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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 11 2012
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
It was another round of wet weather football. So often, that means a scrappy contest with ball control difficult and skill levels down. The match of the round at Blacktown Number 2 had that, but had desperation, physical football, tension and a thrilling finish.
The wet week had seen Gore Hill closed, the game being moved to Blacktown No 2. But in the early exchanges, the loss of home ground advantage didn?t seem to hurt the Bombers at all. Racing out of the blocks, they had four goals on the board within ten minutes. Daniel Roberts was back in the side and made his presence felt early, a strong pack mark in the opening minute getting the scoring under way, and another one followed shortly afterwards.
The weather had been overcast, and after four quick North Shore goals, the heavens opened and the players received a drenching. Players scrambled for possession, and eventually the Dockers managed to eke out a goal; but a fine effort on the run by Dale Fitzgerald shortly before the quarter-time break saw the Bombers hold a 24-point quarter time advantage.
The Dockers were going to the railway end in the second quarter, and playing coach Craig White was leading by example. His quarter time address was followed by two strong goals to build some momentum for his team, and Balmain players who had been quiet in the first quarter came to life. Four unanswered goals gave Balmain the lead, albeit briefly, before big Sam Naismith restored the North Shore advantage.
At half time, the Bombers were six points ahead. Despite the miserable conditions, the playing standard was surprisingly high, with players still able to take marks and hold onto the ball cleanly. The playing surface was in reasonable condition, conducive to good footy. The third quarter was a microcosm of the first half, as North Shore kicked three goals and looked to have set up a match-winning lead, before the Dockers responded with four of their own to level the scores at the last change.
The lights had been on throughout the game, and by now had replaced the natural light. It was time for players to stand up and be counted, and Balmain forward Shelby Lee-Steere quickly put his hand up. His claims for the status of recruit of the year suffered no harm as twice in the first five minutes he marked and goaled, giving Balmain the lead for the first time in the game and giving them a 12-point advantage.
But North Shore heads didn?t drop for long; and virtually all of the rest of the game was played in North Shore?s attacking half. Forcing turnovers, tackling strongly, controlling possession; the Bombers did everything they could to restore the lead. But, after three quarters where both sides showed deadly accuracy in front of goals, the North Shore radar deserted them in the final quarter.
Daniel Roberts kicked his fifth goal to put the Bombers within range, but they would be frustrated in their attempts to regain the lead. Veteran Troy Luff, now 42 years of age and 11 years after playing his last AFL game, was magnificent across the backline; time and again marking to repel the ever-advancing North Shore forward raids. And when the Bombers did get the ball past Luff, the next obstacle was the goal post; as the Bombers hit the post four times.
But the fourth poster, the Bombers? sixth behind of the quarter, levelled the scores. Forcing the turnover and going long, another behind saw the Bombers take the lead. It was a desperate battle, with ball-up after ball-up, throw-in after throw-in; two worthy contenders spilling every last drop of energy for the cause.
The final siren sounded, with the scoreboard showing North Shore a point ahead. The Bomber players raised their arms, in a mix of jubilation and relief, while the Docker players crouched to the ground in disappointment. It had been, despite the conditions, an absorbing and even contest; a clash of two teams worthy of being genuine title contenders. If the two sides play again during the finals, we can only hope it will be as exciting a finish as this one.
Daniel Roberts, back from a stint on the sidelines, underlined his value on the forward line with five goals for the Bombers. Former Docker Tim Schmidt was best on ground, while Lachlan Kilpatrick and Sam Carruthers were also prominent performers for the Bombers. For Balmain, Shelby Lee-Steere contributed four goals, and along with Troy Luff and Gerard Wilkie was among the Dockers? best.
The Hills derby at Mike Kenny Oval was another close contest. Pennant Hills have a strong record against the Eagles, including two grand finals in recent memory; and even during the Eagles? premiership hat-trick, they at times found the Demons to be a thorn in their side. And again on Saturday, the Demons took the points; although some appalling inaccuracy in front of goal made the contest closer than it needed to be.
The Demons started strongly, with three goals in the first term while holding the Eagles score-less. But the second quarter saw a bizarre contrast in accuracy that threatened to derail the run of play and produce a result that would have defied all expectations. The Demons had more scoring shots than the Eagles for the quarter, but all nine of them were behinds. At the other end, the Eagles made far better use of their opportunities to kick 6.1 for the quarter and against the run of play take a six-point lead into the long break.
The Demons regained the lead in the third term, but their goal-kicking radar would continue to let them down. A return of 3.8 again prevented them from getting reward for effort, with the lead at three-quarter time standing at 12 points. The Eagles worked hard, and threatened to steal the game as they kicked two goals to one in the last quarter; but the Demons hung on for an 11-point win.
Matt Carey, Seb Parker and Brandon Jack were among the best for Pennant Hills. For the Eagles, Ashley Moeller?s goal-kicking heroics in the second term guided him to a bag of five goals and the prospect of an upset; while Eliosa Okunbor and James Gordon also picked up plenty of the ball.
University pride was on the line at Sydney Uni No 1, as the Students played host to UTS. It was a heavy ground, so heavy that the early games were called off with only the Premier Division game going ahead.
The Students had more of the ball than the Bats during the first quarter, but let themselves down with their goal-kicking to only lead by four points at quarter time. And the Bats would make them pay in the second quarter. Although having inaccuracy issues of their own, the Bats scored the only three goals of the quarter to lead by 18 points at half time.
A Sydney Uni goal in the third term gave them a sniff of pulling off an upset, but such hopes were short-lived and it would be their only score for the second half. The Bats were wasteful in front of goal to score 1.5 for the quarter, but it would be enough to see them 23 points clear at the last change. And the Bats tightened the screws in the last quarter, three unanswered goals extending the final margin to 41 points.
Fergus Adamson, Andrew Morley and Liam Flanagan were ball magnets all day for the Bats, while Dean McKay, Callum Kennedy and Jacob Swarts were among Sydney Uni?s best. With the result, the Bats further strengthen their grip on a spot in the top five, with high hopes of making the finals in their second year in the top division.
Campbelltown won their first game for nearly two years last week, but their celebrations were short-lived. Despite the closure of the Village Green seeing the match moved to Monarch, the ladder-leading UNSW-ES led from start to finish to record a convincing 76-point win.
The Bulldogs made the early front-running, with three goals to one in the first term to lead by 16 points at quarter time. But it was in the second quarter that the Bulldogs got their best game going, five goals to two for the quarter opening up a 37-point lead at the long break.
The Bulldogs were finding plenty of room to run on the large Monarch ground, and continued their imposing form in the premiership quarter with a six-goal haul to open up a 58-point lead at the last change. There was no way back for the Blues, and there was no let-up by the relentless Bulldogs as they scored another four goals to one in the final term.
Josh Parmenter kicked five goals for Bulldogs, with Leigh Lavery contributing four. Matthew Rawlinson, Hayden Nichols and Ryan Plant were among UNSW-ES?s best. For the Blues, James Watkins, Paul Green and Nicholas Hudson continued to work hard all day.
At Picken Oval, St George re-entered the top five, but were made to work for it by the efforts of a persistent Wests side who stuck with them for three quarters.
A look at the first quarter would have conveyed the impression that it was Wests who were the finals challenger. The Magpies burst out of the blocks full of pace, enthusiasm and determination as they jumped the Dragons with six goals to two in the first term to take a shock 24-point lead into quarter time. But the Dragons fought back in the second term, seven goals to two reversing the fortunes and putting the Dragons seven points ahead at the long break.
The third quarter was close and tightly-contested. The Magpies weren?t going to go down without a fight, and the Dragons were made to earn every possession. But with two goals to one for the quarter, St George extended their lead to 11 points at the last change. The Magpies had fought gallantly for three quarters, but had nothing more to give; and the Dragons finally pulled away in the last quarter to take out a 30-point win.
Nick Ryan continued his outstanding form with four goals, while Stephen Wilsen, Daniel Napper and David Lycakis were among the Dragons? best. Matt Eurell put in a solid game up forward for the Magpies to finish with six goals, while Ryan Hinson and Jack Codd-Miller were also prominent contributors for the Magpies.
North Shore 5.1 6.3 9.4 10.11 (71)
Balmain 1.1 5.3 9.4 11.4 (70)
Goals : North Shore ? D Roberts 5, N Todd 2, D Fitzgerald, A Harry, S Naismith. Balmain ? S Lee-Steere 4, C White 3, B Taggart, T Matson, L Conway, B Plug.
Best : North Shore ? T Schmidt, L Kilpatrick, S Carruthers, L Pryor, R Wason, R Lynch. Balmain ? T Luff, G Wilkie, S Lee-Steere, C White, K Pearson, J Coulloupas.
At Blacktown International Sportspark No 2, Saturday 16th June 2012.
Pennant Hills 3.4 3.13 6.21 7.27 (69)
Sydney Hills Eagles 0.0 6.1 7.3 9.4 (58)
Goals : Pennant Hills ? N Baglin 2, N Campbell, M Carey, M Crawford, S Wray, Brandon Jack. Sydney Hills ? A Moeller 5, D Killworth 2, M Clinch, J Shephard.
Best : Pennant Hills ? M Carey, S Parker, Brandon Jack, A Goodall, Brant Jack, P Barnes. Sydney Hills ? A Moeller, E Okunbor, J Gordon, A Savage, J Mann, S Pierce.
At Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
University of Technology 1.0 4.8 5.13 8.13 (61)
Sydney University 1.4 1.8 2.8 2.8 (20)
Goals : UTS - J Caica 3, S Tregoning 3, A Morley, P Healey. Sydney Uni ? A Holmes 2.
Best : UTS ? F Adamson, A Morley, L Flanagan, J Spragg, R Hanmore, D McFarlane. Sydney Uni ? D McKay, C Kennedy, J Swarts, N Lye, B Fitzpatrick, T Kirkham.
At Sydney University No 1 Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 3.5 8.8 14.8 18.9 (117)
Campbelltown 1.1 3.1 5.4 6.5 (41)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? J Parmenter 5, L Lavery 4, M Collett 3, M Rawlinson 3, T Heath 2, A Gulden. Campbelltown ? N Hudson 2, L Coughlan, P Green, K Monteleone, B McCrossen.
Best : UNSW-ES ? B Rawlinson, H Nichols, R Plant, T Heath, P Kefalas, J Parmenter. Campbelltown ? J Watkins, P Green, N Hudson, H Sherwood, J Wheeler, D Linsen.
At Monarch Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
St George 2.3 9.6 11.7 15.9 (99)
Western Suburbs 6.3 8.5 9.8 10.9 (69)
Goals : St George ? N Ryan 4, P Sain 3, L Broome 2, A Wynn 2, B Jones 2, M Edwards, N Kenny. Wests ? M Eurell 6, R Chowanetz, J Codd-Miller, J Newbury, J Scott.
Best : St George ? S Wilsen, D Napper, D Lycakis, B Jones, B Sharp, L Perris. Wests ? M Eurell, R Hinson, J Codd-Miller, J Newbury, B Mumme, P Grundy.
At Picken Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
Division One:
Southern Power 13.10 (88) d Western Suburbs 3.5 (23)
Sydney Hills 9.4 (58) d Pennant Hills 7.5 (47)
UNSW-ES 6.15 (51) d Macquarie Uni 7.3 (45)
North Shore 5.6 (36) d Penrith 4.6 (30)
Holroyd-Parramatta 10.7 67) d UTS 4.7 (31)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 518.00%), Southern Power (88.89, 339.68%), Penrith (62.5, 99.57%), Holroyd-Parramatta (55.56, 107.65%), UTS (50, 115.82%), North Shore (50, 88.19%), Macquarie Uni (44.44, 95.09%), UNSW-ES (44.44, 69.97%), Sydney Hills (33.33, 72.74%), Pennant Hills (22.22, 44.49%), Wests (0, 31.22%).
Division Two:
Camden 10.4 (64) d St George 7.12 (54)
NorWest 9.9 (63) d UNSW-ES 7.6 (48)
Auburn 9.7 (61) d Moorebank 9.6 (60)
Sydney Uni v Balmain ? postponed
Illawarra v Manly-Warringah ? postponed
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Uni (88.89, 140.19%), UNSW-ES (80, 140.19%), Balmain (77.78, 113.03%), Manly-Warringah (55.56, 135.03%), NorWest (50, 89.06%), Moorebank (40, 109.74%), St George (40, 106.92%), Camden (40, 90.85%), Illawarra (22.22, 87.78%), Auburn (10, 32.22%).
Division Three:
Western Suburbs 12.9 (81) d Moorebank 6.11 (47)
Saints AFC 14.9 (93) d Southern Power 2.4 (16)
Sydney Hills v Campbelltown ? postponed
UTS v Blacktown ? postponed
Macquarie Uni v Sydney Uni ? postponed
Ladder ? UTS (32, 658.75%), Sydney Uni (32, 282.61%), Blacktown (28, 259.68%), Saints AFC (28, 237.75%), Southern Power (16, 109.08%), Macquarie Uni (16, 69.16%), Sydney Hills (12, 55.44%), Wests (12, 34.05%), Campbelltown (8, 38.92%), Moorebank (4, 27.45%).
Division Four:
Penrith 17.13 (115) d North Shore 6.2 (38)
UNSW-ES 7.5 (47) d NorWest 5.7 (37)
Gosford 14.28 (112) d Southern Power 0.0 (0)
UTS v Macquarie Uni ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah ? postponed
Ladder ? Gosford (36, 324.78%), UTS (36, 321.74%), UNSW-ES (32, 192.65%), Penrith (28, 245.82%), Manly-Warringah (20, 89.09%), NorWest (12, 64.59%), North Shore (12, 54.97%), Southern Power (8, 36.12%), Macquarie Uni (4, 40.72%), Holroyd-Parramatta (4, 33.50%).
Division Five:
UNSW-ES 7.9 (51) d Penrith 4.12 (36)
UTS v Moorebank ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Sydney Uni ? postponed
Ladder ? UTS (93.75, 276.03%), Sydney Uni (87.5, 322.58%), Camden (75, 132.85%), UNSW-ES (61.11, 165.66%), Saints AFC (50, 125.22%), Moorebank (37.5, 100.65%), Holroyd-Parramatta (12.5, 28.39%), Penrith (11.11, 48.54%).
Under 18s One:
North Shore 30.12 (192) d Penrith 2.6 (18)
Sydney Hills 6.7 (43) d Pennant Hills 5.9 (39)
St George 10.7 (67) d Western Suburbs 3.4 (22)
Sydney Uni v St Ignatius Riverview ? cancelled
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (100, 320.20%), Illawarra (75, 157.54%), Sydney Uni (75, 138.29%), Pennant Hills (62.5, 155.75%), North Shore (50, 188.06%), UNSW-ES (50, 101.70%), St George (37.5, 91.75%), Riverview (25, 92.18%), Wests (14.29, 40.13%), Penrith (0, 10.65%).
Under 18s Two:
NorWest 20.17 (137) d Saints AFC 2.1 (13)
Southern Power 14.12 (96) d Moorebank 2.1 (13)
Sydney Hills v Macquarie Uni ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Balmain ? postponed
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (100, 507.55%), Balmain (85.71, 260.78%), Manly-Warringah (62.5, 147.15%), NorWest (55.56, 146.61%), Moorebank (50, 80.91%), Holroyd-Parramatta (28.57, 66.73%), Macquarie Uni (28.57, 62.22%), Sydney Hills (16.67, 78.97%), Saints AFC (12.5, 13.98%).
Women:
Western Wolves 15.15 (105) d Auburn 0.0 (0)
Wollongong 15.18 (108) d Penrith 0.0 (0)
Sydney Uni 10.14 (74) d Southern Power 0.1 (1)
Newtown 12.13 (85) d UTS 0.0 (0)
UNSW 6.13 (49) d Macquarie Uni 2.4 (16)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Balmain (100, 587.25%), Newtown (85.71, 311.41%), Wollongong (75, 265.93%), Sydney Uni (71.43, 355.17%), Western Wolves (62.5, 288.04%), UNSW (62.5, 167.79%), Macquarie Uni (37.5, 63.05%), Southern Power (33.33, 67.65%), Auburn (25, 22.29%), UTS (11.11, 7.55%), Penrith (0, 12.29%).
NEXT WEEK?S FIXTURES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold):
Premier Division:
Saturday 23rd June
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Pennant Hills (2:10pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (2:30pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Illawarra (6:45pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v St George (2:10pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES
Division One:
Saturday 23rd June
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Manly-Warringah (11:30am)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Pennant Hills (12pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (12:30pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v Southern Power (2:10pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (4:10pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES
Division Two:
Saturday 23rd June
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v Illawarra (2:10pm)
Harrington Park ? Camden v Auburn (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v UNSW-ES (3:10pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v St George (2:10pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 23rd June
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Macquarie Uni (10am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Southern Power (10:30am)
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (1pm)
The Ponds - Blacktown v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 23rd June
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v North Shore (12pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v Southern Power (12pm)
Adcock Park ? Gosford v Manly-Warringah (1pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (2pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v UTS (2:10pm)
Division Five:
Saturday 23rd June
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (11am)
Harrington Park ? Camden v UTS (12pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (12pm)
BYE ? Holroyd-Parramatta, Penrith
Under 18s One:
Saturday 23rd June
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (8:30am)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v St George (10am)
Riverview First Field ? St Ignatius Riverview v Pennant Hills (10am)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Illawarra (4:45pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES, Sydney Uni.
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 23rd June
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (9am)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v Southern Power (10am)
BYE ? NorWest.
Women:
Saturday 23rd June
Mahoney Park ? Newtown v Auburn (10am)
Village Green ? UNSW v Sydney Uni (10am)
Mahoney Park ? Western Wolves v Wollongong (12pm)
Trumper Park ? UTS v Macquarie Uni (12:30pm)
Mahoney Park ? Balmain v Penrith (2pm)
BYE ? Southern Power.
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
It was another round of wet weather football. So often, that means a scrappy contest with ball control difficult and skill levels down. The match of the round at Blacktown Number 2 had that, but had desperation, physical football, tension and a thrilling finish.
The wet week had seen Gore Hill closed, the game being moved to Blacktown No 2. But in the early exchanges, the loss of home ground advantage didn?t seem to hurt the Bombers at all. Racing out of the blocks, they had four goals on the board within ten minutes. Daniel Roberts was back in the side and made his presence felt early, a strong pack mark in the opening minute getting the scoring under way, and another one followed shortly afterwards.
The weather had been overcast, and after four quick North Shore goals, the heavens opened and the players received a drenching. Players scrambled for possession, and eventually the Dockers managed to eke out a goal; but a fine effort on the run by Dale Fitzgerald shortly before the quarter-time break saw the Bombers hold a 24-point quarter time advantage.
The Dockers were going to the railway end in the second quarter, and playing coach Craig White was leading by example. His quarter time address was followed by two strong goals to build some momentum for his team, and Balmain players who had been quiet in the first quarter came to life. Four unanswered goals gave Balmain the lead, albeit briefly, before big Sam Naismith restored the North Shore advantage.
At half time, the Bombers were six points ahead. Despite the miserable conditions, the playing standard was surprisingly high, with players still able to take marks and hold onto the ball cleanly. The playing surface was in reasonable condition, conducive to good footy. The third quarter was a microcosm of the first half, as North Shore kicked three goals and looked to have set up a match-winning lead, before the Dockers responded with four of their own to level the scores at the last change.
The lights had been on throughout the game, and by now had replaced the natural light. It was time for players to stand up and be counted, and Balmain forward Shelby Lee-Steere quickly put his hand up. His claims for the status of recruit of the year suffered no harm as twice in the first five minutes he marked and goaled, giving Balmain the lead for the first time in the game and giving them a 12-point advantage.
But North Shore heads didn?t drop for long; and virtually all of the rest of the game was played in North Shore?s attacking half. Forcing turnovers, tackling strongly, controlling possession; the Bombers did everything they could to restore the lead. But, after three quarters where both sides showed deadly accuracy in front of goals, the North Shore radar deserted them in the final quarter.
Daniel Roberts kicked his fifth goal to put the Bombers within range, but they would be frustrated in their attempts to regain the lead. Veteran Troy Luff, now 42 years of age and 11 years after playing his last AFL game, was magnificent across the backline; time and again marking to repel the ever-advancing North Shore forward raids. And when the Bombers did get the ball past Luff, the next obstacle was the goal post; as the Bombers hit the post four times.
But the fourth poster, the Bombers? sixth behind of the quarter, levelled the scores. Forcing the turnover and going long, another behind saw the Bombers take the lead. It was a desperate battle, with ball-up after ball-up, throw-in after throw-in; two worthy contenders spilling every last drop of energy for the cause.
The final siren sounded, with the scoreboard showing North Shore a point ahead. The Bomber players raised their arms, in a mix of jubilation and relief, while the Docker players crouched to the ground in disappointment. It had been, despite the conditions, an absorbing and even contest; a clash of two teams worthy of being genuine title contenders. If the two sides play again during the finals, we can only hope it will be as exciting a finish as this one.
Daniel Roberts, back from a stint on the sidelines, underlined his value on the forward line with five goals for the Bombers. Former Docker Tim Schmidt was best on ground, while Lachlan Kilpatrick and Sam Carruthers were also prominent performers for the Bombers. For Balmain, Shelby Lee-Steere contributed four goals, and along with Troy Luff and Gerard Wilkie was among the Dockers? best.
The Hills derby at Mike Kenny Oval was another close contest. Pennant Hills have a strong record against the Eagles, including two grand finals in recent memory; and even during the Eagles? premiership hat-trick, they at times found the Demons to be a thorn in their side. And again on Saturday, the Demons took the points; although some appalling inaccuracy in front of goal made the contest closer than it needed to be.
The Demons started strongly, with three goals in the first term while holding the Eagles score-less. But the second quarter saw a bizarre contrast in accuracy that threatened to derail the run of play and produce a result that would have defied all expectations. The Demons had more scoring shots than the Eagles for the quarter, but all nine of them were behinds. At the other end, the Eagles made far better use of their opportunities to kick 6.1 for the quarter and against the run of play take a six-point lead into the long break.
The Demons regained the lead in the third term, but their goal-kicking radar would continue to let them down. A return of 3.8 again prevented them from getting reward for effort, with the lead at three-quarter time standing at 12 points. The Eagles worked hard, and threatened to steal the game as they kicked two goals to one in the last quarter; but the Demons hung on for an 11-point win.
Matt Carey, Seb Parker and Brandon Jack were among the best for Pennant Hills. For the Eagles, Ashley Moeller?s goal-kicking heroics in the second term guided him to a bag of five goals and the prospect of an upset; while Eliosa Okunbor and James Gordon also picked up plenty of the ball.
University pride was on the line at Sydney Uni No 1, as the Students played host to UTS. It was a heavy ground, so heavy that the early games were called off with only the Premier Division game going ahead.
The Students had more of the ball than the Bats during the first quarter, but let themselves down with their goal-kicking to only lead by four points at quarter time. And the Bats would make them pay in the second quarter. Although having inaccuracy issues of their own, the Bats scored the only three goals of the quarter to lead by 18 points at half time.
A Sydney Uni goal in the third term gave them a sniff of pulling off an upset, but such hopes were short-lived and it would be their only score for the second half. The Bats were wasteful in front of goal to score 1.5 for the quarter, but it would be enough to see them 23 points clear at the last change. And the Bats tightened the screws in the last quarter, three unanswered goals extending the final margin to 41 points.
Fergus Adamson, Andrew Morley and Liam Flanagan were ball magnets all day for the Bats, while Dean McKay, Callum Kennedy and Jacob Swarts were among Sydney Uni?s best. With the result, the Bats further strengthen their grip on a spot in the top five, with high hopes of making the finals in their second year in the top division.
Campbelltown won their first game for nearly two years last week, but their celebrations were short-lived. Despite the closure of the Village Green seeing the match moved to Monarch, the ladder-leading UNSW-ES led from start to finish to record a convincing 76-point win.
The Bulldogs made the early front-running, with three goals to one in the first term to lead by 16 points at quarter time. But it was in the second quarter that the Bulldogs got their best game going, five goals to two for the quarter opening up a 37-point lead at the long break.
The Bulldogs were finding plenty of room to run on the large Monarch ground, and continued their imposing form in the premiership quarter with a six-goal haul to open up a 58-point lead at the last change. There was no way back for the Blues, and there was no let-up by the relentless Bulldogs as they scored another four goals to one in the final term.
Josh Parmenter kicked five goals for Bulldogs, with Leigh Lavery contributing four. Matthew Rawlinson, Hayden Nichols and Ryan Plant were among UNSW-ES?s best. For the Blues, James Watkins, Paul Green and Nicholas Hudson continued to work hard all day.
At Picken Oval, St George re-entered the top five, but were made to work for it by the efforts of a persistent Wests side who stuck with them for three quarters.
A look at the first quarter would have conveyed the impression that it was Wests who were the finals challenger. The Magpies burst out of the blocks full of pace, enthusiasm and determination as they jumped the Dragons with six goals to two in the first term to take a shock 24-point lead into quarter time. But the Dragons fought back in the second term, seven goals to two reversing the fortunes and putting the Dragons seven points ahead at the long break.
The third quarter was close and tightly-contested. The Magpies weren?t going to go down without a fight, and the Dragons were made to earn every possession. But with two goals to one for the quarter, St George extended their lead to 11 points at the last change. The Magpies had fought gallantly for three quarters, but had nothing more to give; and the Dragons finally pulled away in the last quarter to take out a 30-point win.
Nick Ryan continued his outstanding form with four goals, while Stephen Wilsen, Daniel Napper and David Lycakis were among the Dragons? best. Matt Eurell put in a solid game up forward for the Magpies to finish with six goals, while Ryan Hinson and Jack Codd-Miller were also prominent contributors for the Magpies.
North Shore 5.1 6.3 9.4 10.11 (71)
Balmain 1.1 5.3 9.4 11.4 (70)
Goals : North Shore ? D Roberts 5, N Todd 2, D Fitzgerald, A Harry, S Naismith. Balmain ? S Lee-Steere 4, C White 3, B Taggart, T Matson, L Conway, B Plug.
Best : North Shore ? T Schmidt, L Kilpatrick, S Carruthers, L Pryor, R Wason, R Lynch. Balmain ? T Luff, G Wilkie, S Lee-Steere, C White, K Pearson, J Coulloupas.
At Blacktown International Sportspark No 2, Saturday 16th June 2012.
Pennant Hills 3.4 3.13 6.21 7.27 (69)
Sydney Hills Eagles 0.0 6.1 7.3 9.4 (58)
Goals : Pennant Hills ? N Baglin 2, N Campbell, M Carey, M Crawford, S Wray, Brandon Jack. Sydney Hills ? A Moeller 5, D Killworth 2, M Clinch, J Shephard.
Best : Pennant Hills ? M Carey, S Parker, Brandon Jack, A Goodall, Brant Jack, P Barnes. Sydney Hills ? A Moeller, E Okunbor, J Gordon, A Savage, J Mann, S Pierce.
At Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
University of Technology 1.0 4.8 5.13 8.13 (61)
Sydney University 1.4 1.8 2.8 2.8 (20)
Goals : UTS - J Caica 3, S Tregoning 3, A Morley, P Healey. Sydney Uni ? A Holmes 2.
Best : UTS ? F Adamson, A Morley, L Flanagan, J Spragg, R Hanmore, D McFarlane. Sydney Uni ? D McKay, C Kennedy, J Swarts, N Lye, B Fitzpatrick, T Kirkham.
At Sydney University No 1 Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 3.5 8.8 14.8 18.9 (117)
Campbelltown 1.1 3.1 5.4 6.5 (41)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? J Parmenter 5, L Lavery 4, M Collett 3, M Rawlinson 3, T Heath 2, A Gulden. Campbelltown ? N Hudson 2, L Coughlan, P Green, K Monteleone, B McCrossen.
Best : UNSW-ES ? B Rawlinson, H Nichols, R Plant, T Heath, P Kefalas, J Parmenter. Campbelltown ? J Watkins, P Green, N Hudson, H Sherwood, J Wheeler, D Linsen.
At Monarch Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
St George 2.3 9.6 11.7 15.9 (99)
Western Suburbs 6.3 8.5 9.8 10.9 (69)
Goals : St George ? N Ryan 4, P Sain 3, L Broome 2, A Wynn 2, B Jones 2, M Edwards, N Kenny. Wests ? M Eurell 6, R Chowanetz, J Codd-Miller, J Newbury, J Scott.
Best : St George ? S Wilsen, D Napper, D Lycakis, B Jones, B Sharp, L Perris. Wests ? M Eurell, R Hinson, J Codd-Miller, J Newbury, B Mumme, P Grundy.
At Picken Oval, Saturday 16th June 2012.
| Play | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Agnst | Pts | %age | Strk | |
| UNSW-ES | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1,000 | 485 | 88.89 | 206.89 | W4 |
| Pennant Hills | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 858 | 557 | 88.89 | 154.04 | W7 |
| North Shore | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 847 | 425 | 87.50 | 199.29 | W7 |
| UTS | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 956 | 786 | 72.73 | 121.63 | W3 |
| St George | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 872 | 663 | 66.67 | 137.76 | W1 |
| Balmain | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 988 | 449 | 62.50 | 220.04 | L1 |
| Illawarra | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 603 | 792 | 33.33 | 76.14 | L3 |
| Sydney Hills | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 529 | 909 | 30.00 | 58.20 | L4 |
| Sydney University | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 453 | 890 | 11.11 | 50.90 | L2 |
| Western Suburbs | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 580 | 1,042 | 10.00 | 55.66 | L2 |
| Campbelltown | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 500 | 1,218 | 10.00 | 41.05 | L1 |
Division One:
Southern Power 13.10 (88) d Western Suburbs 3.5 (23)
Sydney Hills 9.4 (58) d Pennant Hills 7.5 (47)
UNSW-ES 6.15 (51) d Macquarie Uni 7.3 (45)
North Shore 5.6 (36) d Penrith 4.6 (30)
Holroyd-Parramatta 10.7 67) d UTS 4.7 (31)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 518.00%), Southern Power (88.89, 339.68%), Penrith (62.5, 99.57%), Holroyd-Parramatta (55.56, 107.65%), UTS (50, 115.82%), North Shore (50, 88.19%), Macquarie Uni (44.44, 95.09%), UNSW-ES (44.44, 69.97%), Sydney Hills (33.33, 72.74%), Pennant Hills (22.22, 44.49%), Wests (0, 31.22%).
Division Two:
Camden 10.4 (64) d St George 7.12 (54)
NorWest 9.9 (63) d UNSW-ES 7.6 (48)
Auburn 9.7 (61) d Moorebank 9.6 (60)
Sydney Uni v Balmain ? postponed
Illawarra v Manly-Warringah ? postponed
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Uni (88.89, 140.19%), UNSW-ES (80, 140.19%), Balmain (77.78, 113.03%), Manly-Warringah (55.56, 135.03%), NorWest (50, 89.06%), Moorebank (40, 109.74%), St George (40, 106.92%), Camden (40, 90.85%), Illawarra (22.22, 87.78%), Auburn (10, 32.22%).
Division Three:
Western Suburbs 12.9 (81) d Moorebank 6.11 (47)
Saints AFC 14.9 (93) d Southern Power 2.4 (16)
Sydney Hills v Campbelltown ? postponed
UTS v Blacktown ? postponed
Macquarie Uni v Sydney Uni ? postponed
Ladder ? UTS (32, 658.75%), Sydney Uni (32, 282.61%), Blacktown (28, 259.68%), Saints AFC (28, 237.75%), Southern Power (16, 109.08%), Macquarie Uni (16, 69.16%), Sydney Hills (12, 55.44%), Wests (12, 34.05%), Campbelltown (8, 38.92%), Moorebank (4, 27.45%).
Division Four:
Penrith 17.13 (115) d North Shore 6.2 (38)
UNSW-ES 7.5 (47) d NorWest 5.7 (37)
Gosford 14.28 (112) d Southern Power 0.0 (0)
UTS v Macquarie Uni ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah ? postponed
Ladder ? Gosford (36, 324.78%), UTS (36, 321.74%), UNSW-ES (32, 192.65%), Penrith (28, 245.82%), Manly-Warringah (20, 89.09%), NorWest (12, 64.59%), North Shore (12, 54.97%), Southern Power (8, 36.12%), Macquarie Uni (4, 40.72%), Holroyd-Parramatta (4, 33.50%).
Division Five:
UNSW-ES 7.9 (51) d Penrith 4.12 (36)
UTS v Moorebank ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Sydney Uni ? postponed
Ladder ? UTS (93.75, 276.03%), Sydney Uni (87.5, 322.58%), Camden (75, 132.85%), UNSW-ES (61.11, 165.66%), Saints AFC (50, 125.22%), Moorebank (37.5, 100.65%), Holroyd-Parramatta (12.5, 28.39%), Penrith (11.11, 48.54%).
Under 18s One:
North Shore 30.12 (192) d Penrith 2.6 (18)
Sydney Hills 6.7 (43) d Pennant Hills 5.9 (39)
St George 10.7 (67) d Western Suburbs 3.4 (22)
Sydney Uni v St Ignatius Riverview ? cancelled
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (100, 320.20%), Illawarra (75, 157.54%), Sydney Uni (75, 138.29%), Pennant Hills (62.5, 155.75%), North Shore (50, 188.06%), UNSW-ES (50, 101.70%), St George (37.5, 91.75%), Riverview (25, 92.18%), Wests (14.29, 40.13%), Penrith (0, 10.65%).
Under 18s Two:
NorWest 20.17 (137) d Saints AFC 2.1 (13)
Southern Power 14.12 (96) d Moorebank 2.1 (13)
Sydney Hills v Macquarie Uni ? postponed
Holroyd-Parramatta v Balmain ? postponed
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (100, 507.55%), Balmain (85.71, 260.78%), Manly-Warringah (62.5, 147.15%), NorWest (55.56, 146.61%), Moorebank (50, 80.91%), Holroyd-Parramatta (28.57, 66.73%), Macquarie Uni (28.57, 62.22%), Sydney Hills (16.67, 78.97%), Saints AFC (12.5, 13.98%).
Women:
Western Wolves 15.15 (105) d Auburn 0.0 (0)
Wollongong 15.18 (108) d Penrith 0.0 (0)
Sydney Uni 10.14 (74) d Southern Power 0.1 (1)
Newtown 12.13 (85) d UTS 0.0 (0)
UNSW 6.13 (49) d Macquarie Uni 2.4 (16)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Balmain (100, 587.25%), Newtown (85.71, 311.41%), Wollongong (75, 265.93%), Sydney Uni (71.43, 355.17%), Western Wolves (62.5, 288.04%), UNSW (62.5, 167.79%), Macquarie Uni (37.5, 63.05%), Southern Power (33.33, 67.65%), Auburn (25, 22.29%), UTS (11.11, 7.55%), Penrith (0, 12.29%).
NEXT WEEK?S FIXTURES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold):
Premier Division:
Saturday 23rd June
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Pennant Hills (2:10pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (2:30pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Illawarra (6:45pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v St George (2:10pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES
Division One:
Saturday 23rd June
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Manly-Warringah (11:30am)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Pennant Hills (12pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (12:30pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v Southern Power (2:10pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (4:10pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES
Division Two:
Saturday 23rd June
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v Illawarra (2:10pm)
Harrington Park ? Camden v Auburn (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v UNSW-ES (3:10pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v St George (2:10pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 23rd June
Waverley Oval ? UTS v Macquarie Uni (10am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Southern Power (10:30am)
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (1pm)
The Ponds - Blacktown v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 23rd June
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v North Shore (12pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v Southern Power (12pm)
Adcock Park ? Gosford v Manly-Warringah (1pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (2pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v UTS (2:10pm)
Division Five:
Saturday 23rd June
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (11am)
Harrington Park ? Camden v UTS (12pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (12pm)
BYE ? Holroyd-Parramatta, Penrith
Under 18s One:
Saturday 23rd June
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v North Shore (8:30am)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v St George (10am)
Riverview First Field ? St Ignatius Riverview v Pennant Hills (10am)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Illawarra (4:45pm)
BYE ? UNSW-ES, Sydney Uni.
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 23rd June
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Saints AFC (9am)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Sunday 24th June
Henson Park ? Balmain v Southern Power (10am)
BYE ? NorWest.
Women:
Saturday 23rd June
Mahoney Park ? Newtown v Auburn (10am)
Village Green ? UNSW v Sydney Uni (10am)
Mahoney Park ? Western Wolves v Wollongong (12pm)
Trumper Park ? UTS v Macquarie Uni (12:30pm)
Mahoney Park ? Balmain v Penrith (2pm)
BYE ? Southern Power.