Preliminary Final 2: Sydney Swans Reserves v NT Thunder

[Meg]

Yes come along it's good fun and you may find yourself sitting next to a coach or player, you can listen to the instructions being shouted from the benches and you may be allowed to stand and listen to the quarter and three quarter time huddles





It's also on live stream, if you trust it

Yes I went to the reserves match at Drummoyne some weeks ago and enjoyed it tremendously for most of those reasons. (Didn't get the huddle experience.) I was sitting in front of Marty Mattner and just behind the bench. And it was great to hear all the talk on the field, something I have no chance of hearing where I sit at SCG or ANZ.

I was close to the fence at the 2012 QF against Adelaide though and it was an eye opener just how much direction the defenders give each other on the field.

[Matt80]

Yes come along it's good fun and you may find yourself sitting next to a coach or player, you can listen to the instructions being shouted from the benches and you may be allowed to stand and listen to the quarter and three quarter time


It's also on live stream, if you trust it

I would love to go out to Blacktown and watch my local team as well as the Swans Reserves. Unfortunately it won't happen on Saturday as my team plays at Henson on Saturday.

Hopefully my local team and the Swans Reserves can be on the same day at Blacktown.

My four year old loves going onto the local oval during the breaks and having a kick and a run around with Dad. He loves tackling me and always gets his eight tackles in.

Would my four year old be able to have a run on the Oval during the intervals in the Swans Reserves games? Would he get in trouble if he ran up to the Swans interchange bench and grabbed a footy to play with at the intervals ? He does that with my team but they know us.

[ugg]

The ones at Blacktown I have seen a few kids kicking the footy at the breaks, but obviously not at the SCG or ANZ. Not sure if anything changes now that it's a final.

[liz]

That is a strong team, with all 18 starters on our list.

And all four interchange players of list quality (or not far from it).

[Conor_Dillon]

That is a pretty ominous reserves team...wouldn't mind seeing it line up against St. Kilda or Melbourne!

You'd have to think that if conditions permit we should really beat the NT by close to 15 goals, if not more. Especially with 5-6 blokes playing for a place in the seniors should we have injuries.

[ugg]

NEAFL 2014 Preliminary Final 2

Sydney Swans Reserves v NT Thunder

Sunday 7th September 2014
12.45 pm
Blacktown International Sportspark

No second chances in the NEAFL's Top 6 finals format, the winner of this game goes to the Grand Final to play the winner of UWS v Aspley while the loser will see their 2014 season come to an abrupt halt.

The Thunder have been one of the strongest teams in the NEAFL since they joined the competition a few years ago, and they hold a winning 3-1 record against the Swans. However, all 3 wins have come at one of their home grounds (they have 2 - TIO and Traeger Park), where visiting teams have found it difficult to adjust to the humid and hot conditions. When the Swans hosted the Thunder for the first time earlier this year at Drummoyne Oval, the Reserves ran away comfortable winners in an entertaining top of the table clash. That result was slightly misleading because the Thunder were missing several important players that day who couldn't travel to Sydney due to work and family commitments. There are no such issues for this final, with the Thunder pretty much bringing a full strength squad to Sydney, and with a Richmond-like 9 game winning streak on their backs

The Swans, meanwhile, will enjoy not being shackled by the listed player restrictions that applies when they play other NEAFL sides that aren't AFL reserves sides or the Thunder. A season high 18 listed players will take the field at Blacktown, complemented by the 4 Academy prospects likeliest to be drafted in the next 2 years by the Swans. It's a well balanced side with a good mixture of talls, inside players and outside runners that will take some beating.

NEAFL Ladder

Recent Form
Reserves
NT Thunder
Past Meetings
2014
R10 Reserves 23.12 (150) defeated NT Thunder 12.11 (83) @ Drummoyne Oval

Goals: Membrey 4, Jack 3, Naismith 3, Davis 2, Hewett 2, T.Mitchell 2, Robinson 2, P.Mitchell 2, Nankervis 2, Heeney
Best: Robinson, Membrey, Lockyer, Jack, Jones, Hewett

R17 NT Thunder 13.14 (92) defeated Reserves 8.11 (59) @ TIO Stadium

Goals: Nankervis 3, O'Keefe 2, Walsh, Hadden, Biggs
Best: Nankervis, O'Keefe, Biggs, Dick, Marsh

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013
R14 NT Thunder 16.16 (112) defeated Reserves 9.5 (59) @ Traeger Park

Goals: Towers 3, Jack 2, Dick 2, Plug, Wheeler
Best: Lloyd, White, Biggs, Cunningham, Towers, Membrey

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Round
Sydney Hills Eagles 12.11 (83) defeated by Reserves 18.9 (117) @ Bruce Purser Reserve

Goals: O'Keefe 6, Robinson 2, Bottin-Noonan 2, Hiscox, Naismith, Davis, Lockyer, Walsh, Hebron, Hey, Dick
Best: Hewett, Naismith, Jones, O'Keefe, Robinson, Hebron

NT Thunder 7.11 (53) defeated Ainslie 5.6 (36) @ TIO Stadium

Goals: Patrick 3, Ewing 2, Djerrkura, Ilett
Best: Djerrkura, Patrick, Ilett, S.Rioli, Beugelaar, Motlop

Team List
Listed players
Changes
In: Biggs, Jack, Laidler, Membrey, T.Mitchell, Naismith, Towers
Out:

The return of the 5 seniors has had a cascading effect with the 5 players they've replaced strengthening the side. Walsh and Richards will hold down the key defensive posts and will be assisted by the likes of Laidler, Dick, Biggs, Marsh and Jones. Naismith and Nankervis will rotate through the ruck and up forward with the former likely to take the number 1 role. Pat Mitchell might also join this rotation if required. There is flexibility in the midfield with the main midfielders Tom Mitchell, O'Keefe, Hewett and Robinson being ably supported by wing-half/forward types in the likes of Lockyer, Jack, Towers and Marsh.

Academy Players/Topups
In:
Out: Joel BOTTIN-NOONAN, Michael DICKSON, Ryan HEBRON, Nick HEY, Nathan VAISEY, Oli WETZLAR, Mitch WRIGHT

These 4 should need no introduction to the followers of the Academy, but with 18 listed players might not see a lot of playing time.


Reserves leading goalkickers

• Tim Membrey 41 (15)
• Toby Nankervis 29 (16)
• Ryan O'Keefe 18 (14)

For full list: 2014 Goalkickers - RWOwiki

Reserves leading votegetters

• Tim Membrey 32 (15)
• Shane Biggs 31 (15)
• Daniel Robinson 27 (17)

For full list: 2014 Best Votes - RWOwiki

Reserves leading disposals (avg) min 7 games

• Shane Biggs 32.1
• Tom Mitchell 30.9
• Ryan O'Keefe 29.4

Reserves leading tackles (avg) min 7 games

• Ryan O'Keefe 7.8
• Tom Mitchell 4.5
• Jordan Lockyer 4.2

Reserves leading marks (avg) min 7 games

• Jordan Lockyer 6.2
• Tim Membrey 6.2
• Daniel Robinson 5.9

Reserves leading clearances(avg) min 4 games

• Tom Mitchell 6.7
• Daniel Robinson 6.1
• Ryan O'Keefe 5.5

Reserves leading inside 50s(avg) min 4 games

• Brandon Jack 5.2
• Tom Mitchell 4.9
• Ryan O'Keefe 4.5

Reserves leading rebound 50s(avg) min 4 games

• Shane Biggs 5.7
• Tommy Walsh 2.5
• Xavier Richards 2.3

For full list: 2014 Reserves Stats


NT Thunder
In: Dunne, Guilhaus, Lawrence
Out: Miles, Peris, Roe-Duggan

Players to keep an eye out for:

• Darren Ewing - Finished 2nd in the NEAFL goalkicking (to make it 6 years in a row where he's finished in the top 2 of the QAFL/NEAFL goalkicking) and has proved a handful for our defenders in the past. While he plays at full forward, he doesn't have the height of your traditional key forward gorilla (183cm), instead relying on his smarts and body work to mark countless balls and finish with his deadly accurate kick. Richards has usually got the unenviable task on Ewing in the past with mixed results.
• Cam Illet - Thunder co-captain and leading disposal winner. Played predominantly in the midfield but has rests up forward and has a good return (13 goals 1 behind from his 18 games). Justifiably named in the NEAFL team of the year
• Chris Dunne - Named at HF in the NEAFL team of the year, finished 5th in the NEAFL goalkicking with 45.
• Alwyn Davey - The former Essendon Bomber has been named in the forward pocket where he will spend some time, but is also comfortable playing on-ball and along with Nathan Djerrkura are prime deliverers of the ball into their forward 50
• Seb Guilhaus - The Thunder smartly recruited the ruckman from the SANFL, allowing the undersized Julian Lockwood to move into a key defensive role. Guilhaus finished the regular season averaging 26.8 hitouts, just ahead of our own Sam Naismith with 26.3

[ugg]

From what I've read, it seems that if both the Swans and UWS win, the NEAFL GF will be at Blacktown next week. If the Thunder win it will be at Darwin regardless of their opponent, and if Aspley and Swans win, it will be in Brisbane.

So cheer hard for the Giants tomorrow!

[Xie Shan]

So cheer hard for the Giants tomorrow!

Ugh, I'll try

[Matt80]

From what I've read, it seems that if both the Swans and UWS win, the NEAFL GF will be at Blacktown next week. If the Thunder win it will be at Darwin regardless of their opponent, and if Aspley and Swans win, it will be in Brisbane.

So cheer hard for the Giants tomorrow!

If the reserves GF is on at Blacktown next weekend will it be on Saturday?

I'll be out there watching my local team in the GF next Saturday and it would be good to see the Swans Reserves as well.

I've probably scared off most of Red and White.

[ugg]

If the reserves GF is on at Blacktown next weekend will it be on Saturday?

I'll be out there watching my local team in the GF next Saturday and it would be good to see the Swans Reserves as well.

I've probably scared off most of Red and White.

If your local team is playing on the Saturday wouldn't that mean BISP is unavailable on that day? So sounds like a Sunday job to me.

[Matt80]

If your local team is playing on the Saturday wouldn't that mean BISP is unavailable on that day? So sounds like a Sunday job to me.

Bummer. My team was playing early on Sat so I though there was a small chance of a Swans game afterwards. I've checked the Sydney AFL website and there are finals scheduled all day.

Looks like it will be Sunday.

What a thrill for the Penrith club to be playing around the Swans Reserves on Sunday.

[dimelb]

Great work ugg, and thanks. Looking forward to this one, especially when it's on the tube.

[ugg]

Aspley beat UWS so if we make it the GF will be in Brisbane

[Matt80]

Aspley beat UWS so if we make it the GF will be in Brisbane

If we make it through to the GF, do all those listed player restrictions apply?

Heeney, Mills, Davis, Hiscox and other Academy players could be very important in the GF!

[ugg]

Yes good point I forgot about that