VFL Round 22: Ainslie Tricolours v Sydney Swans Reserves

[Big Al]

Saturday 27th August 2pm

In a preview of next weeks major semi final in the Eastern Conference of the NEAFL, Sydney and Ainslie face off in a top of the table clash. It's essentially a dead rubber as the positions on the ladder can't change but as Henry mentioned earlier this week you don't want to flirt with your form so the Swans will be keen to put in a good performance.

They will definitely be without Meredith and depending on who the traveling emergencies are could be without Nipper and Kennelly.

Points of Interest:

Can Dylan McNeal keep up the good form of the last 2 weeks.

Eugene Kruger had his best game for the club last week so hopefully we can see more of the same.

The third game back for Pyke so we should see some good things from the Canadian this week.

Ainslie will give a good account of themselves but with a midfield in tremendous form along with firepower up front and the fact Henry/Crouch/Maxfield won't accept anything less than a full blooded effort the Reserves should be too strong.

Swans by 34

Updates will be available from 2pm on Saturday.

[dimelb]

Thanks Al - good on you.

[ugg]

NEAFL Round 22
Ainslie Tricolours v Sydney Swans Reserves
Saturday 27th August 2011 2.00pm
Ainslie Oval

A stern test for the Reserves and a dress-rehearsal for next week's final. Ainslie are in red hot form, winning 9 of the past 10 games and is the standout Canberra team of the NEAFL this year. The defending premiers have only dropped 3 games, 2 against 'AFL' teams and the other against cross-divisional rivals Southport.

Eastern Conference Ladder
Past Meetings
2011
R9Ainslie 11.8 (74) defeated by Reserves 18.16 (124) @ Newcastle Number 1 Sportsground
Trent Dennis-Lane kicked another bag of goals as the blonde trio of Heath, Bevan and Kruger starred.

Goals: Dennis-Lane 6, Bevan 3, Meredith 2, Norton 2, McNeil 2, Gordon 2, Brain
Best: Heath, Bevan, Kruger, Meredith, Sumner, Currie

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2010
R3 Reserves 21.19 (145) defeated Ainslie 15.12 (102) @ Sydney Cricket Ground
Patty Veszpremi kicked 5 and Lewis Johnston and Trent Dennis-Lane 4 each as the Reserves overturned a 21 point half time deficit to win comfortably by 43 points. Dylan McNeil and Mike Pyke were the Swans' best players.

Goals: Veszpremi 5, Johnston 4, Dennis-Lane 4, Playfair 3, Rohan 2, Barlow 2, Currie
Best: McNeil, Pyke, Currie, Veszpremi, O'Dwyer, Johnston

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R7 Ainslie 6.14 (50) drew with Reserves 7.8 (50) @ Ainslie Oval
A low-scoring affair in tough conditions. A few in-game injuries allowed Ainslie to come back in the last quarter and take away 2 points. Brett Meredith kicked 3 in a best on ground performance, Daniel Currie was superb rucking the whole game and Ed Barlow provided drive from the half-back line

Goals: Meredith 3, Bird, Thornton, Johnston, McKaigue
Best: Meredith, Currie, Barlow, Thornton, Veszpremi, McKaigue

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R13 Ainslie 18.12 (120) defeated Reserves 7.11 (53) @ Ainslie Oval
Ainslie handed the Reserves their biggest loss of the year. The 12 listed players battled manfully in the first half to trail by 9 points. However they struggled in the second half allowing Ainslie to kick away with a 12 goals to 3 second half. Lewis Johnston was the only multiple goalkicker for the Swans with 2. The Swans only named 3 in the their best players - Sam Reid, Nathan Gordon and Dylan McNeil

Goals: Johnston 2, McNeil, May, Smith, Sumner, Campbell
Best: Reid, Gordon, McNeil

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R17 Reserves 9.7 (61) defeated by Ainslie 12.11 (83) @ Sydney Cricket Ground
Just 9 listed players participated and they put on a strong defensive showing, restricting Ainslie to only 6 goals at three quarter time. However, Ainslie kicked another 6 in the last quarter to pull away quite comfortably. Tall forwards Sam Reid and Lewis Johnston kicked 3 each. Reid, Nathan Gordon and Dylan McNeil were adjudged to be the better Swans.

Goals: Reid 3, Johnston 3, Emery, O'Dwyer, McNeil
Best: Reid, Gordon, O'Dwyer, McNeil, Linsen

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Semi Final 2 Ainslie 9.11 (65) defeated Reserves 3.7 (25) @ Manuka Oval
On a rain-soaked Manuka Oval, the return of classy players Patty Veszpremi and Kristin Thornton were not enough to propel the Reserves into the Grand Final. Daniel Bradshaw kicked 2 goals and Lewis Johnston 1 as Ainslie's forward line coped much better with the downpour. Thornton was the best Swan in his comeback from injury, getting good support from the hardworking Daniel Currie and Byron Sumner.

Goals: Bradshaw 2, Johnston
Best: Thornton, Currie, Sumner, Farrell, Gordon

Recent Form
Reserves
R1 BYE
R2 WIN Away Eastlake 83-33
R3 WIN Home Belconnen 138-29
R4 BYE
R5 WIN Home Tuggeranong 123-12
R6 WIN Away GWS 87-27
R7 WIN Home Gold Coast Reserves 120-28
R8 BYE
R9 WIN Away Ainslie 124-74
R10 WIN Away Brisbane Reserves 104-97
R11 WIN Home Queanbeyan 102-53
R12 WIN Away GWS 115-29
R13 WIN Home Queanbeyan 220-32
R14 WIN Away Tuggeranong 212-57
R15 LOSS Away Gold Coast Reserves 62-141
R16 WIN Home Eastlake 101-81
R17 LOSS Home GWS Giants 57-121
R18 BYE
R19 WIN Away Belconnen 117-17
R20 WIN Away Queanbeyan 150-37
R21 WIN Home Brisbane Reserves 179-29

Ainslie
R1 BYE
R2 LOSS Away GWS 68-109
R3 BYE
R4 BYE
R5 WIN Home Queanbeyan 136-65
R6 WIN Away Tuggeranong 103-86
R7 WIN Away Eastlake 94-57
R8 WIN Away Belconnen 78-52
R9 LOSS Home Sydney Reserves 74-124
R10 BYE
R11 WIN Home Tuggeranong 147-62
R12 WIN Home Belconnen 104-65
R13 LOSS Home Southport 67-131
R14 WIN Away Labrador 115-89
R15 WIN Home Tuggeranong 94-88
R16 WIN Away Queanbeyan 95-62
R17 WIN Away Eastlake 133-72
R18 WIN Away Belconnen 112-47
R19 BYE
R20 WIN Away Eastlake 125-72
R21 WIN Away Queanbeyan 109-84


Last Round
Reserves 26.23 (179) defeated Brisbane Reserves 4.5 (29)
A crushing victory over the depleted Lions outfit. The Reserves should have won by more had they not been as profligate as their senior colleagues in their conversion for goal. Bulldog Moore continued his scintillating form with another BOG display while the young and raw Eugene Kruger played his best game of the year. Brett Meredith did his chances of a recall no harm with a 6 goal haul.

Goal Kickers: Dennis-Lane 6, Meredith 6, Gordon 4, Murphy 4, Seaby 2, Bevan, Moore, Heath, Pyke
Best Players: Moore, Kruger, Meredith, McNeil, Gordon, Murphy

Queanbeyan 12.12 (84) defeated by Ainslie 16.13 (109)

A tight battle at Dairy Farmers Park with only a kick in it at each of the breaks. The young Tigers showed great fight against their more fancied opponents but the Tricolours kicked 5 goals to 1 in the last term to seal the victory.

Goal Kickers: Crook 3, Hughes 3, Paine 2, A.Mathis 2, Vandenberg 2, Shirley, Harris, Holmes, Stone
Best Players: Walker, Tow, C.Mathis, Argall, A.Mathis, Harris

Team List
Listed players
Changes
In: Everitt (injury), Jetta (senior demotion)
Out: Brett Meredith (senior promotion)

At least one of the emergencies will (should!) be in Geelong so expect 14 listed players at most tomorrow.

Everitt's played in the forwards during his reserves stint and if he reprises this role will add to an already potent line up in TDL, Moore, Bevan, Gordon (maybe), Lamb and the resting ruckman in Pyke or Seaby. The defence which has been miserly all year will be missing Lewis Johnston for the 2nd week running leaving the marking duties to the likes of Heath, McKaigue and Otten. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kennelly get an on-ball role to give him more touches of the football while they've tended to play Jetta off half back to encourage him to run and carry the ball further than is his natural inclination.

Academy Players/Topups
Changes
In: Crawford, Green, McEvoy, May, Pini
Out: Brain, Lynch, Murphy, Wray

We lose 2 of the more influential topups in Murphy and Brain.

Reserves leading goalkickers

• Trent Dennis-Lane 61
• Nathan Gordon 34
• Jesse White 21

For full list: 2011 Leading goalkickers - RWOwiki

Reserves leading votegetters

• Jarred Moore 45
• Nathan Gordon 41
• Byron Sumner 28

For full list: 2011 Best votes - RWOwiki

Talking points
See Big Al's post above for an excellent list of talking points.

Ainslie squad (2 to be omitted)

• 1. Daniel McFARLANE
• 2. John HOLMES
• 4. Marcus CROOK
• 5. Ben HUGHES
• 7. Michael LAWLESS
• 8. Ian LAWLESS
• 9. Ash HARRIS
• 10. Jesse GRIFFIN
• 11. Dale WALKER
• 12. Rob SHIRLEY
• 14. Michael GHOBRIAL
• 17. Dale ARGALL
• 20. Ryan TUTT
• 22. Ben PERRY
• 23. David LOVE
• 24. Rowan ANDREWS
• 25. Andrew MATHIS
• 26. Eric STONE
• 28. Damien BOWLES
• 30. Jackson KEW
• 32. Lachlan CARTER
• 35. Lachlan CROOK
• 38. Mitch MULRONEY
• 41. Lachlan HIGHFIELD
• 48. David TOW
• 53. Clint MATHIS

In: M.Lawless, Tutt, Perry, Kew, Carter, L.Crook, Mulroney, McFarlane
Out: Jason Fleming, Robert Tuohey, Aaron Vandenberg, Nicholas Paine

Losing Paine is a big out for them, he's their 2nd leading goalkicker behind Hughes. Other players to keep an eye out for include their 2 ruckmen Andrews and Stone as well as onballers Marcus Crook, Shirley and Tuohey

[ShockOfHair]

Thanks. Great work both of you. Welcome back Ugg.

Pyke and Kennelly definitely worth watching. I'm hoping Lamb can show a bit of form too.

[R-1]

I'll be down at Ainslie til about 4pm, likely to be tweeting too (username arwon).

[Triple B]

I'll be down at Ainslie til about 4pm, likely to be tweeting too (username arwon).

Consider yourself followed...

[ugg]

Ohhhh ar - won

Where's the light bulb emoticon.

[dimelb]

Thanks ugg, good to see you back and great work as usual.
A question: we appear in the ladder as 15 wins, 0 losses and 2 draws, but I think we've lost at least one to GWS. Is that right? I was away for most of July and didn't see what the ressies were up to.

[Hartijon]

So TDL has got 61 goals in the 2's in 12 games,some of which were carrying a niggle or two. Can see why he doesn't get promoted! If he kicked 61 points he would be a certain pick every week. Can't have someone making it look easy!

[ugg]

Thanks ugg, good to see you back and great work as usual.
A question: we appear in the ladder as 15 wins, 0 losses and 2 draws, but I think we've lost at least one to GWS. Is that right? I was away for most of July and didn't see what the ressies were up to.

Good pickup, I had our losses in the Draws column. We've lost 2 games, one to GWS and one to Gold Coast.

And if anyone else is as eagle-eyed about the ladder as dimelb and has worked out that we will play one more game than the rest of the competition - you would be absolutely correct. With 7 teams and only 20 playing rounds to spread the byes across, one team had to receive one less bye (6 teams with 3 byes and 1 with 2 byes) and that's turned out to be us (probably by request). I think this is why the ladder uses the %Won column rather than a Points column to decide the order. FYI, even if Ainslie beat us we will still finish top of the ladder.

[ugg]

So TDL has got 61 goals in the 2's in 12 games,some of which were carrying a niggle or two. Can see why he doesn't get promoted! If he kicked 61 points he would be a certain pick every week. Can't have someone making it look easy!

By the same logic, we should have promoted Playfair to the head coaching role weeks ago. I think TDL's deficiencies have been highlighted in previous threads - a combination of lack of defensive pressure and lack of fitness. The coaches are fully aware of his goalkicking capabilities but balanced against the rest of his game, they've decided that he's not deserving of a place in the team at the moment.

[BSA5]

Who's this Pini guy? His name is familiar, has he lined up for us before?

[ugg]

Who's this Pini guy? His name is familiar, has he lined up for us before?

He's a Belconnen junior so maybe in past years but his name didn't ring a bell

[Big Al]

Great work as usual Ugg and welcome back.

Any news on where the semi is being played next week??

[Bas]

Who's this Pini guy? His name is familiar, has he lined up for us before?

Relative first Australian Playboy Centrefold??????