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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 19 2012
Only one round remains in the home and away season. But before the finals begin, we have a very tight race for positions within the final five; and next Saturday there?s sure to be plenty of teams not only applying the calculator to their own results but keeping an eye out for news of happenings elsewhere.
Sunday?s match at Henson Park saw Balmain up against North Shore, and the Dockers were looking for a win that would have created a four-way tie for top spot. And they burst out of the blocks, with goals to Shelby Lee-Steere and Ben Taggart with barely five minutes on the clock. The Dockers maintained the lead through the first quarter, despite a late fightback by the Bombers that saw the margin cut to a point at quarter time.
But in the opening seconds of the second term, the Bombers drove the ball forward for Jack Davis to rove the pack and score; forcing a lead change, and the Bombers would not be headed again for the day. But, while they looked to increase their lead as the quarter unfolded, the Bombers would be their own worst enemy; the ball being picked up by the wind in the sometimes blustery conditions and sailing through for an inaccurate return of 3.6 for the quarter. But with a nine-point lead at the long break, the Bombers were in pole position.
The possession count was becoming more lopsided in the third term, the Bombers getting on top around the ground. But despite threatening to run away, the Bombers found the Dockers hard to shake. The stakes were high, and Balmain weren?t going to go away without a fight. Although the run of play wasn?t running Balmain?s way, Aaron Cottrell manufactured a double in the third term to keep the Dockers in the contest. But the Bombers still won the quarter, leading by 20 points at the last change. The Dockers had fought bravely, but still had a lot of work to do in the final quarter if they wanted to win.
But instead, the possession flow began to convert to scoreboard pressure in the final quarter; and the Bombers took control. Pat Brackin, well held for three quarters, twice in the first five minutes of the final quarter stood tall and strong to mark and goal, and the Balmain challenge was over. Dale Fitzgerald, playing on to advantage, threaded a sensational goal through the big sticks from a near impossible angle, cueing celebrations in the North Shore camp as victory was assured.
Seven goals to one in the final quarter blew the final margin out to 59 points. Jack Davis finished with four goals for the Bombers; and along with Lachy Pryor and Sam Naismith was among the Bombers? best. For the Dockers, Daniel Brian, Tom Mabon and Travis Stevens made prominent contributions.
North Shore remain a game clear on top of the ladder. A win against Pennant Hills next week will seal the minor premiership. If they were to go down and UNSW-ES win their final round game against Sydney Uni, the gap in percentage would be extremely tight.
Balmain find themselves in fourth spot, a game behind UNSW-ES and Pennant Hills with a percentage a lot less than UNSW-ES?s but a lot more than Pennant Hills?. To qualify for the double-chance, the Dockers will need to beat St George next week and hope that Pennant Hills go down to North Shore.
On Saturday afternoon, UNSW-ES snapped a two-game losing streak; returning to form in emphatic style with a commanding 140-point win over Sydney Hills Eagles at the Village Green.
It took some time for the Bulldogs to find their rhythm, and the Eagles were matching it with the Bulldogs for much of the opening term; and at quarter time the Bulldogs held a lead of nine points. But the second quarter saw the home side emerge hungrier and quicker, and the Eagles were unable to keep up. The ball found itself camped permanently on the UNSW-ES forward line, and the Bulldogs may not have been as accurate as they would have liked but finished with 6.9 for the quarter while holding the Eagles scoreless.
A 54-point lead at half time was impressive enough. But the floodgates opened even further with a run of ten goals to two for the third term. By then the win was safe and the game largely went through the motions in the final quarter, but the Bulldogs added a further five goals to blow the final margin out to 140 points.
Leigh Lavery was already well in front in the competition?s leading goalscorer list; but the Bulldog spearhead added to his lead with an eight-goal haul; while Max Collett also helped himself to four of the goals that were on offer. Around the ground, Peter Kefalas, Collett and James Pascoe were possession gatherers, pumping the ball forward with regularity. For the Eagles, Etiosa Okunbor, Kyall Walford and Matthew Scholz worked hard all afternoon.
The size of the win keeps the Bulldogs in the race for the minor premiership. To get there, the Bulldogs will need a big win against Sydney Uni next week while hoping that North Shore go down to Pennant Hills; and the Bulldogs will be keenly checking for score updates from Gore Hill. Barring a major calamity, the Bulldogs should be in the top three; to miss out, they would need to be belted by bottom side Sydney Uni while Balmain and Pennant Hills both record big wins.
Pennant Hills hosted Wests at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday afternoon, looking for a big win to keep their percentage competitive with their rivals for the double-chance. But although they found themselves frustrated at times by the Magpies, a 56-point win keeps the Demons well and truly in the hunt for the top three.
The Demons ended any fears of a shock upset loss in the first term, when their defence rose to the occasion to hold the Magpies scoreless and go out to a 28-point lead at quarter time. But the Magpies were putting up a fight, and the Demons were only able to score one goal in the second term as the Magpies won the quarter to cut the margin to 21 points at the long break.
But the Demons stood taller in the premiership quarter, stepping up a gear to put the game well and truly out of Wests? reach. Four goals to one in the third term extended to lead to 40 points at the last change. It hadn?t been a game that reached any great heights, and the final quarter was nothing special; but the win sees the Demons in third place, level on games with UNSW-ES; their percentage inferior to the Bulldogs. But the Demons are a game ahead of Balmain, and thanks to the size of this win and Balmain?s loss, the Demons have a marginally better percentage than the Dockers.
Luke Bilbe, Tim Wales and Daniel Witt were prominent performers for Pennant Hills. For the Magpies, Lynn Roehrig, Ryan Hinson and Stephen Hudson were among their best.
The Demons are in third place, but will need to beat top side North Shore to be sure of staying in the double-chance. If the Demons lose, they will only avoid sudden death if Balmain don?t beat St George.
St George took on Illawarra at Kelso Oval on Saturday afternoon looking for a win to wrap up a spot in the finals. And the Dragons did just that, denying the Lions any scoring chances as they cruised to a 91-point win.
It was solid but unspectacular through the first half, as the Dragons kept the ball on their forward line throughout. The St George defence was magnificent, and the Lions had no room to move up forward all day. Four goals in the first quarter and another four in the second, while holding the Lions to one point, laid the foundations for a comfortable victory.
The Dragons continued to choke the life out of the Illawarra forward line, and the Lions were still goal-less at three quarter time. Although the stranglehold was finally released in the final quarter and the Lions managed two goals, the game was safely won and a finals place now assured.
Nick Ryan spearheaded the Dragon charge up forward to finish with four goals; while Declan Donohue, Mark Graham and Daniel Rixon were influential around the ground. On a difficult day for the Lions, Jimmy Weavers, Duane Jefferis and Keegan Litchfield kept putting in all afternoon.
Just a month ago, the finals looked out of reach; but on the back of a four-game winning streak, St George find a berth in the playoffs wrapped up with a week to spare. Their backline has been magnificent in recent weeks, conceding just three goals from their last two matches. It will be sudden death for the Dragons during the finals; but with form and confidence high, they may do some damage at the business end of the season. Before the finals, they have a battle with Balmain to come; and the Dockers are far from certainties in a game that may well be pivotal in determining the makeup of the finals.
The other game of the round had no bearing on the finals; but it would be the closest game of the round. Sydney Uni hosted Campbelltown on Saturday afternoon, and it would be the Blues who would prevail by 36 points.
A low-scoring opening term saw the Blues leading by seven points at the first change. But they would lift the intensity in the second term, with three goals from plenty of chances as they extended the lead to 24 points at the long break.
The Blues could smell victory, but were frustrated by a determined Sydney Uni in the third term; who defended grimly to hold the Blues to one goal in the third term to win the quarter. With a 16-point margin at the last change, the Students may have sensed an opportunity to come from behind to take their second win of the season. But instead, the Blues steadied in the final quarter, finishing their season on a positive note with a four-goal quarter to run out 36-point winners.
Bryce Joynson, Bryce Martin and Chantha Pal put in solid games for the Blues; while Alex Dyson, Matthew Turner and Scott Snodgrass were among Sydney Uni?s best.
Campbelltown have the bye in the last round; so this match saw the Blues? season come to an end. After a winless 2011 season, the withdrawal of their Under 18s, a reserves side down in Division Three, and having copped some heavy defeats early in the season, the Campbelltown club was struggling.
But the Blues showed spirit in the face of adversity, and broke through for a win in appalling conditions against Sydney Hills at Bruce Purser on the public holiday Monday. That was the circuit-breaker for the team, who persisted in the face of trial and reaped the rewards in the second half of the season. Four wins, avoiding the wooden spoon, gives them a base to build on in 2013.
North Shore 2.3 5.9 9.15 16.21 (117)
Balmain 2.4 4.6 7.7 8.10 (58)
Goals : North Shore ? J Davis 4, S Carruthers 2, P Brackin 2, L Pryor 2, D Schacher, A Harry, M Thomas, D Fitzgerald, J Weir, S Naismith. Balmain ? B Taggart 2, A Cottrell 2, C White, L Conway, S Lee-Steere, W Blackburne.
Best : North Shore ? L Pryor, D Hadden, J Davis, B Fitzgerald, S Naismith, Z Manley. Balmain ? D Brian, T Mabon, T Stevens, J Coulloupas, G Wilkie, S Lee-Steere.
At Henson Park, Sunday 19th August 2012.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 3.3 9.12 19.15 24.22 (166)
Sydney Hills Eagles 2.0 2.0 4.1 4.2 (26)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? L Lavery 8, M Collett 4, M Rawlinson 3, P Kefalas 2, B Way, H Nichols, R Troon, N McGann, A Gulden, T Williamson, S Tagliabue. Sydney Hills ? K Walford, J Gordon, S Doyle, D Gatte.
Best : UNSW-ES ? P Kefalas, M Collett, J Pascoe, A Rodrigues, R Plant, L Lavery. Sydney Hills ? E Okunbor, K Walford, M Scholz, A Moeller, C Gordon, R Fitton.
At Village Green, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Pennant Hills 4.4 5.6 9.10 12.16 (88)
Western Suburbs 0.0 2.3 3.6 4.8 (32)
Goals : Pennant Hills ? L Bilbe 3, N Campbell 2, D Witt 2, M Baglin 2, M Carey, A Richardson, R Watts. Wests ? C Specha 2, D Hassett, J Zoppo.
Best : Pennant Hills ? L Bilbe, T Wales, D Witt, T Widmer, H Angel, J Dunn. Wests ? L Roehrig, R Hinson, S Hudson, K Currie, S Aitchison, J Zoppo.
At Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
St George 4.4 8.7 13.9 16.11 (107)
Illawarra 0.0 0.1 0.2 2.4 (16)
Goals : St George ? N Ryan 4, D Napper 3, J Saddington 3, A Wynn, P McBride, D Lycakis, M Milner, D Rixon, L Perris. Illawarra ? M Daly, M Adamson.
Best : St George ? D Donohue, M Graham, D Rixon, D Lycakis, A Sharp, P McBride. Illawarra ? J Weavers, D Jefferis, K Litchfield, S Proctor, D McClure, W Cook.
At Kelso Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Campbelltown 2.2 5.8 6.8 10.11 (71)
Sydney University 1.1 2.2 4.4 5.5 (35)
Goals : Campbelltown ? B Joynson 2, S Doherty 2, H Sherwood, B Sommerville, M Morey, B McCrossen, D Linsen, A Sneddon. Sydney Uni ? J Lawson, L McWhirter, R MacPherson, A Crowe, R Geraghty.
Best : Campbelltown ? B Joynson, B Martin, C Pal, B Sommerville, H Sherwood, A Sneddon. Sydney Uni ? A Dyson, M Turner, S Snodgrass, M Kennedy, A Hawtin, C Reichman.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 18th August 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:
UNSW-ES 11.6 (72) d Sydney Hills 7.12 (54)
Pennant Hills 4.9 (33) d Western Suburbs 3.7 (25)
Holroyd-Parramatta 8.11 (59) d Macquarie Uni 4.7 (31)
Penrith 6.7 (43) d North Shore 3.5 (23)
Manly-Warringah 13.8 (86) d Southern Power 4.5 (29)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 605.29%), Southern Power (82.35, 256.72%), Holroyd-Parramatta (70.59, 120.98%), UTS (64.71, 127.91%), Penrith (58.82, 87.52%), North Shore (41.18, 80.07%), UNSW-ES (35.29, 63.66%), Pennant Hills (35.29, 51.51%), Macquarie Uni (27.78, 75.90%), Sydney Hills (23.53, 61.73%), Wests (11.76, 42.64%).
Division Two:
UNSW-ES 10.10 (70) d Manly-Warringah 6.5 (41)
Sydney Uni 6.8 (44) d Moorebank 1.5 (11)
St George 18.15 (123) d Illawarra 3.1 (19)
NorWest 11.13 (79) d Balmain 5.8 (38)
Camden 15.17 (107) d Auburn 7.5 (47)
Ladder (Final) ? Sydney Uni (56, 139.59%), UNSW-ES (48, 147.17%), NorWest (48, 144.06%), St George (44, 145.69%), Camden (44, 129.08%), Manly-Warringah (40, 129.61%), Balmain (40, 98.71%), Moorebank (24, 88.97%), Illawarra (12, 60.18%), Auburn (4, 25.67%).
Division Three:
Sydney Uni 15.17 (107) d Campbelltown 5.3 (33)
Saints AFC 10.18 (78) d Western Suburbs 7.4 (46)
Sydney Hills 11.5 (71) d Moorebank 5.1 (31)
UTS 16.20 (116) d Macquarie Uni 3.1 (19)
Blacktown 7.16 (58) d Southern Power 2.4 (16)
Ladder (Final) ? UTS (60, 418.29%), Blacktown (60, 273.54%), Sydney Uni (58, 238.73%), Saints AFC (50, 223.78%), Southern Power (40, 128.32%), Wests (28, 62.89%), Macquarie Uni (24, 55.90%), Campbelltown (20, 38.95%), Sydney Hills (16, 43.98%), Moorebank (4, 26.03%).
Division Four:
NorWest v UTS ? on appeal
Holroyd-Parramatta 8.11 (59) d Macquarie Uni 5.4 (34)
Penrith 14.13 (97) d North Shore 1.5 (11)
Gosford 11.11 (77) d UNSW-ES 8.5 (53)
Manly-Warringah d Southern Power ? forfeit
Ladder (Provisional) ? Gosford (64, 282.46%), UTS (60, 261.00%), Penrith (60, 259.51%), UNSW-ES (48, 148.34%), NorWest (28, 73.46%), Manly-Warringah (28, 65.93%), North Shore (24, 63.38%), Holroyd-Parramatta (20, 50.38%), Southern Power (14, 40.12%), Macquarie Uni (10, 43.56%).
Division Five:
Saints AFC 15.11 (101) d Holroyd-Parramatta 1.6 (12)
Penrith 7.7 (49) d UNSW-ES 4.4 (28)
Sydney Uni 9.10 (64) d Moorebank 6.5 (41)
UTS 12.15 (87) d Camden 7.7 (49)
Ladder (Final) ? Sydney Uni (52, 208.29%), Camden (48, 165.91%), Saints AFC (44, 172.91%), UTS (42, 147.43%), Moorebank (36, 139.21%), UNSW-ES (30, 113.05%), Penrith (20, 66.04%), Holroyd-Parramatta (8, 34.79%).
Under 18s One:
Sydney Hills 10.18 (78) d UNSW-ES 7.6 (48)
Illawarra 9.14 (68) d St George 9.4 (58)
Pennant Hills 11.10 (76) d Western Suburbs 0.5 (5)
Sydney Uni 14.7 (91) d Penrith 5.9 (39)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (96.67, 328.19%), Illawarra (76.67, 167.48%), Sydney Uni (71.43, 157.49%), Pennant Hills (64.29, 141.11%), St George (53.33, 128.52%), UNSW-ES (53.33, 108.52%), North Shore (38.46, 122.31%), Riverview (21.43, 83.91%), Wests (21.43, 39.81%), Penrith (0, 11.69%).
Under 18s Two:
NorWest 13.20 (98) d Sydney Hills 0.2 (2)
Macquarie Uni 12.8 (80) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.9 (39)
Southern Power 12.8 (80) d Manly-Warringah 4.7 (31)
Balmain 11.7 (73) d Moorebank 6.13 (49)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (93.33, 434.91%), Balmain (80, 207.46%), Manly-Warringah (66.67, 177.37%), Macquarie Uni (56.25, 120.28%), NorWest (53.33, 157.29%), Moorebank (46.67, 79.84%), Sydney Hills (26.67, 70.22%), Holroyd-Parramatta (20, 53.84%), Saints AFC (6.67, 11.35%).
Women:
Elimination Final 1
Western Wolves 1.2 1.3 4.6 10.7 (67)
Newtown Breakaways 1.0 1.2 2.2 2.2 (14)
Goals : Wolves ? N Furlong 4, V Zacharia, T Tyler-Greaves, A Carpenter, N Barber, M Freckelton, K Lawson. Newtown ? B Atkins, P Bartlett.
Best : Wolves ? M Obien, K Lawson, M Freckelton, N Furlong, N Kriz, A Carpenter. Newtown ? A Ruut, V Iles, T Noble, G Verkulyen, L Watchman, R Graham.
At Rosedale Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Elimination Final 2
Sydney University 3.1 5.2 9.5 13.10 (88)
UNSW Stingrays 0.1 0.3 0.4 1.4 (10)
Goals : Sydney Uni ? T Lenon 3, M Morriss 2, K Byrne, M Nguyen, A Engel, L Sadler, A Roberts, S Mulhern, A Fresle, E Do. UNSW ? C van Schalkwyk.
Best : Sydney Uni ? M Nguyen, T Lenon, A Roberts, J Lew, M Gray, L Creber. UNSW ? C Gum, A Bidou, M Barnes, M Clay, H Noblett, S Court.
At Rosedale Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
THE FINALS EQUATION
North Shore are a game clear on top. Behind the Bombers are UNSW-ES, with a similar percentage to the Bombers. Pennant Hills are level on games with UNSW-ES, but with a significantly inferior percentage. Balmain are a game behind the Demons, with a similar percentage.
Although there are mathematical exceptions, in practice, any difference in wins between two teams with similar percentages will see the percentage gaps also switched.
So in the final round:
North Shore ? To finish top will need:
Win/draw v Pennant Hills OR UNSW-ES lose/draw v Sydney Uni.
Otherwise, will play Qualifying Final.
UNSW-ES ? To finish top will need:
Win v Sydney Uni AND North Shore lose v Pennant Hills.
Otherwise, will play Qualifying Final.
Pennant Hills ? To play Qualifying Final will need:
Win/draw v North Shore OR Balmain lose/draw v St George.
Otherwise, will play Elimination Final.
Balmain ? To play Qualifying Final will need:
Win v St George AND Pennant Hills lose v North Shore.
Otherwise, will play Elimination Final.
NEXT WEEK?S MATCHES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold)
Premier Division:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (1:10pm)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Balmain (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval ? Illawarra v UTS (2:10pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
BYE ? Campbelltown.
Division One:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (11am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Holroyd-Parramatta (12pm)
Gwawley Oval ? Southern Power v Penrith (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v UTS (2:10pm)
BYE ? Macquarie Uni.
Division Two:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval - Qualifying Final ? UNSW-ES v NorWest (3:15pm)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? St George v Camden (3:15pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? Blacktown v Sydney Uni (1:10pm)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? Saints AFC v Southern Power (1:10pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? UTS v Penrith (11:05am)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? UNSW-ES v NorWest (11:05am)
Division Five:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? Camden v Saints AFC (9am)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? UTS v Moorebank (9am)
Under 18s One:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (9am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (10am)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (10am)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Penrith (12pm)
North Dalton Oval ? Illawarra v St Ignatius Riverview (12pm)
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 25th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v Balmain (12pm)
Gwawley Oval ? Southern Power v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Saints AFC (12pm)
BYE ? Macquarie Uni.
Women:
Saturday 25th August
Rosedale Oval - First Preliminary Final ? Wollongong v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Second Preliminary Final ? Balmain v Western Wolves (2pm)
Editor?s Note ? Apologies for the poor quality of photos this week. I?d made it to Henson and realised I?d left my camera at home. These were taken from my mobile phone camera.
Only one round remains in the home and away season. But before the finals begin, we have a very tight race for positions within the final five; and next Saturday there?s sure to be plenty of teams not only applying the calculator to their own results but keeping an eye out for news of happenings elsewhere.
Sunday?s match at Henson Park saw Balmain up against North Shore, and the Dockers were looking for a win that would have created a four-way tie for top spot. And they burst out of the blocks, with goals to Shelby Lee-Steere and Ben Taggart with barely five minutes on the clock. The Dockers maintained the lead through the first quarter, despite a late fightback by the Bombers that saw the margin cut to a point at quarter time.
But in the opening seconds of the second term, the Bombers drove the ball forward for Jack Davis to rove the pack and score; forcing a lead change, and the Bombers would not be headed again for the day. But, while they looked to increase their lead as the quarter unfolded, the Bombers would be their own worst enemy; the ball being picked up by the wind in the sometimes blustery conditions and sailing through for an inaccurate return of 3.6 for the quarter. But with a nine-point lead at the long break, the Bombers were in pole position.
The possession count was becoming more lopsided in the third term, the Bombers getting on top around the ground. But despite threatening to run away, the Bombers found the Dockers hard to shake. The stakes were high, and Balmain weren?t going to go away without a fight. Although the run of play wasn?t running Balmain?s way, Aaron Cottrell manufactured a double in the third term to keep the Dockers in the contest. But the Bombers still won the quarter, leading by 20 points at the last change. The Dockers had fought bravely, but still had a lot of work to do in the final quarter if they wanted to win.
But instead, the possession flow began to convert to scoreboard pressure in the final quarter; and the Bombers took control. Pat Brackin, well held for three quarters, twice in the first five minutes of the final quarter stood tall and strong to mark and goal, and the Balmain challenge was over. Dale Fitzgerald, playing on to advantage, threaded a sensational goal through the big sticks from a near impossible angle, cueing celebrations in the North Shore camp as victory was assured.
Seven goals to one in the final quarter blew the final margin out to 59 points. Jack Davis finished with four goals for the Bombers; and along with Lachy Pryor and Sam Naismith was among the Bombers? best. For the Dockers, Daniel Brian, Tom Mabon and Travis Stevens made prominent contributions.
North Shore remain a game clear on top of the ladder. A win against Pennant Hills next week will seal the minor premiership. If they were to go down and UNSW-ES win their final round game against Sydney Uni, the gap in percentage would be extremely tight.
Balmain find themselves in fourth spot, a game behind UNSW-ES and Pennant Hills with a percentage a lot less than UNSW-ES?s but a lot more than Pennant Hills?. To qualify for the double-chance, the Dockers will need to beat St George next week and hope that Pennant Hills go down to North Shore.
On Saturday afternoon, UNSW-ES snapped a two-game losing streak; returning to form in emphatic style with a commanding 140-point win over Sydney Hills Eagles at the Village Green.
It took some time for the Bulldogs to find their rhythm, and the Eagles were matching it with the Bulldogs for much of the opening term; and at quarter time the Bulldogs held a lead of nine points. But the second quarter saw the home side emerge hungrier and quicker, and the Eagles were unable to keep up. The ball found itself camped permanently on the UNSW-ES forward line, and the Bulldogs may not have been as accurate as they would have liked but finished with 6.9 for the quarter while holding the Eagles scoreless.
A 54-point lead at half time was impressive enough. But the floodgates opened even further with a run of ten goals to two for the third term. By then the win was safe and the game largely went through the motions in the final quarter, but the Bulldogs added a further five goals to blow the final margin out to 140 points.
Leigh Lavery was already well in front in the competition?s leading goalscorer list; but the Bulldog spearhead added to his lead with an eight-goal haul; while Max Collett also helped himself to four of the goals that were on offer. Around the ground, Peter Kefalas, Collett and James Pascoe were possession gatherers, pumping the ball forward with regularity. For the Eagles, Etiosa Okunbor, Kyall Walford and Matthew Scholz worked hard all afternoon.
The size of the win keeps the Bulldogs in the race for the minor premiership. To get there, the Bulldogs will need a big win against Sydney Uni next week while hoping that North Shore go down to Pennant Hills; and the Bulldogs will be keenly checking for score updates from Gore Hill. Barring a major calamity, the Bulldogs should be in the top three; to miss out, they would need to be belted by bottom side Sydney Uni while Balmain and Pennant Hills both record big wins.
Pennant Hills hosted Wests at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday afternoon, looking for a big win to keep their percentage competitive with their rivals for the double-chance. But although they found themselves frustrated at times by the Magpies, a 56-point win keeps the Demons well and truly in the hunt for the top three.
The Demons ended any fears of a shock upset loss in the first term, when their defence rose to the occasion to hold the Magpies scoreless and go out to a 28-point lead at quarter time. But the Magpies were putting up a fight, and the Demons were only able to score one goal in the second term as the Magpies won the quarter to cut the margin to 21 points at the long break.
But the Demons stood taller in the premiership quarter, stepping up a gear to put the game well and truly out of Wests? reach. Four goals to one in the third term extended to lead to 40 points at the last change. It hadn?t been a game that reached any great heights, and the final quarter was nothing special; but the win sees the Demons in third place, level on games with UNSW-ES; their percentage inferior to the Bulldogs. But the Demons are a game ahead of Balmain, and thanks to the size of this win and Balmain?s loss, the Demons have a marginally better percentage than the Dockers.
Luke Bilbe, Tim Wales and Daniel Witt were prominent performers for Pennant Hills. For the Magpies, Lynn Roehrig, Ryan Hinson and Stephen Hudson were among their best.
The Demons are in third place, but will need to beat top side North Shore to be sure of staying in the double-chance. If the Demons lose, they will only avoid sudden death if Balmain don?t beat St George.
St George took on Illawarra at Kelso Oval on Saturday afternoon looking for a win to wrap up a spot in the finals. And the Dragons did just that, denying the Lions any scoring chances as they cruised to a 91-point win.
It was solid but unspectacular through the first half, as the Dragons kept the ball on their forward line throughout. The St George defence was magnificent, and the Lions had no room to move up forward all day. Four goals in the first quarter and another four in the second, while holding the Lions to one point, laid the foundations for a comfortable victory.
The Dragons continued to choke the life out of the Illawarra forward line, and the Lions were still goal-less at three quarter time. Although the stranglehold was finally released in the final quarter and the Lions managed two goals, the game was safely won and a finals place now assured.
Nick Ryan spearheaded the Dragon charge up forward to finish with four goals; while Declan Donohue, Mark Graham and Daniel Rixon were influential around the ground. On a difficult day for the Lions, Jimmy Weavers, Duane Jefferis and Keegan Litchfield kept putting in all afternoon.
Just a month ago, the finals looked out of reach; but on the back of a four-game winning streak, St George find a berth in the playoffs wrapped up with a week to spare. Their backline has been magnificent in recent weeks, conceding just three goals from their last two matches. It will be sudden death for the Dragons during the finals; but with form and confidence high, they may do some damage at the business end of the season. Before the finals, they have a battle with Balmain to come; and the Dockers are far from certainties in a game that may well be pivotal in determining the makeup of the finals.
The other game of the round had no bearing on the finals; but it would be the closest game of the round. Sydney Uni hosted Campbelltown on Saturday afternoon, and it would be the Blues who would prevail by 36 points.
A low-scoring opening term saw the Blues leading by seven points at the first change. But they would lift the intensity in the second term, with three goals from plenty of chances as they extended the lead to 24 points at the long break.
The Blues could smell victory, but were frustrated by a determined Sydney Uni in the third term; who defended grimly to hold the Blues to one goal in the third term to win the quarter. With a 16-point margin at the last change, the Students may have sensed an opportunity to come from behind to take their second win of the season. But instead, the Blues steadied in the final quarter, finishing their season on a positive note with a four-goal quarter to run out 36-point winners.
Bryce Joynson, Bryce Martin and Chantha Pal put in solid games for the Blues; while Alex Dyson, Matthew Turner and Scott Snodgrass were among Sydney Uni?s best.
Campbelltown have the bye in the last round; so this match saw the Blues? season come to an end. After a winless 2011 season, the withdrawal of their Under 18s, a reserves side down in Division Three, and having copped some heavy defeats early in the season, the Campbelltown club was struggling.
But the Blues showed spirit in the face of adversity, and broke through for a win in appalling conditions against Sydney Hills at Bruce Purser on the public holiday Monday. That was the circuit-breaker for the team, who persisted in the face of trial and reaped the rewards in the second half of the season. Four wins, avoiding the wooden spoon, gives them a base to build on in 2013.
North Shore 2.3 5.9 9.15 16.21 (117)
Balmain 2.4 4.6 7.7 8.10 (58)
Goals : North Shore ? J Davis 4, S Carruthers 2, P Brackin 2, L Pryor 2, D Schacher, A Harry, M Thomas, D Fitzgerald, J Weir, S Naismith. Balmain ? B Taggart 2, A Cottrell 2, C White, L Conway, S Lee-Steere, W Blackburne.
Best : North Shore ? L Pryor, D Hadden, J Davis, B Fitzgerald, S Naismith, Z Manley. Balmain ? D Brian, T Mabon, T Stevens, J Coulloupas, G Wilkie, S Lee-Steere.
At Henson Park, Sunday 19th August 2012.
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 3.3 9.12 19.15 24.22 (166)
Sydney Hills Eagles 2.0 2.0 4.1 4.2 (26)
Goals : UNSW-ES ? L Lavery 8, M Collett 4, M Rawlinson 3, P Kefalas 2, B Way, H Nichols, R Troon, N McGann, A Gulden, T Williamson, S Tagliabue. Sydney Hills ? K Walford, J Gordon, S Doyle, D Gatte.
Best : UNSW-ES ? P Kefalas, M Collett, J Pascoe, A Rodrigues, R Plant, L Lavery. Sydney Hills ? E Okunbor, K Walford, M Scholz, A Moeller, C Gordon, R Fitton.
At Village Green, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Pennant Hills 4.4 5.6 9.10 12.16 (88)
Western Suburbs 0.0 2.3 3.6 4.8 (32)
Goals : Pennant Hills ? L Bilbe 3, N Campbell 2, D Witt 2, M Baglin 2, M Carey, A Richardson, R Watts. Wests ? C Specha 2, D Hassett, J Zoppo.
Best : Pennant Hills ? L Bilbe, T Wales, D Witt, T Widmer, H Angel, J Dunn. Wests ? L Roehrig, R Hinson, S Hudson, K Currie, S Aitchison, J Zoppo.
At Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
St George 4.4 8.7 13.9 16.11 (107)
Illawarra 0.0 0.1 0.2 2.4 (16)
Goals : St George ? N Ryan 4, D Napper 3, J Saddington 3, A Wynn, P McBride, D Lycakis, M Milner, D Rixon, L Perris. Illawarra ? M Daly, M Adamson.
Best : St George ? D Donohue, M Graham, D Rixon, D Lycakis, A Sharp, P McBride. Illawarra ? J Weavers, D Jefferis, K Litchfield, S Proctor, D McClure, W Cook.
At Kelso Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Campbelltown 2.2 5.8 6.8 10.11 (71)
Sydney University 1.1 2.2 4.4 5.5 (35)
Goals : Campbelltown ? B Joynson 2, S Doherty 2, H Sherwood, B Sommerville, M Morey, B McCrossen, D Linsen, A Sneddon. Sydney Uni ? J Lawson, L McWhirter, R MacPherson, A Crowe, R Geraghty.
Best : Campbelltown ? B Joynson, B Martin, C Pal, B Sommerville, H Sherwood, A Sneddon. Sydney Uni ? A Dyson, M Turner, S Snodgrass, M Kennedy, A Hawtin, C Reichman.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 18th August 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:
UNSW-ES 11.6 (72) d Sydney Hills 7.12 (54)
Pennant Hills 4.9 (33) d Western Suburbs 3.7 (25)
Holroyd-Parramatta 8.11 (59) d Macquarie Uni 4.7 (31)
Penrith 6.7 (43) d North Shore 3.5 (23)
Manly-Warringah 13.8 (86) d Southern Power 4.5 (29)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Manly-Warringah (100, 605.29%), Southern Power (82.35, 256.72%), Holroyd-Parramatta (70.59, 120.98%), UTS (64.71, 127.91%), Penrith (58.82, 87.52%), North Shore (41.18, 80.07%), UNSW-ES (35.29, 63.66%), Pennant Hills (35.29, 51.51%), Macquarie Uni (27.78, 75.90%), Sydney Hills (23.53, 61.73%), Wests (11.76, 42.64%).
Division Two:
UNSW-ES 10.10 (70) d Manly-Warringah 6.5 (41)
Sydney Uni 6.8 (44) d Moorebank 1.5 (11)
St George 18.15 (123) d Illawarra 3.1 (19)
NorWest 11.13 (79) d Balmain 5.8 (38)
Camden 15.17 (107) d Auburn 7.5 (47)
Ladder (Final) ? Sydney Uni (56, 139.59%), UNSW-ES (48, 147.17%), NorWest (48, 144.06%), St George (44, 145.69%), Camden (44, 129.08%), Manly-Warringah (40, 129.61%), Balmain (40, 98.71%), Moorebank (24, 88.97%), Illawarra (12, 60.18%), Auburn (4, 25.67%).
Division Three:
Sydney Uni 15.17 (107) d Campbelltown 5.3 (33)
Saints AFC 10.18 (78) d Western Suburbs 7.4 (46)
Sydney Hills 11.5 (71) d Moorebank 5.1 (31)
UTS 16.20 (116) d Macquarie Uni 3.1 (19)
Blacktown 7.16 (58) d Southern Power 2.4 (16)
Ladder (Final) ? UTS (60, 418.29%), Blacktown (60, 273.54%), Sydney Uni (58, 238.73%), Saints AFC (50, 223.78%), Southern Power (40, 128.32%), Wests (28, 62.89%), Macquarie Uni (24, 55.90%), Campbelltown (20, 38.95%), Sydney Hills (16, 43.98%), Moorebank (4, 26.03%).
Division Four:
NorWest v UTS ? on appeal
Holroyd-Parramatta 8.11 (59) d Macquarie Uni 5.4 (34)
Penrith 14.13 (97) d North Shore 1.5 (11)
Gosford 11.11 (77) d UNSW-ES 8.5 (53)
Manly-Warringah d Southern Power ? forfeit
Ladder (Provisional) ? Gosford (64, 282.46%), UTS (60, 261.00%), Penrith (60, 259.51%), UNSW-ES (48, 148.34%), NorWest (28, 73.46%), Manly-Warringah (28, 65.93%), North Shore (24, 63.38%), Holroyd-Parramatta (20, 50.38%), Southern Power (14, 40.12%), Macquarie Uni (10, 43.56%).
Division Five:
Saints AFC 15.11 (101) d Holroyd-Parramatta 1.6 (12)
Penrith 7.7 (49) d UNSW-ES 4.4 (28)
Sydney Uni 9.10 (64) d Moorebank 6.5 (41)
UTS 12.15 (87) d Camden 7.7 (49)
Ladder (Final) ? Sydney Uni (52, 208.29%), Camden (48, 165.91%), Saints AFC (44, 172.91%), UTS (42, 147.43%), Moorebank (36, 139.21%), UNSW-ES (30, 113.05%), Penrith (20, 66.04%), Holroyd-Parramatta (8, 34.79%).
Under 18s One:
Sydney Hills 10.18 (78) d UNSW-ES 7.6 (48)
Illawarra 9.14 (68) d St George 9.4 (58)
Pennant Hills 11.10 (76) d Western Suburbs 0.5 (5)
Sydney Uni 14.7 (91) d Penrith 5.9 (39)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Sydney Hills (96.67, 328.19%), Illawarra (76.67, 167.48%), Sydney Uni (71.43, 157.49%), Pennant Hills (64.29, 141.11%), St George (53.33, 128.52%), UNSW-ES (53.33, 108.52%), North Shore (38.46, 122.31%), Riverview (21.43, 83.91%), Wests (21.43, 39.81%), Penrith (0, 11.69%).
Under 18s Two:
NorWest 13.20 (98) d Sydney Hills 0.2 (2)
Macquarie Uni 12.8 (80) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.9 (39)
Southern Power 12.8 (80) d Manly-Warringah 4.7 (31)
Balmain 11.7 (73) d Moorebank 6.13 (49)
Ladder (Match Ratio) ? Southern Power (93.33, 434.91%), Balmain (80, 207.46%), Manly-Warringah (66.67, 177.37%), Macquarie Uni (56.25, 120.28%), NorWest (53.33, 157.29%), Moorebank (46.67, 79.84%), Sydney Hills (26.67, 70.22%), Holroyd-Parramatta (20, 53.84%), Saints AFC (6.67, 11.35%).
Women:
Elimination Final 1
Western Wolves 1.2 1.3 4.6 10.7 (67)
Newtown Breakaways 1.0 1.2 2.2 2.2 (14)
Goals : Wolves ? N Furlong 4, V Zacharia, T Tyler-Greaves, A Carpenter, N Barber, M Freckelton, K Lawson. Newtown ? B Atkins, P Bartlett.
Best : Wolves ? M Obien, K Lawson, M Freckelton, N Furlong, N Kriz, A Carpenter. Newtown ? A Ruut, V Iles, T Noble, G Verkulyen, L Watchman, R Graham.
At Rosedale Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
Elimination Final 2
Sydney University 3.1 5.2 9.5 13.10 (88)
UNSW Stingrays 0.1 0.3 0.4 1.4 (10)
Goals : Sydney Uni ? T Lenon 3, M Morriss 2, K Byrne, M Nguyen, A Engel, L Sadler, A Roberts, S Mulhern, A Fresle, E Do. UNSW ? C van Schalkwyk.
Best : Sydney Uni ? M Nguyen, T Lenon, A Roberts, J Lew, M Gray, L Creber. UNSW ? C Gum, A Bidou, M Barnes, M Clay, H Noblett, S Court.
At Rosedale Oval, Saturday 18th August 2012.
THE FINALS EQUATION
North Shore are a game clear on top. Behind the Bombers are UNSW-ES, with a similar percentage to the Bombers. Pennant Hills are level on games with UNSW-ES, but with a significantly inferior percentage. Balmain are a game behind the Demons, with a similar percentage.
Although there are mathematical exceptions, in practice, any difference in wins between two teams with similar percentages will see the percentage gaps also switched.
So in the final round:
North Shore ? To finish top will need:
Win/draw v Pennant Hills OR UNSW-ES lose/draw v Sydney Uni.
Otherwise, will play Qualifying Final.
UNSW-ES ? To finish top will need:
Win v Sydney Uni AND North Shore lose v Pennant Hills.
Otherwise, will play Qualifying Final.
Pennant Hills ? To play Qualifying Final will need:
Win/draw v North Shore OR Balmain lose/draw v St George.
Otherwise, will play Elimination Final.
Balmain ? To play Qualifying Final will need:
Win v St George AND Pennant Hills lose v North Shore.
Otherwise, will play Elimination Final.
NEXT WEEK?S MATCHES (Lurker?s Kiss of Death in bold)
Premier Division:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (1:10pm)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Balmain (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval ? Illawarra v UTS (2:10pm)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (2:10pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
BYE ? Campbelltown.
Division One:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (11am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Holroyd-Parramatta (12pm)
Gwawley Oval ? Southern Power v Penrith (2:10pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v UTS (2:10pm)
BYE ? Macquarie Uni.
Division Two:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval - Qualifying Final ? UNSW-ES v NorWest (3:15pm)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? St George v Camden (3:15pm)
Division Three:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? Blacktown v Sydney Uni (1:10pm)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? Saints AFC v Southern Power (1:10pm)
Division Four:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? UTS v Penrith (11:05am)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? UNSW-ES v NorWest (11:05am)
Division Five:
Saturday 25th August
Gipps Rd Oval ? Qualifying Final ? Camden v Saints AFC (9am)
Sunday 26th August
Henson Park ? Elimination Final ? UTS v Moorebank (9am)
Under 18s One:
Saturday 25th August
Gore Hill Oval ? North Shore v Pennant Hills (9am)
Picken Oval ? Western Suburbs v Sydney Hills (10am)
Village Green ? UNSW-ES v Sydney Uni (10am)
Kelso Oval ? St George v Penrith (12pm)
North Dalton Oval ? Illawarra v St Ignatius Riverview (12pm)
Under 18s Two:
Saturday 25th August
Rosedale Oval ? Moorebank v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Bensons Lane ? NorWest v Balmain (12pm)
Gwawley Oval ? Southern Power v Sydney Hills (12pm)
Weldon Oval ? Manly-Warringah v Saints AFC (12pm)
BYE ? Macquarie Uni.
Women:
Saturday 25th August
Rosedale Oval - First Preliminary Final ? Wollongong v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Rosedale Oval ? Second Preliminary Final ? Balmain v Western Wolves (2pm)
Editor?s Note ? Apologies for the poor quality of photos this week. I?d made it to Henson and realised I?d left my camera at home. These were taken from my mobile phone camera.