go on to cop an 83-point loss. Keegan Litchfield, Jonathon Bowyer and Ollie Burnett never stopped putting the effort in; but the Magpies haven’t had the firepower to match it with the top sides all season. On their home turf at Picken Oval, they face a monumental task this week.
Meanwhile at the other end of the ladder, North Shore remain on top. They increased their percentage gap over Manly last week when they were untroubled in recording a 104-point win over Sydney Uni at Gore Hill. Getting off to a flyer, the Bombers landed six goals to one in the first quarter; setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Small forwards Max Yeoland and Max Thomas scored four goals apiece; while Ned Campbell and Jake Veale were ball magnets around the ground. Undefeated since round 2, the Bombers are on a roll; and it will take something remarkable for the Magpies to be the team to spoil their momentum.
For North Shore, holding top spot on the ladder by a narrow percentage margin; big wins against Manly and Sydney Uni in the last fortnight has enhanced their chances of landing the minor premiership. Another big win here would shorten their odds of seeing off the Manly challenge for top spot. Against a winless opposition, surely that has to be the aim this week. But the Magpies, with nothing to lose and on their own turf, can throw caution to the wind this week. A competitive performance against a competition powerhouse will do wonders for morale. The Magpies need to take the fight up to the Bombers. If they can’t do that, this could be a very one-sided affair.
Pennant Hills Demons v East Coast Eagles
Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:20pm
Demons – 6th. Played 15, Won 7, Lost 7, Drawn 1, 76.53%. Streak – W2
Eagles – 8th. Played 15, Won 3, Lost 12, 57.53%. Streak – L5
Two wins in a row have given Pennant Hills a sniff of finals action; which was looking out of reach as recently as the Rep break. The Demons are just one win behind fifth-placed Sydney Uni; but with a poor percentage, they need to get premiership points ahead of either the Students or South-West Sydney. If you’re not able to get to Mike Kenny for this clash, don’t miss all the action on Streamer. [link – https://streamer.com.au/match/5513 ]
The Bats restored a win-loss parity for the season and kept themselves in the finals race at Blacktown last week against UTS. Hitting the ground running, they ran through six unanswered goals in the first quarter to lead by 39 points at the first change before coasting to a 23-point win. Nick Eynaud, Tom Edmonds and Mitch Blow worked hard to get the Demons their positive start and ensured the points came their way. To get ahead of Sydney Uni or South-West Sydney and claim a finals berth, the Demons need to win all their remaining games. But while there’s life, there’s hope; and another strong start this week would go a long way towards easing concerns about fulfilling their end of the bargain.
East Coast haven’t had the greatest of seasons, and five losses on the trot is a losing run they’ll be keen to break. Last week at Bruce Purser, the Eagles rarely looked like scoring in the difficult conditions; held to two goals as they lost to South-West Sydney by 25 points. Jacob Jones, Brendan Coxall and Cam Edwards kept working hard; but the Eagles were unable to keep up with a finals aspirant. Now they’re up against another finals aspirant; and need a stronger effort this time.
For Pennant Hills, with a poor percentage, the equation is clear. The Demons need to win all three of their remaining games and hope that either Sydney Uni or South-West Sydney lose two of theirs. It’s a long shot, but not impossible; and they do have a game against the Blues to come. But these calculations count for nothing if the Demons can’t win their games. There’s no room for error. But for the Eagles, after a season where little has gone their way, they would love to finish the season on a high. An upset win in a Hills derby would be just the tonic to salvage something from a difficult year.
Sydney University Students v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 3:40pm
Students – 5th. Played 15, Won 8, Lost 6, Drawn 1, 119.53%. Streak – L2
Bulldogs – 3rd. Played 15, Won 11, Lost 4, 174.52%. Streak – W5
A high-stakes University Derby at the Camperdown Campus puts the Students up against the Bulldogs. For the away team, the equation is simple. Win this and they’ve avoided sudden-death for the upcoming finals. But for the home side, two losses in a row; a heavy margin at Gore Hill last week; sees the Students looking vulnerable. Unless they can find a way to lift, they risk missing the finals completely.
Gore Hill is a tough away trip, but even with several key players out, few would have expected last week to go as badly as it did for the Students. Jumped at the start, the Students never got into the contest and went down by 104 points. Marcus Valastro, Max Koslik and Oscar Bosnjakovic tried hard, but they were powerless on the day to stop the Bomber juggernaut. There are high and low points in a season, but this was not a good one for the Students; and now they’re in real danger of missing the finals. They need to rediscover their spark; and the sight of an old rival that they’ve played in recent Grand Finals may be just what they need to shake themselves out of their current position.
Five wins in a row sees the Bulldogs with some handy momentum, two games clear in third place. Last week at Henson Park, they wiped the Magpies out of the contest with ten unanswered goals in the first half on their way to an 83-point win. Kieran Emery was a standout up forward with five goals; while Jordan Endemann, Tom Baxter and Toby Alker were everywhere around the ground. A win here and the double-chance is assured; and the Bulldogs will know they have at least two weeks of finals to look forward to.
These teams met under lights at the Campus on the eve of the June long weekend, and on that occasion the Students took the game by 48 points. At that stage, the Students were still in the mix for the minor premiership while the Bulldogs were in a three-match losing streak. But a lot has changed since then. The Students in the last two rounds have Manly and South-West Sydney; a tough run home when they’ve just dropped two in a row and been thrashed by North Shore. If they go down here, they’re in trouble. They’ve got the job done against the Bulldogs once this season, but they just have to climb the mountain again this week. Pennant Hills are only one game behind, have an easier run home and are finishing with a wet sail. By hook or by crook, the Students just have to win this.
WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION
St George Dragons v UTS Bats
Olds Park, Saturday 12:10pm
Dragons – 7th. Played 13, Won 3, Lost 10, 19.38%. Streak – L1
Bats – 6th. Played 14, Won 7, Lost 7, 186.82%. Streak – W1
Only one spot removed on the ladder, but a world apart in terms of form; the Dragons and the Bats lock horns at Olds Park on Saturday. The bottom three teams have been disappointing this season; and although the Dragons are the highest of those three teams, to claim the scalp of a higher opponent must be the aim. While for the Bats, a win keeps them within sight of the finals; but a lapse here could be fatal.
2025 has had its share of trials and tribulations for the Dragons; and last week on a very heavy track at Weldon they went down to Manly by 42 points. Georgina Ott, Annabelle McHale and Caydelan Mitchell-Bruce battled hard in the slushy conditions; but it wasn’t enough to yield more than a single behind on the scoreboard. Such has been the fate of the Dragons in 2025, where the effort has been there but there’s been precious little scoring to show for it. Some concerted attacking play this week will be required to get some reward for effort this time.
Meanwhile UTS are on a mission, to regain their place in the top five. Last week the Bats took an important step towards that goal with a 61-point win over Pennant Hills at Blacktown. On a day when goals were at a premium, Brianna-Lee Wade’s four majors were worth their weight in gold; while Tailulah Kirk, Sophia Gaukrodger and Kaitlin McCaffery were standouts in general play. The Bats will need to wait for the Bulldogs to fall over before they can re-enter the five; but it counts for nothing if they can’t fulfil their end of the bargain. To put it simply, they need to win and can’t afford a lapse here; that’s the bottom line.
It’s the second time these teams have clashed at Olds Park this season. Before the June long weekend, the previous meeting between these clubs resulted in a 44-point win to the Bats. In sight of the finals, the Bats need an even bigger win this time. Their percentage, large as it is, isn’t enough to challenge for a finals berth. Every goal scored, every opposition score prevented, is critical. Even against a desperate opponent who are looking for something to show for their efforts in what has been a disappointing season.
Parramatta Goannas v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Gipps Road Oval, Saturday 12:20pm
Goannas – 8th. Played 13, Won 1, Lost 12, 9.57%. Streak – L3
Wolves – 2nd. Played 13, Won 11, Lost 2, 390.17%. Streak – W1
Manly sit in second spot on the ladder; and with North Shore having the bye this week, this is the Wolves’ chance to draw level on games with the Bombers and challenge for the minor premiership. A gap in percentage of over 100% is too much to make up in a single week; so the Wolves won’t go top this week. But a big win will make up a lot of that percentage gap; and against a Parramatta side that has only saluted once this year, this is Manly’s opportunity.
The Goannas had another difficult game last week when they were unable to score against East Coast at Bruce Purser, going down by 55 points. Caitlin Connaughton, Imogen Dow and Brea Trevitt were their best; but the Goannas have struggled to be competitive against the top sides this season; and they have another monumental task in front of them this time.
In tricky conditions at Weldon last week, Manly recorded a 42-point win over St George. It probably should have been more, but the wind made straight kicking challenging and several shots that the Wolves would have converted in better conditions sailed wide. Hannah Woolf, Chloe Davis and Ash Carter featured prominently for the Wolves. They’re well placed, and a percentage of nearly 400 is nothing to be sneezed at; but if they are going to finish as minor premiers, the Wolves need to win all their remaining games and probably hope that North Shore slip up.
When these teams met at Weldon in round 9, the Goannas were unable to score as Manly romped to a 123-point win. With rain forecast, it’s unlikely the Wolves can win by as much this time; but a big win is essential if they are to have any hope of bridging the percentage gap. While for the Goannas, the goal is simple. To compete. It’s going to be a slog at Gipps Road, and if the Goannas can scrap and battle in the difficult conditions, they can frustrate the Wolves. It would take something out of the ordinary for the Goannas to win this; but this is their opportunity to be competitive against a powerhouse team. A fighting effort is a must.
Pennant Hills Demons v East Coast Eagles
Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 12:35pm
Demons – 9th. Played 13, Won 0, Lost 13, 1.30%. Streak – L13
Eagles – 4th. Played 12, Won 8, Lost 4, 227.47%. Streak – W2
The Hills Derby has produced plenty of passion in previous seasons; and the sight of one of their traditional rivals is something the Demons will need to latch on to this week. It’s been a disastrous season for the Demons, winless with a percentage of just over one. And this week doesn’t get any easier, as they take on an East Coast team looking to make up some ground in their quest for the finals double-chance.
With the local Hills bragging rights up for grabs, this is a game not to be missed. If you’re not able to hit Cherrybrook for this match, tune your device in to Streamer to see all the action as it unfolds. [link – https://streamer.com.au/match/5512 ]
The Demons were out at Blacktown last week against UTS; but were held to a single behind to go down by 61 points. Hayley Matthews, Sophie Pendlebury and Ava Clegg battled hard against the odds, but it wasn’t enough to avoid another hefty loss. Now, back at home against an old rival, it’s time to lift. With just three weeks to go, time is running out to salvage something from 2025. It’s not going to be easy conditions this week, and the Demons need to use those conditions to make life difficult for the Eagles.
East Coast go into this game with winning form on the board. Last week, despite some inaccurate finishing in a blustery breeze at Bruce Purser, they were still untroubled in recording a 55-point win over Parramatta. Aysha Sanchez, Jess Whelan and Bryany Parker were standouts as they held the Goannas scoreless and worked through wind and mud to get the job done. The Eagles are building up to something; and if they can get themselves up to the top three, they’ll be hard to catch in the race for the premiership.
It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Eagles to avoid sudden death. The game they didn’t get to play at the beginning of the year will count against them; and both their match ratio and percentage will make it hard to overtake the team above them. But all they can do from here is make an attempt, and that means working for percentage-boosting wins in every remaining game. This is the first of them. The two teams immediately above them, Manly and Sydney Uni, still have a game against each other to come; which one of those teams will lose. East Coast must go all out in their remaining three games. If they miss the double-chance, so be it; but a big win here will give them a chance to have a crack at avoiding sudden death.
Sydney University Students v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 2:00pm
Students – 3rd. Played 13, Won 10, Lost 3, 307.94%. Streak – L1
Bulldogs – 5th. Played 13, Won 7, Lost 6, 230.95%. Streak – W3
Another chapter will be written in the university sporting rivalry as Sydney Uni play host to UNSW-ES. In what will be not just a rivalry game, but pivotal to how the Womens Premier Division ladder shapes up. Sydney Uni need a win to maintain their double-chance buffer over East Coast; while UNSW-ES’s finals hopes will cop a hit if they’re unable to take the points in this clash.
Sydney Uni last week travelled to Gore Hill, but weren’t able to get on top of North Shore, going down by 21 points. Evie Bowie, Mollie Cameron and Saskia Johnson battled gamely all evening; but the Students fell behind on the scoreboard early and never looked like threatening the Bombers. It leaves the Students in third, still ahead of East Coast’s match ratio; but another loss here would make that gap way too close for comfort. On their home deck, Sydney Uni’s hopes of the double-chance could be riding on this game. Drop this one and they’re in trouble, they have Manly next week.
The Bulldogs go into this game refreshed after the bye last week; but they know it’s all systems go from here to the finish line. Their last start a fortnight ago was a comprehensive 110-0 win over the Goannas at Gipps Road; when Emily Conlan landed a whopping seven goals while Hayley Stanford and Amaia Wain were prominent performers. They remain ahead of the Bats, but the gap is going to be very tight. If they lose this one, their finals hopes are in danger.
The two sides met at the Campus on a Thursday night in June, and on that occasion the Students got the job done by 32 points. The Students were gunning for the minor premiership at the time, while the Bulldogs were in a form slump. You’d think it will be closer this time. If the Students get the points here, they are so close to wrapping up the double-chance. If the Bulldogs prevail, they are so close to wrapping up a finals berth. But the team that drops this is in trouble. The stakes are high, the rivalry intense. Neither side will have any trouble motivating themselves for this one.
