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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 14 - Deelightful Day for Pennant Hills
This article originally published on RedAndWhiteOnline.

 

Just when the Sydney AFL Premier Division season looked to be heading towards the final 5 being settled, Round 14 came along. Upset results saw the race for the finals being thrown wide open and it's anyone's guess how the makeup of the finals series will look. Such a round can be a nightmare for tipsters, but it's great for an even competition and for maintaining interest and intrigue over the upcoming weeks.

 

The match of the round saw defending premiers Pennant Hills take on Campbelltown at Ern Holmes Oval. It was 4th v 5th, both teams on 7 wins but with the Demons having a superior percentage. The match was played in glorious sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and the ground looking OK; a great day to be out at the footy.

It was Campbelltown who started the better, with Dale Chivas hitting the mark with a grubber to open the goalkicking, and a long bomb from Shanan Kershaw giving the Blues a 13-point lead. But the early appearances were to be misleading; as from that point on, first half highlights would be few and far between and Pennant Hills snapped into gear. Kieran Wright was the first Demon to hit his straps, going up for a strong pack mark 20 metres out to get the home side on the board. Wright again was in the thick of the action to dribble through the next goal, and from the centre break an unmarked Josh Duncan marked uncontested to put the Demons in front. With the momentum, and with the Blues putting up minimal resistance, Pennant Hills raced to a 22-point quarter time lead.

Into the second quarter, and it was more of the same. David Smith capitalised on some lack of manning up to mark 30 metres out straight in front and open the second quarter scoring. Matt Carey won the ball in front of the clubhouse and with a pinpoint cross found a running Sam Widmer. And on it went, one-way traffic as the Demons scored 6 goals to 1 for the quarter to lead by 57 points at half time. The Demons were full of running, finding loose men everywhere; while the Blues struggled to win possessions, and struggled even more to hit their targets when they did have the ball.

A 57-point half-time margin was daunting for the Blues; but as we saw in last week's Wests v East Coast game, not impossible. And stung by their first half capitulation, the Blues sprung into life after the break. Pressing the Demon defence early, the Blues could only manage behinds until the individual highlight of the day. Jake Brazill gained possession on the half-back line, and with a scintillating run and three bounces through the centre found himself in goal-scoring range and shot truly. But the Blues' revival was to be short-lived, Damian Dell'Aquila receiving a pass from a throw-in to snap truly, then Josh Duncan marking and goaling from 50.

But the Blues weren't quite finished yet. A quick-fire double from Owen Love cut the margin below 10 goals. With the clock deep in time-on, Chris Lees took a nice slips-catch mark 20 metres out from goal but missed. A running Mark Edwins took a bounce and got to 40 metres out before blazing away and shooting wide when he could have run closer. And on the three-quarter time siren, a 50m penalty to Shanan Kershaw set up another opportunity which missed. If the Blues were to have got back into the game, they had to make every post a winner; and had they been able to capitalise on those opportunities late in the quarter, they may have been able to put the Demons under pressure.

But it wasn't to be. And with the Demons let off the hook, the result of the game was never in doubt. The last quarter was again a procession, the Demons kicking 6 goals to 1 to extend the margin to a convincing 79 points. Kieran Wright had been the dominant player on the ground all day, and finished with 7 goals, while a 4-goal haul from Josh Duncan and a solid game from Brant Jack were also key factors in the Demons' impressive performance. For the Blues, Brenton McAllister and Chris Lees were among their best. It had been an impressive performance by Pennant Hills, and after a slow start to their 2009 campaign look to be building up to their best form as the finals approach.

In the leadup to the finals, the 4 points will be extremely valuable for the Demons, the percentage boost adding to their advantage from the day. For Campbelltown, already with a lesser percentage than the teams behind them in the race for the finals, the size of the loss could come back to haunt them as we approach the business end of the season.

 

Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.

The upset results of the round have cut the gap between Campbelltown and their challengers to a single game. Gore Hill Oval was the scene of the first boilover, as North Shore ran down top side East Coast Eagles. The Eagles started the stronger, and led by 4 goals during the second term, but the Bombers slowly but surely pegged them back and hit the front during the third quarter. And once they had a sniff there was to be no letting go, as North Shore rediscovered the form and spirit that has at times eluded them this season and went on to record a 29-point victory. Anthony Lowes kicked 4 for the Bombers, while Sam Carruthers and Ryan Meldrum were among their best. The Eagles were well served by a 6-goal haul from Gus Seebeck and by strong contributions from Mark Skuse and Michael Sankey. Interestingly it was on this round last year that North Shore shocked top side UNSW-ES and gained the momentum to bridge a 2-game deficit and squeeze into the finals. Will history repeat?

 

The other shock was at Henson Park on Sunday, when Sydney Uni defeated Wests by 15 points. It was goal for goal in the first half, but the premiership quarter was to prove decisive as the Students kicked 6 goals to 2 to extend their lead from 3 to 25 points. And although the Magpies fought hard to reduce the deficit in the last term, they were unable to make up the ground they lost during the third term. Brydon Coles and Tom Young each kicked 3 for the Students, while Glenn Stevens and Alex Lee won plenty of the ball around the ground. The Magpies had Matt Withers and Dane Williams each contribute 3 goals, while Joel Minichiello and Dave Linsen were among their best. The Students, after a disappointing opening to the season, are now just one game outside the top 5, and with a far superior percentage to Campbelltown; while the Magpies' margin for second place has been reduced to just half a game, after a winless July.

 

No sign of an upset at the Village Green, where third-placed UNSW-ES dominated Balmain from start to finish to race to an 111-point victory. A 10 goals to 1 first half set the tone for the afternoon, and the Bulldogs continued their ruthless streak during the third term when they ran through 10 goals to 3 for the quarter to put the lead already into 3 figures before three-quarter time. Brad Abbott and Leigh Lavery each kicked 5 on a day when 12 UNSW-ES players got onto the goalkickers' list. Lavery, Ben Sutton and Mike Beardsley were among the Bulldogs' best. Daniel Napper and Braedon Jones were among the best for Balmain on what was another disappointing day for the Dockers.

 

Olds Park was closed on Saturday, so the St George v Wollongong match was moved to Mahoney Park on Sunday. It wasn't a match that reached any great heights, but the Dragons gained some degree of revenge for their loss to Wollongong earlier in the season, winning every quarter to take out a 23-point victory to keep their mathematical finals hopes alive. Ben Maddern scored 3 goals for the Dragons, while Daniel Carey and Ryan Talbot played solid games. For the Lions, Ken Ewen-Chappel kicked 3 while Shane Davis was their best.

 

 

Pennant Hills   7.1   13.7   15.11   21.12 (138)

Campbelltown   3.3   4.4   7.10   8.11 (59)

Goals : Pennant Hills - K Wright 7, J Duncan 4, A Richardson 2, D Smith, D Dell'Aquila, M Carey, M Aitken, J Moraitis, J Low, S Widmer, C Richardson. Campbelltown - C Lees 2, O Love 2, S Kershaw, B McAllister, D Chivas, J Brazill.

Best : Pennant Hills - K Wright, B Jack, J Duncan, M Carey, C Richardson, J Moraitis. Campbelltown - B McAllister, C Lees, J Edwards, S Kershaw, M Edwins, C Everson.

At Ern Holmes Oval, Sunday 19th July 2009.

 

North Shore   2.4   8.5   11.9   16.10 (106)

East Coast Eagles   3.2   9.4   11.6   13.7 (85)

Goals : North Shore - A Lowes 4, S Carruthers 2, L Pryor 2, J Brain 2, J Webster 2, D Casey 2, A Naylor, B Fitzgerald. East Coast - G Seebeck 6, R Smyth 2, M Sankey 2, M Skuse, M Williams, A Byerlee.

Best : North Shore - S Carruthers, R Meldrum, J Russell-Jones, A Lowes, B Fitzgerald, T Strudwick. East Coast - M Skuse, M Sankey, B Bourke, G Seebeck, D Spiteri, S Ryan.

At Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 18th July 2009.

 

Sydney University   6.1   9.3   15.5   16.14 (110)

Western Suburbs   6.6   7.12   9.14   13.17 (95)

Goals : Sydney Uni - B Coles 3, T Young 3, M Egan 2, G Stevens 2, A Lee 2, C Clarebrough, A Kraefft, J Leary, C Walsh. Wests - M Withers 3, D Williams 3, T Cole 2, J Lear, B Bedwell, A Eurell, C McGuirk, B Absolum.

Best : Sydney Uni - G Stevens, A Lee, B Coles, C Clarebrough, C Walsh, M Egan. Wests - J Minichiello, D Linsen, M Withers, A Eurell, L Roehrig, S D'Arcy.

At Henson Park, Sunday 19th July 2009.

 

Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs   3.5   10.13   20.15   23.21 (159)

Balmain Dockers   1.4   1.4   4.5   7.6 (48)

Goals : UNSW-ES - B Abbott 5, L Lavery 5, S Pech 2, B Sutton 2, M Beardsley 2, P Kefalas, R Underwood, M Collett, S Rutland, D Ward, A Heffernan, M O'Regan. Balmain - B Jones 2, D Ryan, D Turner, N O'Brien, A Mitchell, B Singleton.

Best : UNSW-ES - L Lavery, B Sutton, M Beardsley, R Underwood, J Coulloupas, M O'Regan. Balmain - D Napper, B Jones, N Todd, R Officer, A Mitchell, A Randell.

At Village Green, Saturday 18th July 2009.

 

St George   3.2   7.4   10.6   12.6 (78)

Wollongong   2.0   4.5   6.11   7.13 (55)

Goals : St George - B Maddern 3, S Demir 2, J Shineberg 2, P McBride 2, D Carey 2, B Addison. Wollongong - K Ewen-Chappel 3, T Bartlett, G Batty, M Daly, S McInnes.

Best : St George - D Carey, R Talbot, D Donohue, S Wilsen, J Cooper, B Maddern. Wollongong - S Davis, K Ewen-Chappel, A Riley, A McConnochie, J Weavers, T Bartlett.

At Mahoney Park, Sunday 19th July 2009.

 

 

First Division:

East Coast 14.15 (99) d North Shore 7.7 (49)

UTS 11.16 (82) d UNSW-ES 9.4 (58)

Manly-Warringah 10.10 (70) d Pennant Hills 7.8 (50)

Sydney Uni 18.20 (128) d Western Suburbs 4.6 (30)

St George 14.13 (97) d Wollongong 9.4 (58)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - UTS (100, 264.81%), Manly-Warringah (85.71, 191.68%), East Coast (71.43, 149.93%), UNSW-ES (64.29, 121.65%), Sydney Uni (61.54, 162.37%), Pennant Hills (35.71, 94.14%), North Shore (28.57, 77.94%), Western Suburbs (25, 54.39%), Wollongong (25, 52.24%), St George (7.14, 36.04%).

 

Second Division:

Camden 9.4 (58) d Campbelltown 6.12 (48)

Southern Power d Balmain - forfeit

Sydney Uni 24.23 (167) d East Coast 5.3 (33)

Holroyd-Parramatta 14.6 (90) d Manly-Warringah 4.10 (34)

Macquarie Uni 11.8 (74) d UTS 10.4 (64)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Southern Power (100, 465.98%), Macquarie Uni (92.86, 290.24%), Holroyd-Parramatta (71.43, 153.03%), UTS (69.23, 203.31%), Sydney Uni (53.85, 142.13%), Manly-Warringah (30.77, 75.10%), Balmain (28.57, 67.13%), Camden (28.57, 47.97%), East Coast (21.43, 36.04%), Campbelltown (7.14, 25.00%).

 

Third Division:

Moorebank Sports 12.18 (90) d Southern Power 6.9 (45)

Pennant Hills 15.20 (110) d Holroyd-Parramatta 7.4 (46)

Macquarie Uni 12.7 (79) d UTS 8.9 (57)

NorWest Jets 9.17 (71) d UNSW-ES 9.8 (62)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - UNSW-ES (91.67, 272.28%), NorWest Jets (91.67, 268.93%), UTS (75, 192.39%), Macquarie Uni (66.67, 154.93%), Moorebank Sports (53.85, 113.33%), Pennant Hills (38.46, 81.45%), Penrith (25, 58.30%), Southern Power (8.33, 43.12%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 19.66%).

 

Fourth Division:

Manly-Warringah 14.13 (97) d Holroyd-Parramatta 6.7 (43)

Macquarie Uni 11.8 (74) d UTS 4.6 (30)

UNSW-ES 15.21 (111) d Moorebank Sports 6.6 (42)

Penrith 22.10 (142) d Camden 11.6 (72)

Sydney Uni 13.6 (84) d NorWest Jets 11.4 (70)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Sydney Uni (92.86, 279.20%), UTS (69.23, 196.85%), UNSW-ES (69.23, 141.77%), NorWest Jets (67.86, 255.65%), Macquarie Uni (60.71, 130.44%), Manly-Warringah (57.14, 133.37%), Moorebank Sports (42.86, 96.47%), Penrith (21.43, 53.13%), Holroyd-Parramatta (21.43, 40.49%), Camden (0, 14.86%).

 

Under 18s Premier:

UNSW-ES 17.18 (120) d Balmain 4.7 (31)

East Coast 13.4 (82) d North Shore 11.9 (75)

Pennant Hills 26.10 (166) d Campbelltown 1.2 (8)

St George 21.12 (138) d Wollongong 5.5 (35)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - East Coast (85.71, 216.42%), North Shore (84.62, 250.39%), Pennant Hills (78.57, 260.51%), St George (76.92, 213.80%), Wollongong (64.29, 117.01%), UNSW-ES (30.77, 82.04%), Balmain (21.43, 42.11%), St Ignatius Riverview (16.67, 49.50%), Campbelltown (16.67, 42.22%), Western Suburbs (15.38, 29.61%).

 

Under 18s Challenge:

Holroyd-Parramatta d Manly-Warringah - forfeit

Pennant Hills 9.10 (64) d Macquarie Uni 3.10 (28)

Southern Power 7.12 (54) d Moorebank Sports 7.10 (52)

Sydney Uni 31.18 (204) d East Coast 2.2 (14)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Southern Power (91.67, 205.16%), Sydney Uni (90.91, 329.73%), Penrith (75, 192.93%), Moorebank Sports (61.54, 129.07%), Pennant Hills (58.33, 104.62%), East Coast (25, 68.82%), Manly-Warringah (16.67, 42.39%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16.67, 39.46%), Macquarie Uni (16.67, 38.37%).

 

THE RUN HOME

Wollongong's defeat means they fall out of mathematical contention for the finals, but the race for fifth spot is wide open. The loss for Campbelltown sees them just one game clear of Sydney Uni and North Shore and with an inferior percentage.

When the competition resumes after the rep game, challengers North Shore and Sydney Uni play each other, while Campbelltown take on third-placed UNSW-ES. If the Blues were to go down, the winner of North Shore v Sydney Uni would take their place in the top 5; with the UNSW-ES victory also guaranteeing the Bulldogs a finals berth. St George remain a mathematical chance, but being 2 games behind and with a poor percentage will need to win all their remaining games and depend on a complex string of other results to go their way.

 

In Premier Division, the remaining matches for the teams still in contention are:

East Coast Eagles (48, 185.01%) - Balmain (Bruce Purser), St George (Olds Park), UNSW-ES (Bruce Purser), Wollongong (North Dalton).

Western Suburbs (42, 164.67%) - St George (Olds Park), UNSW-ES (Village Green), Balmain (Drummoyne), Pennant Hills (Blacktown).

UNSW-ES (40, 124.57%) - Campbelltown (Monarch), Wests (Village Green), East Coast (Bruce Purser), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No1).

Pennant Hills (32, 133.37%) - Wollongong (North Dalton), North Shore (Ern Holmes), St George (Olds Park), Wests (Blacktown).

Campbelltown (28, 83.74%) - UNSW-ES (Monarch), Wollongong (Monarch), North Shore (Monarch), St George (Olds Park).

Sydney University (24, 95.95%) - North Shore (Gore Hill), Balmain (Drummoyne), Wollongong (Syd Uni No1), UNSW-ES (Syd Uni No1).

North Shore (24, 86.72%) - Sydney Uni (Gore Hill), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes), Campbelltown (Monarch), Balmain (Gore Hill).

St George (20, 70.52%) - Wests (Olds Park), East Coast (Olds Park), Pennant Hills (Olds Park), Campbelltown (Olds Park).

 

NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURES

Representative Fixture - Saturday 25th July

Blacktown Olympic Park - Sydney AFL v AFL Canberra (1pm)

 

First Division

Saturday 25th July

Sydney Uni No 1 Oval - Sydney University v UTS (2:10pm)

 

Second Division

Saturday 25th July

Sydney Uni No 1 Oval - Sydney Uni v Manly-Warringah (12pm)

Henson Park - UTS v Southern Power (2:10pm)

 

Third Division

Saturday 25th July

Henson Park - UTS v Southern Power (12pm)

 

Fourth Division

Saturday 25th July

Henson Park - UTS v UNSW-ES (10am)

 

Under 18s Premier

Saturday 25th July

Riverview First Field - St Ignatius Riverview v Western Suburbs (9am)

Blacktown Olympic Park - Campbelltown v North Shore (10:30am)

Blacktown Olympic Park - UNSW-ES v St George (4pm)

 

Under 18s Challenge

Saturday 25th July

Sydney Uni No 1 Oval - Sydney Uni v Manly-Warringah (10am)

Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v Southern Power (10am)