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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 16 2012 
Article & Photos by Michael Shillito
With four rounds to go till the finals, the race for positions within the top five remains far from over. Although we know for sure that UNSW-ES, North Shore and Pennant Hills will be playing in this year?s finals, the race for top spot and the top three double-chance don?t look like they?ll be resolved until late in the home and away series.
UNSW-ES have been in imposing form all season, and the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to nine games on Saturday afternoon when they recorded a 57-point win over UTS at the Village Green on Saturday afternoon.
The university derby was a shootout early, with plenty of lead changes in a high-scoring first quarter that saw the Bulldogs leading by 12 points at quarter time. The Bulldogs threatened to get on top during the second quarter, but found themselves frustrated by the tenacious Bats, who came up with the answering goals when they were needed to keep themselves in the contest; and at the long break the Bulldogs held an 18-point lead.
The Bats were never able to regain the lead during the third quarter, but it wasn?t for a lack of trying. Refusing to surrender the contest without a fight, the Bats matched up with the Bulldogs around the ground, and an evenly-contested quarter finished with the Bulldogs 16 points ahead. But with the game in the balance at the last change, it was the Bulldogs who stepped up. Coach Rhys McAllister?s address to his charges had the desired effect, as the Bulldogs controlled the contest in the final quarter, a run of eight goals to one making the final margin far more than the run of play in the first three quarters suggested was likely.
Leigh Lavery, already with an imposing lead in the competition?s leading goalkickers list, added further to his impressive season with a bag of eight goals to spearhead the Bulldog charge. Around the ground, Dane Rampe, Anthony Rodrigues and Peter Kefalas were getting plenty of the ball. For the Bats, David Lavender had a big day on the forward line to finish with six goals; while Roch Hanmore, Sam Way and Sam Kinross were influential around the ground.
With the win, UNSW-ES remain on top of the ladder, a game clear of North Shore and Pennant Hills and with a better percentage; but the Bulldogs have tough games against Balmain and North Shore to come. But for UTS, two games plus percentage behind third place with only three games still to play, the result all but ends the Bats? hopes of finishing in the top three, and if they go down to North Shore next week are no certainties of staying in the top five.
Sunday afternoon at Henson Park saw another game that could be of critical importance to the shape of the finals. And the game was worthy of its importance, a thriller that would go down to the wire.
A cold Sunday afternoon, with a biting southerly wind, made conditions tricky. The Demons were kicking with the wind in the first quarter, and had a good quarter to lead by 22 points at quarter time. But when it was Balmain?s turn with the wind in the second term, they would do even better. Six goals to one saw the Dockers turn the quarter time deficit into an 11-point lead at half time.
There were plenty more twists and turns in this tale, and the pendulum swung Pennant Hills? way in the third tem. The Demons wasted some chances, and seven of their scoring shots for the quarter were minor scores; but still managed four goals to one to lead by 12 points at the last change. And with an early goal in the final quarter, the Demons looked like they could hang on.
But Balmain kept coming. They were held up time and again by desperate Pennant Hills defence, but with the ball kept on the Balmain forward line eventually the goals came. The Dockers finally took the lead with a few minutes to go, and almost immediately added another to make the game safe. It had been a thrilling encounter, and the Demons would rue the missed opportunities during the third quarter; but the result was an important win for Balmain.
Ben Taggart, enjoying a stellar season for the Dockers, again showed his value to the side with a best-on-ground performance, while Jackson Monk and Leigh Conway were also prominent. For the Demons, Tim Wales, Alex Goodall and Nick Campbell were among their best.
Had the Demons prevailed, there would have been a two-game break between third and fourth, and the race for the double chance would be close to determined. Instead, the Dockers find themselves just one game behind the Demons, with an extra game to play and a superior percentage, and the battle for the double chance remains on in ernest.
The quirks of the draw and the timing of the replays of washed out games saw North Shore and Illawarra playing each other in consecutive weekends. North Shore had kicked plenty of goals in their away leg last weekend, and managed even more when they had the home ground advantage at Gore Hill on Saturday.
Bursting out of the blocks, the Bombers scored six unanswered goals in the first quarter, and led by 37 points at quarter time. And despite squandering some chances in the second term, the Bombers continued their run in the second quarter, holding the Lions goal-less until the final minute of the quarter and leading by 62 points at the long break.
The Lions launched a mini-comeback at the start of the third quarter, with the first two goals; but could go no further. Sensing the opportunity to build the gap between their percentage and that of ladder-leaders UNSW-ES, the Bombers lifted a gear and the floodgates opened. Ten straight goals for the remainder of the quarter blew the lead out to 109 points at three-quarter time. And although the final quarter didn?t reach any great heights, the Bombers continued their ruthless performance to extend the final winning margin out to 125 points.
Sharing the goal-scoring duties around, the Bombers got 14 of their players onto the goal-scoring list. Tim Schmidt, Adrian Harry and Doug Hadden were among North Shore?s best. For the Lions, Duane Jefferis, Wade Edmed and Ryan Price worked hard all day. North Shore have a tricky run home, with games against all of the other teams in the top five in their remaining games; but are well placed in second, and importantly their percentage is now within striking distance to that of UNSW-ES.
St George remain in the finals hunt, and their quest for a finals berth received a boost when the Dragons ended a three-game losing streak to record an easy 91-point win over Sydney Uni at Blacktown on Saturday afternoon.
The game was tightly-contested and low scoring in the early exchanges, with the Dragons scoring the only two goals of the first quarter to lead by 15 points at the first change. But the Dragons stepped up the intensity in the second term, with a run of seven goals to one extended the lead to 53 points at half time.
The Students had managed only one goal in the first half, but threw caution to the wind to attack with abandon in the third term. The third term was a shootout, with the Students scoring five goals for the quarter; but they were outscored by the Dragons, who found the big sticks seven times for the quarter and at three-quarter time the margin was out to 68 points. For all the Students? efforts, the Dragons remained in control, and further damage was inflicted on the scoreboard in the final quarter as the Dragons added five goals to one to blow the final margin out to 91 points.
Jason Saddington taught the Students a lesson on the forward line, with the former Sydney and Carlton player scoring six goals to spearhead the St George charge, while Daniel Napper contributed four. Around the ground, Stephen Wilsen, Alex Wynn and Blake Guthrie were among their best. For the Students, Tim Air, Christopher Reichman and Dane Roberton were among their best. The Dragons, with the win, find themselves two games behind UTS, but with a game in hand and a better percentage; their finals chances still very much alive.
The remaining game for the round had no bearing on this year?s finals, with Wests hosting Campbelltown at Picken Oval. And it would be a day to celebrate for Campbelltown, with the Blues breaking through for their third win of the year when they took the game by 43 points.
The Blues emerged at the start full of running, determined to put on a strong start. And they would get the jump, with six goals to one for the quarter setting up a 36-point quarter time lead. And they would continue to pepper the goals in the second quarter, but inaccuracy would haunt them. A return of 1.8 for the quarter meant the Blues led by 42 points at half time, when the trend of play indicated the lead should have been greater.
But it was enough to ensure they would cruise to victory. The Blues were high on confidence, adding to their advantage with four goals to two in the third term to open up a 54-point lead at the last change. And although the Magpies salvaged something out of the contest by winning the last quarter, the result of the game was never in doubt.
The Linsen brothers combined to be a potent goalkicking force for the Blues, with Dave and Marcus controlling the forward line against their former club with five goals apiece. Matthew Morey, Brenton Sommerville and Penisimeni Mahina got plenty of the ball for the Blues. For the Magpies, Jack Codd-Miller, Robert Bamford and Ki Currie tried hard all afternoon.
With three wins for the season, two more than Wests and Sydney Uni, the Blues are close to ensuring no back-to-back wooden spoons. But there was a silver lining for Wests from their late goals. Despite still losing heavily, the final margin was less than Sydney Uni?s losing margin at Blacktown; and the Magpies jump ahead of the Students by a minute percentage gap, putting Sydney Uni at the bottom of the ladder.
And the battle for the finals next weekend sees more critical games. Balmain have a tough opponent in UNSW-ES, but can boost their double-chance hopes if they can record a victory over the Bulldogs. While at Waverley Oval, UTS have a tough clash against North Shore; and although the Bats defeated the Bombers at Gore Hill earlier in the season, they will need to do so again or be at serious risk of falling out of the top five.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 6.1 9.4 13.6 21.9 (135)
University of Technology 4.1 6.4 10.8 11.12 (78)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? L Lavery 8, D Rampe 3, C McKinlay 2, J Kiel 2, P Kefalas 2, J Parmenter, O Sidlo-Jones, R Troon, B Way. UTS ? D Lavender 2, S Chadwick 2, M Davis 2, S Way.
Best : UNSW-ES ? D Rampe, A Rodrigues, P Kefalas, O Sidlo-Jones, B Way, L Lavery. UTS ? R Hanmore, S Way, S Kinross, J Minichiello, D Lavender, R Kirkhope.
At Village Green, Saturday 28th July 2012.
Balmain 1.0 7.4 8.5 12.10 (82)
Pennant Hills 4.4 5.5 9.12 10.14 (74)
Goals : Balmain - L Conway 2, B Taggart 2, W Blackburne, T Stevens, M Round, A Hill, C White, A Cottrell, T Matson, J Cass. Pennant Hills - L Bilbe 3, R Watts 2, N Campbell, J Barty, M Carey, Brant Jack, M Crawford.
Best : Balmain - B Taggart, J Monk, L Conway, J Farrell, T Stevens, D Brian. Pennant Hills - T Wales, A Goodall, N Campbell, G Watts, T Widmer, K Wright.
At Henson Park, Sunday 29th July 2012.
North Shore 6.9 11.9 21.9 26.10 (166)
Illawarra 0.2 1.7 3.8 5.11 (41)
Goals : North Shore ? A Harry 3, D Roberts 3, T Schmidt 3, T Nash 3, P Brackin 2, S Naismith 2, Z Manley 2, B Barnes 2, K Tangney, E Sertbas, C Murphy, S Carruthers, D Hadden, D Schacher. Illawarra ? W Edmed, C Cook, R Neels, M Daly, L Rutter.
Best : North Shore - T Schmidt, A Harry, D Hadden, D Schacher, T Nash, C Murphy. Illawarra ? D Jefferis, W Edmed, R Price, J Brookfield, J Tier, J Weavers.
At Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 28th July 2012.
St George 2.4 9.8 16.11 21.14 (140)
Sydney University 0.1 1.3 6.3 7.7 (49)
Goals : St George ? J Saddington 6, D Napper 4, J West 3, P Sain 2, L Broome, D Rixon, B Addison, A Wynn, B Guthrie, S Wilsen. Sydney Uni ? M Carter 2, A Figg 2, L Godfrey, M Scott, R Kennedy.
Best : St George ? S Wilsen, A Wynn, B Guthrie, J Saddington, B Sharp, J West. Sydney Uni ? T Air, C Reichman, D Roberton, S Snodgrass, M Carter, M Scott.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 28th July 2012.
Campbelltown 6.8 7.16 11.19 14.22 (106)
Western Suburbs 1.2 2.4 4.7 9.9 (63)
Goals : Campbelltown ? M Linsen 5, D Linsen 5, B Sommerville 2, D Fraser, A Sneddon. Wests ? K Currie 3, J Codd-Miller 2, B Lafferty, J Zoppo, M Eurell, T Lambert.
Best : Campbelltown ? M Morey, B Sommerville, P Mahina, D Linsen, M Linsen. Wests ? J Codd-Miller, R Bamford, K Currie, S Aitchison, T Lambert, R Miller.
At Picken Oval, Saturday 28th July 2012.
Black - Confirmed finalists
Green - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finals
Blue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualify
Purple - Will not be competing in the finals
Red - Wooden spoon, probable relegation
Division One:
Manly-Warringah 16.16 (112) d North Shore 5.5 (35)
Western Suburbs 12.4 (76) d Macquarie Uni 7.9 (51)
UTS 8.10 (58) d UNSW-ES 9.3 (57)
Southern Power 14.7 (91) d Holroyd-Parramatta 4.4 (28)
Penrith 10.17 (77) d Pennant Hills 4.8 (32)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 622.15%), Southern Power (92.86, 328.95%), UTS (66.67, 132.55%), Holroyd-Parramatta (64.29, 106.02%), Penrith (50, 77.30%), North Shore (35.71, 72.75%), UNSW-ES (35.71, 64.09%), Macquarie Uni (33.33, 84.05%), Sydney Hills (28.57, 63.33%), Pennant Hills (26.67, 46.41%), Wests (14.29, 45.03%).
Division Two:
St George 8.6 (54) d Sydney Uni 5.6 (36)
Illawarra 16.13 (109) d Auburn 8.6 (54)
Manly-Warringah 11.13 (79) d Camden 9.7 (61)
Balmain 11.4 (70) d Moorebank 7.7 (49)
NorWest 14.9 (93) d UNSW-ES 10.10 (70)
Ladder ? Sydney Uni (48, 139.27%), Balmain (40, 124.68%), Manly-Warringah (36, 143.02%), UNSW-ES (36, 132.33%), St George (36, 126.52%), NorWest (36, 125.94%), Camden (32, 111.72%), Moorebank (20, 97.03%), Illawarra (12, 66.61%), Auburn (4, 27.22%).
Division Three:
Blacktown 6.7 (43) d Sydney Hills 3.3 (21)
Saints AFC 20.19 (139) d Macquarie Uni 4.6 (30)
Sydney Uni 18.13 (121) d Moorebank 4.5 (29)
UTS 14.7 (91) d Western Suburbs 8.4 (52)
Southern Power 25.7 (157) d Campbelltown 5.3 (33)
Ladder ? UTS (52, 412.62%), Sydney Uni (52, 272.21%), Blacktown (48, 249.83%), Saints AFC (40, 219.56%), Southern Power (32, 130.93%), Wests (24, 60.10%), Campbelltown (20, 40.33%), Macquarie Uni (16, 52.18%), Sydney Hills (12, 42.48%), Moorebank (4, 26.99%).
Division Four:
North Shore 7.20 (62) d Manly-Warringah 6.3 (39)
Holroyd-Parramatta 11.12 (78) d Southern Power 5.6 (36)
Penrith 11.14 (80) d UTS 7.8 (50)
Gosford 30.27 (207) d Macquarie Uni 2.1 (13)
UNSW-ES 8.7 (55) d NorWest 8.3 (51)
Ladder - Gosford (52, 294.29%), UTS (52, 233.13%), Penrith (48, 231.24%), UNSW-ES (44, 172.56%), NorWest (24, 73.65%), North Shore (24, 65.95%), Manly-Warringah (20, 66.98%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16, 51.45%), Southern Power (12, 38.94%), Macquarie Uni (8, 42.27%).
Division Five:
Sydney Uni 20.10 (130) d Penrith 6.7 (43)
Moorebank 17.18 (120) d UNSW-ES 6.4 (40)
UTS 13.25 (103) d Holroyd-Parramatta 6.6 (42)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Uni (78.57, 214.85%), Camden (76.92, 159.34%), UTS (73.08, 171.29%), Saints AFC (61.54, 140.00%), Moorebank (53.85, 132.09%), UNSW-ES (50, 120.59%), Penrith (30.77, 63.37%), Holroyd-Parramatta (14.29, 36.47%).
Under 18s One:
St George 12.7 (79) d Sydney Uni 8.6 (54)
UNSW-ES 9.10 (64) d St Ignatius Riverview 5.8 (38)
Illawarra 16.10 (106) d North Shore 4.6 (30)
Pennant Hills 16.16 (112) d Penrith 8.0 (48)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (95.83, 338.81%), Illawarra (73.08, 161.47%), Sydney Uni (72.73, 144.53%), Pennant Hills (66.67, 152.39%), St George (53.85, 131.62%), UNSW-ES (50, 89.94%), North Shore (45.45, 144.91%), Wests (27.27, 51.64%), Riverview (16.67, 79.73%), Penrith (0, 10.83%).
Under 18s Two:
Southern Power 20.13 (133) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.1 (19)
Sydney Hills 13.20 (98) d Moorebank 5.9 (39)
Macquarie Uni 26.17 (173) d Saints AFC 1.0 (6)
Balmain 10.15 (75) d Manly-Warringah 9.12 (66)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (92.31, 479.43%), Balmain (76.92, 209.62%), Manly-Warringah (66.67, 191.79%), Moorebank (58.33, 83.05%), Macquarie Uni (53.85, 121.57%), NorWest (50, 149.33%), Sydney Hills (25, 69.21%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16.67, 47.90%), Saints AFC (7.69, 11.31%).
Women:
Western Wolves 10.9 (69) d Sydney Uni 5.3 (33)
UTS 6.8 (44) d Penrith 4.6 (30)
UNSW 7.5 (47) d Macquarie Uni 3.3 (21)
Balmain d Newtown ? forfeit
Wollongong 24.19 (163) d Auburn 0.1 (1)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Balmain (100, 771.76%), Wollongong (83.33, 362.28%), Sydney Uni (66.67, 279.12%), Western Wolves (66.67, 243.49%), Newtown (58.33, 141.50%), UNSW (58.33, 126.63%), Macquarie Uni (50, 92.72%), Southern Power (33.33, 77.33%), UTS (23.08, 19.30%), Auburn (15.38, 17.18%), Penrith (0, 10.82%).
THE RUN HOME:
With four rounds to go, UNSW-ES have the chance to ensure a double-chance for the finals if they can defeat Balmain next week. The Bulldogs, a game clear on top of the ladder, have tough games against Balmain and North Shore to come, but two likely wins at the Village Green.
North Shore and Pennant Hills are a game behind. The Bombers have a better percentage than the Demons, and with an extra game to play; but have a tougher run home, with the Bombers playing all of the other teams in the top five in the remaining games, while the Demons don?t play a finalist again until they play North Shore in the last round.
Balmain are a game behind North Shore and Pennant Hills, but the Dockers will need to beat UNSW-ES to keep themselves in the hunt for a double-chance.
UTS?s loss last week keeps St George in the hunt. The Bats are two games clear of the Dragons, but have an inferior percentage and one less game to play, and have a tough clash coming up against North Shore. The following week?s clash between UTS and St George may well be a virtual early elimination final.
The remaining games for the teams still in contention are:
UNSW-ES (52, 231.32%) ? Balmain (Henson), North Shore (Gore Hill), Sydney Hills (Village Green), Sydney Uni (Village Green).
North Shore (48, 227.17%) ? UTS (Waverley), UNSW-ES (Gore Hill), Balmain (Henson), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill).
Pennant Hills (48, 168.71%) ? Sydney Hills (Bruce Purser), bye, Wests (Mike Kenny), North Shore (Gore Hill).
Balmain (44, 195.56%) ? UNSW-ES (Henson), Campbelltown (Monarch), North Shore (Henson), St George (Kelso).
UTS (40, 119.45%) ? North Shore (Waverley), St George (Kelso), bye, Illawarra (North Dalton).
St George (32, 123.24%) ? Campbelltown (Monarch), UTS (Kelso), Illawarra (Kelso), Balmain (Kelso).
NEXT WEEK?S FIXTURES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold):
Premier Division:
Saturday 4th August
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Western Suburbs (11:15am)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v North Shore (2:10pm)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Campbelltown (2:30pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (5pm)
Sunday 5th August
Henson Park ? Balmain v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
BYE ? Illawarra.
Division One:
Saturday 4th August
Waverley Oval ? UTS v North Shore (12pm)
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (2:10pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (3pm)
BYE ? Manly-Warringah.
Division Two:
Saturday 4th August
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Auburn (9:15am)
Harrington Park ? Camden v St George (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Illawarra (2:10pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v NorWest (3:10pm)
Sunday 5th August
Henson Park ? Balmain v UNSW-ES (12pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 4th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v UTS (11am)
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Macquarie Uni (12pm)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v Blacktown (2:10pm)
Waratah Oval ? Southern Power v Western Suburbs (2:30pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 4th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v UTS (12pm)
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v NorWest (12pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (12pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (12pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Gosford (12pm)
Division Five:
Saturday 4th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Penrith (9am)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v UTS (10am)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (12pm)
BYE ? Camden, Holroyd-Parramatta.
Under 18s One:
Saturday 4th August
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (9:45am)
Gore Hill Oval ? St Ignatius Riverview v North Shore (10am)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (10am)
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Western Suburbs (5:15pm)
BYE ? Illawarra, St George.
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 4th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah (10am)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (10am)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v NorWest (1pm)
BYE ? Balmain.
Women:
Saturday 4th August
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v Newtown (10am)
North Dalton Oval ? Wollongong v Western Wolves (11am)
Mahoney Park ? Balmain v UNSW (3pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (4:30pm)
Mahoney Park ? Penrith v Auburn (5pm)
BYE ? UTS.
Article & Photos by Michael Shillito
With four rounds to go till the finals, the race for positions within the top five remains far from over. Although we know for sure that UNSW-ES, North Shore and Pennant Hills will be playing in this year?s finals, the race for top spot and the top three double-chance don?t look like they?ll be resolved until late in the home and away series.
UNSW-ES have been in imposing form all season, and the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to nine games on Saturday afternoon when they recorded a 57-point win over UTS at the Village Green on Saturday afternoon.
The university derby was a shootout early, with plenty of lead changes in a high-scoring first quarter that saw the Bulldogs leading by 12 points at quarter time. The Bulldogs threatened to get on top during the second quarter, but found themselves frustrated by the tenacious Bats, who came up with the answering goals when they were needed to keep themselves in the contest; and at the long break the Bulldogs held an 18-point lead.
The Bats were never able to regain the lead during the third quarter, but it wasn?t for a lack of trying. Refusing to surrender the contest without a fight, the Bats matched up with the Bulldogs around the ground, and an evenly-contested quarter finished with the Bulldogs 16 points ahead. But with the game in the balance at the last change, it was the Bulldogs who stepped up. Coach Rhys McAllister?s address to his charges had the desired effect, as the Bulldogs controlled the contest in the final quarter, a run of eight goals to one making the final margin far more than the run of play in the first three quarters suggested was likely.
Leigh Lavery, already with an imposing lead in the competition?s leading goalkickers list, added further to his impressive season with a bag of eight goals to spearhead the Bulldog charge. Around the ground, Dane Rampe, Anthony Rodrigues and Peter Kefalas were getting plenty of the ball. For the Bats, David Lavender had a big day on the forward line to finish with six goals; while Roch Hanmore, Sam Way and Sam Kinross were influential around the ground.
With the win, UNSW-ES remain on top of the ladder, a game clear of North Shore and Pennant Hills and with a better percentage; but the Bulldogs have tough games against Balmain and North Shore to come. But for UTS, two games plus percentage behind third place with only three games still to play, the result all but ends the Bats? hopes of finishing in the top three, and if they go down to North Shore next week are no certainties of staying in the top five.
Sunday afternoon at Henson Park saw another game that could be of critical importance to the shape of the finals. And the game was worthy of its importance, a thriller that would go down to the wire.
A cold Sunday afternoon, with a biting southerly wind, made conditions tricky. The Demons were kicking with the wind in the first quarter, and had a good quarter to lead by 22 points at quarter time. But when it was Balmain?s turn with the wind in the second term, they would do even better. Six goals to one saw the Dockers turn the quarter time deficit into an 11-point lead at half time.
There were plenty more twists and turns in this tale, and the pendulum swung Pennant Hills? way in the third tem. The Demons wasted some chances, and seven of their scoring shots for the quarter were minor scores; but still managed four goals to one to lead by 12 points at the last change. And with an early goal in the final quarter, the Demons looked like they could hang on.
But Balmain kept coming. They were held up time and again by desperate Pennant Hills defence, but with the ball kept on the Balmain forward line eventually the goals came. The Dockers finally took the lead with a few minutes to go, and almost immediately added another to make the game safe. It had been a thrilling encounter, and the Demons would rue the missed opportunities during the third quarter; but the result was an important win for Balmain.
Ben Taggart, enjoying a stellar season for the Dockers, again showed his value to the side with a best-on-ground performance, while Jackson Monk and Leigh Conway were also prominent. For the Demons, Tim Wales, Alex Goodall and Nick Campbell were among their best.
Had the Demons prevailed, there would have been a two-game break between third and fourth, and the race for the double chance would be close to determined. Instead, the Dockers find themselves just one game behind the Demons, with an extra game to play and a superior percentage, and the battle for the double chance remains on in ernest.
The quirks of the draw and the timing of the replays of washed out games saw North Shore and Illawarra playing each other in consecutive weekends. North Shore had kicked plenty of goals in their away leg last weekend, and managed even more when they had the home ground advantage at Gore Hill on Saturday.
Bursting out of the blocks, the Bombers scored six unanswered goals in the first quarter, and led by 37 points at quarter time. And despite squandering some chances in the second term, the Bombers continued their run in the second quarter, holding the Lions goal-less until the final minute of the quarter and leading by 62 points at the long break.
The Lions launched a mini-comeback at the start of the third quarter, with the first two goals; but could go no further. Sensing the opportunity to build the gap between their percentage and that of ladder-leaders UNSW-ES, the Bombers lifted a gear and the floodgates opened. Ten straight goals for the remainder of the quarter blew the lead out to 109 points at three-quarter time. And although the final quarter didn?t reach any great heights, the Bombers continued their ruthless performance to extend the final winning margin out to 125 points.
Sharing the goal-scoring duties around, the Bombers got 14 of their players onto the goal-scoring list. Tim Schmidt, Adrian Harry and Doug Hadden were among North Shore?s best. For the Lions, Duane Jefferis, Wade Edmed and Ryan Price worked hard all day. North Shore have a tricky run home, with games against all of the other teams in the top five in their remaining games; but are well placed in second, and importantly their percentage is now within striking distance to that of UNSW-ES.
St George remain in the finals hunt, and their quest for a finals berth received a boost when the Dragons ended a three-game losing streak to record an easy 91-point win over Sydney Uni at Blacktown on Saturday afternoon.
The game was tightly-contested and low scoring in the early exchanges, with the Dragons scoring the only two goals of the first quarter to lead by 15 points at the first change. But the Dragons stepped up the intensity in the second term, with a run of seven goals to one extended the lead to 53 points at half time.
The Students had managed only one goal in the first half, but threw caution to the wind to attack with abandon in the third term. The third term was a shootout, with the Students scoring five goals for the quarter; but they were outscored by the Dragons, who found the big sticks seven times for the quarter and at three-quarter time the margin was out to 68 points. For all the Students? efforts, the Dragons remained in control, and further damage was inflicted on the scoreboard in the final quarter as the Dragons added five goals to one to blow the final margin out to 91 points.
Jason Saddington taught the Students a lesson on the forward line, with the former Sydney and Carlton player scoring six goals to spearhead the St George charge, while Daniel Napper contributed four. Around the ground, Stephen Wilsen, Alex Wynn and Blake Guthrie were among their best. For the Students, Tim Air, Christopher Reichman and Dane Roberton were among their best. The Dragons, with the win, find themselves two games behind UTS, but with a game in hand and a better percentage; their finals chances still very much alive.
The remaining game for the round had no bearing on this year?s finals, with Wests hosting Campbelltown at Picken Oval. And it would be a day to celebrate for Campbelltown, with the Blues breaking through for their third win of the year when they took the game by 43 points.
The Blues emerged at the start full of running, determined to put on a strong start. And they would get the jump, with six goals to one for the quarter setting up a 36-point quarter time lead. And they would continue to pepper the goals in the second quarter, but inaccuracy would haunt them. A return of 1.8 for the quarter meant the Blues led by 42 points at half time, when the trend of play indicated the lead should have been greater.
But it was enough to ensure they would cruise to victory. The Blues were high on confidence, adding to their advantage with four goals to two in the third term to open up a 54-point lead at the last change. And although the Magpies salvaged something out of the contest by winning the last quarter, the result of the game was never in doubt.
The Linsen brothers combined to be a potent goalkicking force for the Blues, with Dave and Marcus controlling the forward line against their former club with five goals apiece. Matthew Morey, Brenton Sommerville and Penisimeni Mahina got plenty of the ball for the Blues. For the Magpies, Jack Codd-Miller, Robert Bamford and Ki Currie tried hard all afternoon.
With three wins for the season, two more than Wests and Sydney Uni, the Blues are close to ensuring no back-to-back wooden spoons. But there was a silver lining for Wests from their late goals. Despite still losing heavily, the final margin was less than Sydney Uni?s losing margin at Blacktown; and the Magpies jump ahead of the Students by a minute percentage gap, putting Sydney Uni at the bottom of the ladder.
And the battle for the finals next weekend sees more critical games. Balmain have a tough opponent in UNSW-ES, but can boost their double-chance hopes if they can record a victory over the Bulldogs. While at Waverley Oval, UTS have a tough clash against North Shore; and although the Bats defeated the Bombers at Gore Hill earlier in the season, they will need to do so again or be at serious risk of falling out of the top five.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 6.1 9.4 13.6 21.9 (135)
University of Technology 4.1 6.4 10.8 11.12 (78)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? L Lavery 8, D Rampe 3, C McKinlay 2, J Kiel 2, P Kefalas 2, J Parmenter, O Sidlo-Jones, R Troon, B Way. UTS ? D Lavender 2, S Chadwick 2, M Davis 2, S Way.
Best : UNSW-ES ? D Rampe, A Rodrigues, P Kefalas, O Sidlo-Jones, B Way, L Lavery. UTS ? R Hanmore, S Way, S Kinross, J Minichiello, D Lavender, R Kirkhope.
At Village Green, Saturday 28th July 2012.
Balmain 1.0 7.4 8.5 12.10 (82)
Pennant Hills 4.4 5.5 9.12 10.14 (74)
Goals : Balmain - L Conway 2, B Taggart 2, W Blackburne, T Stevens, M Round, A Hill, C White, A Cottrell, T Matson, J Cass. Pennant Hills - L Bilbe 3, R Watts 2, N Campbell, J Barty, M Carey, Brant Jack, M Crawford.
Best : Balmain - B Taggart, J Monk, L Conway, J Farrell, T Stevens, D Brian. Pennant Hills - T Wales, A Goodall, N Campbell, G Watts, T Widmer, K Wright.
At Henson Park, Sunday 29th July 2012.
North Shore 6.9 11.9 21.9 26.10 (166)
Illawarra 0.2 1.7 3.8 5.11 (41)
Goals : North Shore ? A Harry 3, D Roberts 3, T Schmidt 3, T Nash 3, P Brackin 2, S Naismith 2, Z Manley 2, B Barnes 2, K Tangney, E Sertbas, C Murphy, S Carruthers, D Hadden, D Schacher. Illawarra ? W Edmed, C Cook, R Neels, M Daly, L Rutter.
Best : North Shore - T Schmidt, A Harry, D Hadden, D Schacher, T Nash, C Murphy. Illawarra ? D Jefferis, W Edmed, R Price, J Brookfield, J Tier, J Weavers.
At Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 28th July 2012.
St George 2.4 9.8 16.11 21.14 (140)
Sydney University 0.1 1.3 6.3 7.7 (49)
Goals : St George ? J Saddington 6, D Napper 4, J West 3, P Sain 2, L Broome, D Rixon, B Addison, A Wynn, B Guthrie, S Wilsen. Sydney Uni ? M Carter 2, A Figg 2, L Godfrey, M Scott, R Kennedy.
Best : St George ? S Wilsen, A Wynn, B Guthrie, J Saddington, B Sharp, J West. Sydney Uni ? T Air, C Reichman, D Roberton, S Snodgrass, M Carter, M Scott.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 28th July 2012.
Campbelltown 6.8 7.16 11.19 14.22 (106)
Western Suburbs 1.2 2.4 4.7 9.9 (63)
Goals : Campbelltown ? M Linsen 5, D Linsen 5, B Sommerville 2, D Fraser, A Sneddon. Wests ? K Currie 3, J Codd-Miller 2, B Lafferty, J Zoppo, M Eurell, T Lambert.
Best : Campbelltown ? M Morey, B Sommerville, P Mahina, D Linsen, M Linsen. Wests ? J Codd-Miller, R Bamford, K Currie, S Aitchison, T Lambert, R Miller.
At Picken Oval, Saturday 28th July 2012.
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Green - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finals
Blue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualify
Purple - Will not be competing in the finals
Red - Wooden spoon, probable relegation
Division One:
Manly-Warringah 16.16 (112) d North Shore 5.5 (35)
Western Suburbs 12.4 (76) d Macquarie Uni 7.9 (51)
UTS 8.10 (58) d UNSW-ES 9.3 (57)
Southern Power 14.7 (91) d Holroyd-Parramatta 4.4 (28)
Penrith 10.17 (77) d Pennant Hills 4.8 (32)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 622.15%), Southern Power (92.86, 328.95%), UTS (66.67, 132.55%), Holroyd-Parramatta (64.29, 106.02%), Penrith (50, 77.30%), North Shore (35.71, 72.75%), UNSW-ES (35.71, 64.09%), Macquarie Uni (33.33, 84.05%), Sydney Hills (28.57, 63.33%), Pennant Hills (26.67, 46.41%), Wests (14.29, 45.03%).
Division Two:
St George 8.6 (54) d Sydney Uni 5.6 (36)
Illawarra 16.13 (109) d Auburn 8.6 (54)
Manly-Warringah 11.13 (79) d Camden 9.7 (61)
Balmain 11.4 (70) d Moorebank 7.7 (49)
NorWest 14.9 (93) d UNSW-ES 10.10 (70)
Ladder ? Sydney Uni (48, 139.27%), Balmain (40, 124.68%), Manly-Warringah (36, 143.02%), UNSW-ES (36, 132.33%), St George (36, 126.52%), NorWest (36, 125.94%), Camden (32, 111.72%), Moorebank (20, 97.03%), Illawarra (12, 66.61%), Auburn (4, 27.22%).
Division Three:
Blacktown 6.7 (43) d Sydney Hills 3.3 (21)
Saints AFC 20.19 (139) d Macquarie Uni 4.6 (30)
Sydney Uni 18.13 (121) d Moorebank 4.5 (29)
UTS 14.7 (91) d Western Suburbs 8.4 (52)
Southern Power 25.7 (157) d Campbelltown 5.3 (33)
Ladder ? UTS (52, 412.62%), Sydney Uni (52, 272.21%), Blacktown (48, 249.83%), Saints AFC (40, 219.56%), Southern Power (32, 130.93%), Wests (24, 60.10%), Campbelltown (20, 40.33%), Macquarie Uni (16, 52.18%), Sydney Hills (12, 42.48%), Moorebank (4, 26.99%).
Division Four:
North Shore 7.20 (62) d Manly-Warringah 6.3 (39)
Holroyd-Parramatta 11.12 (78) d Southern Power 5.6 (36)
Penrith 11.14 (80) d UTS 7.8 (50)
Gosford 30.27 (207) d Macquarie Uni 2.1 (13)
UNSW-ES 8.7 (55) d NorWest 8.3 (51)
Ladder - Gosford (52, 294.29%), UTS (52, 233.13%), Penrith (48, 231.24%), UNSW-ES (44, 172.56%), NorWest (24, 73.65%), North Shore (24, 65.95%), Manly-Warringah (20, 66.98%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16, 51.45%), Southern Power (12, 38.94%), Macquarie Uni (8, 42.27%).
Division Five:
Sydney Uni 20.10 (130) d Penrith 6.7 (43)
Moorebank 17.18 (120) d UNSW-ES 6.4 (40)
UTS 13.25 (103) d Holroyd-Parramatta 6.6 (42)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Uni (78.57, 214.85%), Camden (76.92, 159.34%), UTS (73.08, 171.29%), Saints AFC (61.54, 140.00%), Moorebank (53.85, 132.09%), UNSW-ES (50, 120.59%), Penrith (30.77, 63.37%), Holroyd-Parramatta (14.29, 36.47%).
Under 18s One:
St George 12.7 (79) d Sydney Uni 8.6 (54)
UNSW-ES 9.10 (64) d St Ignatius Riverview 5.8 (38)
Illawarra 16.10 (106) d North Shore 4.6 (30)
Pennant Hills 16.16 (112) d Penrith 8.0 (48)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (95.83, 338.81%), Illawarra (73.08, 161.47%), Sydney Uni (72.73, 144.53%), Pennant Hills (66.67, 152.39%), St George (53.85, 131.62%), UNSW-ES (50, 89.94%), North Shore (45.45, 144.91%), Wests (27.27, 51.64%), Riverview (16.67, 79.73%), Penrith (0, 10.83%).
Under 18s Two:
Southern Power 20.13 (133) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.1 (19)
Sydney Hills 13.20 (98) d Moorebank 5.9 (39)
Macquarie Uni 26.17 (173) d Saints AFC 1.0 (6)
Balmain 10.15 (75) d Manly-Warringah 9.12 (66)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (92.31, 479.43%), Balmain (76.92, 209.62%), Manly-Warringah (66.67, 191.79%), Moorebank (58.33, 83.05%), Macquarie Uni (53.85, 121.57%), NorWest (50, 149.33%), Sydney Hills (25, 69.21%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16.67, 47.90%), Saints AFC (7.69, 11.31%).
Women:
Western Wolves 10.9 (69) d Sydney Uni 5.3 (33)
UTS 6.8 (44) d Penrith 4.6 (30)
UNSW 7.5 (47) d Macquarie Uni 3.3 (21)
Balmain d Newtown ? forfeit
Wollongong 24.19 (163) d Auburn 0.1 (1)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Balmain (100, 771.76%), Wollongong (83.33, 362.28%), Sydney Uni (66.67, 279.12%), Western Wolves (66.67, 243.49%), Newtown (58.33, 141.50%), UNSW (58.33, 126.63%), Macquarie Uni (50, 92.72%), Southern Power (33.33, 77.33%), UTS (23.08, 19.30%), Auburn (15.38, 17.18%), Penrith (0, 10.82%).
THE RUN HOME:
With four rounds to go, UNSW-ES have the chance to ensure a double-chance for the finals if they can defeat Balmain next week. The Bulldogs, a game clear on top of the ladder, have tough games against Balmain and North Shore to come, but two likely wins at the Village Green.
North Shore and Pennant Hills are a game behind. The Bombers have a better percentage than the Demons, and with an extra game to play; but have a tougher run home, with the Bombers playing all of the other teams in the top five in the remaining games, while the Demons don?t play a finalist again until they play North Shore in the last round.
Balmain are a game behind North Shore and Pennant Hills, but the Dockers will need to beat UNSW-ES to keep themselves in the hunt for a double-chance.
UTS?s loss last week keeps St George in the hunt. The Bats are two games clear of the Dragons, but have an inferior percentage and one less game to play, and have a tough clash coming up against North Shore. The following week?s clash between UTS and St George may well be a virtual early elimination final.
The remaining games for the teams still in contention are:
UNSW-ES (52, 231.32%) ? Balmain (Henson), North Shore (Gore Hill), Sydney Hills (Village Green), Sydney Uni (Village Green).
North Shore (48, 227.17%) ? UTS (Waverley), UNSW-ES (Gore Hill), Balmain (Henson), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill).
Pennant Hills (48, 168.71%) ? Sydney Hills (Bruce Purser), bye, Wests (Mike Kenny), North Shore (Gore Hill).
Balmain (44, 195.56%) ? UNSW-ES (Henson), Campbelltown (Monarch), North Shore (Henson), St George (Kelso).
UTS (40, 119.45%) ? North Shore (Waverley), St George (Kelso), bye, Illawarra (North Dalton).
St George (32, 123.24%) ? Campbelltown (Monarch), UTS (Kelso), Illawarra (Kelso), Balmain (Kelso).
NEXT WEEK?S FIXTURES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold):
Premier Division:
Saturday 4th August
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Western Suburbs (11:15am)
Waverley Oval ? UTS v North Shore (2:10pm)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Campbelltown (2:30pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (5pm)
Sunday 5th August
Henson Park ? Balmain v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
BYE ? Illawarra.
Division One:
Saturday 4th August
Waverley Oval ? UTS v North Shore (12pm)
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (2:10pm)
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (3pm)
BYE ? Manly-Warringah.
Division Two:
Saturday 4th August
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Auburn (9:15am)
Harrington Park ? Camden v St George (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Illawarra (2:10pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v NorWest (3:10pm)
Sunday 5th August
Henson Park ? Balmain v UNSW-ES (12pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 4th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v UTS (11am)
Monarch Oval ? Campbelltown v Macquarie Uni (12pm)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v Blacktown (2:10pm)
Waratah Oval ? Southern Power v Western Suburbs (2:30pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 4th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v UTS (12pm)
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v NorWest (12pm)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (12pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (12pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Gosford (12pm)
Division Five:
Saturday 4th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Penrith (9am)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v UTS (10am)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (12pm)
BYE ? Camden, Holroyd-Parramatta.
Under 18s One:
Saturday 4th August
Bruce Purser Reserve ? Sydney Hills v Pennant Hills (9:45am)
Gore Hill Oval ? St Ignatius Riverview v North Shore (10am)
Greygums Oval ? Penrith v UNSW-ES (10am)
Henson Park ? Sydney Uni v Western Suburbs (5:15pm)
BYE ? Illawarra, St George.
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 4th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah (10am)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (10am)
Pioneers Park ? Saints AFC v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v NorWest (1pm)
BYE ? Balmain.
Women:
Saturday 4th August
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval ? Sydney Uni v Newtown (10am)
North Dalton Oval ? Wollongong v Western Wolves (11am)
Mahoney Park ? Balmain v UNSW (3pm)
University Oval ? Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (4:30pm)
Mahoney Park ? Penrith v Auburn (5pm)
BYE ? UTS.