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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 15 2010. 
Premier Division, and most teams in the other divisions, returned to action after a week off. Some catch-up games had been played last weekend, but now it is full steam ahead as the countdown to the finals is heating up.
Fine weather was on hand at Bruce Purser Reserve for what could potentially be a crunch game as East Coast Eagles took on North Shore. Third place on the ladder, the double-chance in the finals, was up for grabs. But a blustery wind made conditions tricky for the players, with the ball moving unpredictably through the air. Players from both sides had difficulty judging marks, and missed attempts at goal from close range were frequent occurrences.
The first quarter was a tightly-contested and evenly fought affair. It was two goals apiece in the first term, with the Eagles holding a 4-point lead. But the Eagles took the initiative in the second term, shutting the Bombers down to kick the only two goals of the quarter. The flukey winds made kicking long too risky a proposition, but the Bombers were unable to find loose men to go in short to. The Eagles were able to get their running game going and present short-range targets; and make their way to a 19-point win at the long break.
It would be hard work for the Bombers to attempt to work their way back into the contest, and they didn’t do themselves any favours during the third term. The Eagles’ two goals for the quarter both came from 50 metre penalties; and although the Bombers got one goal back they had lost the quarter. Although the scoreboard showed there were only four goals in it, the game already appeared over and the Bombers would need to attempt something extraordinary in the last term. Throwing caution to the wind, literally, the Bombers tried to go long; but the gamble didn’t pay off. Despite peppering the goals early, all they could manage was a string of behinds and several balls out on the full or marked by the Eagles’ defence. The Bombers were unable to score a goal to the southern end all day; and as the clock ran down the Eagles scored four last quarter goals to extend the final margin to 50 points.
Daniel Spiteri, Trent Baker and Mike Beardsley were among East Coast’s best, while the Bombers were well served by Adrian Harry, Russell Grigg and Jeremy Stiller. The result sees the Eagles hold on to third place on the ladder, a game plus plenty of percentage ahead of the Bombers and their hold on the double-chance much stronger. To avoid sudden death in the first round of the finals, the Bombers will need to win all their remaining games and hope the Eagles lose two of their last three games.
It was an early start at Blacktown for another key game when Wests played host to Pennant Hills. The same windy conditions had a similar effect, forcing players to go short and keeping the scoring down. The Magpies scored the only goal of the opening term, one of only four goals to be scored in the first half. With only two points in it at half time the game was still up for grabs, and another close game for Friday night’s TV replay was in prospect.
The game opened up in the third term, and the Magpies were best able to capitalise. A run of four goals to two in the third quarter gave the Magpies the edge, and they were able to play out time in the final term to win by 21 points. Joel Minichiello, Dwain Watkins and Lynn Roehrig were prominent ball-winners for the Magpies; while Kieran Wright, Mitch Aitken and Jake Trestrail were getting plenty of the footy for the Demons.
The result keeps the Magpies in second place, a game behind ladder leaders Sydney Uni and with a better percentage. Top spot remains a possibility for the Magpies if the Students slip up during the final rounds, but the worst case scenario for the Magpies is third place and the double-chance for the finals is therefore now guaranteed. The loss for the Demons puts them out of the running for the double-chance; but although it’s still mathematically possible for the Demons to miss out on finals action, it would require a freak set of results – so the almost certain finals scenario for the Demons will be a sudden death final first up.
Although the day on Saturday was fine, wet weather during the week had made an impact on the fixturing. Olds Park was closed, with the St George v Campbelltown game moved to Monarch. But even Monarch, usually one of Sydney AFL’s better surfaces, had problems and the Under 18s and Second Division matches had to be called off. But the Premier Division fixture went ahead, and it would be Campbelltown who would keep their mathematical finals hopes alive, ending their 4-match losing streak with a 7-point win.
The Dragons made the early front-running, three early goals propelling them to a 10 point lead at quarter time. The Blues lifted in the second term, but were unable to convert their chances into goals and the Dragons were still ahead at the long break. And when the Dragons scored another three goals in the third term and led by 13 points at the last change, they looked headed for victory.
But the giant ground and heavy track would take their toll. The Blues, more familiar with the expansive surrounds, were able to run the game out better and grab the lead for the first time during the final minutes.
Hamish Sherwood, Matthew Keys and Alex Sneddon gave value to the Blues’ cause all day, while the Dragons’ young talent showed the way with promoted under-18s Ben Jones and Matthew Dempster being among the Dragons’ best. It’s still mathematically possible, albeit extremely unlikely, for the Blues to make the finals – they would need to win all their remaining games, all against teams currently in the top 4, while Pennant Hills would need to lose all of theirs.
Balmain and Wollongong played off on Saturday to avoid the wooden spoon. In a match switched from Drummoyne to Mahoney Park, it was the Dockers who would prevail by 12 points. The Dockers with a run of three goals to one in the first term got to an early lead, and despite the Lions making numerous attempts to get back into the contest they were unable to make any impact on Balmain’s advantage. There were only 10 points in it at half time, but another run of 3 goals to 1 in the third term put the game out of Wollongong’s reach; and despite a late charge by the Lions, the deficit was a bridge too far to overcome.
Nick Davis kicked 3 goals for the Dockers; while James Miller, Chris Bolt and Tim Schmidt got plenty of touches of the footy. For the Lions, Ken Ewen-Chappell scored 4; and along with Michael Dombroski and Beau Black was among their best.
The result is likely to condemn Wollongong to the wooden spoon for 2010. The Lions find themselves two games behind UNSW-ES and Balmain; and despite a better percentage, time is running out for the Lions to find the two wins needed to avoid the bottom spot on the ladder.
Ladder leaders Sydney Uni stretched their winning streak to 11 games, taking out the university derby with a 34-point victory over UNSW-ES at Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday. Although the ground was in heavy condition, with the other games scheduled for the ground being moved elsewhere, the small ground made goal-scoring easier and this was to be the highest-scoring game for the round.
But although the scoreboard was regularly ticking over, the Bulldogs were rarely able to string consecutive goals together and the Students gradually extended their advantage as the day developed – 19 points at the first change, 27 points at half time and 22 at the final break. But the Bulldogs never really looked a chance to get back into the contest at any stage.
Mark Egan was again a danger in front of goals with a 4-goal haul, while Alex Lee, Tom Elkington and Egan were among Sydney Uni’s best. For UNSW-ES, Xavier Brennan scored 4; while debutant Nick McGann, Brennan and Joel Robbie worked hard all day.
The Students remain on top of the ladder, a game clear of Wests but with an inferior percentage. The winning streak of 11 games sees confidence flying high among the Students, and with none of their remaining games being against teams in the top 5, there is every chance their run of success will continue in the buildup to the finals.
East Coast Eagles 2.5 4.9 6.13 10.17 (77)
North Shore 2.1 2.2 3.5 3.9 (27)
Goals : East Coast – Jamie Vlatko 2, R Silvester, B Rogers, T Baker, D Chapman, S O’Connor, D Charleston, A Stubbs, D Spiteri. North Shore – A Lord, B Fitzgerald, J Harry.
Best : East Coast – D Spiteri, T Baker, M Beardsley, R Silvester, D Bowles, D Charleston. North Shore – A Harry, R Grigg, J Stiller, R Meldrum, K Emery, T Strudwick.
At Bruce Purser Reserve, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Western Suburbs 1.1 2.5 6.5 9.9 (63)
Pennant Hills 0.2 2.3 4.4 6.6 (42)
Goals : Wests – R Lilly 2, E Kassem 2, C Lees 2, D Linsen, K Cochrane, D Watkins. Pennant Hills – N Bills 2, D Dell’Aquila, K Wright, J Mobbs, J Gourlay.
Best : Wests – J Minichiello, D Watkins, L Roehrig, M Linsen, M Kassem, S Hudson. Pennant Hills – K Wright, M Aitken, J Trestrail, D Dell’Aquila, S Parker, D Witt.
At Blacktown Olympic Park, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Campbelltown 1.3 3.8 5.12 10.14 (74)
St George 3.1 5.2 8.5 10.7 (67)
Goals : Campbelltown – M Edwins 2, M Keys 2, R Bottin-Noonan 2, D Chivas, T Wright, A Sneddon, O Love. St George – D Ryan 2, B Addison 2, P Sain 2, S Wilsen, M Holmes, D Rixon, D Donohue.
Best : Campbelltown – H Sherwood, M Keys, A Sneddon, D Chivas, Z Cook, L WcWhirter. St George – B Jones, M Dempster, P Sain, J Cooper, D Napper, D Donohue.
At Monarch Oval, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Balmain Dockers 3.4 7.6 10.9 12.11 (83)
Wollongong 1.3 5.8 6.9 10.11 (71)
Goals : Balmain – N Davis 3, J Saddington 2, K Underwood 2, C Fletcher, J Black, J Whyte, J Miller, J Howard. Wollongong – K Ewen-Chappell 4, R Price 2, D McClure, S Dowling, M Daly, C Hally-Burton.
Best : Balmain – J Miller, C Bolt, T Schmidt, C Fletcher, R Bates, N Davis. Wollongong – M Dombroski, K Ewen-Chappell, B Black, M Daly, R Oehme, R Price.
At Mahoney Park, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Sydney University 5.5 9.10 11.12 16.16 (112)
UNSW-ES 2.4 5.7 8.9 11.12 (78)
Goals : Sydney Uni – M Egan 4, A Lee 3, S Crichton 3, A Kraefft 2, J Lawson, A McConnochie, C Kendrick, J Martin. UNSW-ES – X Brennan 4, N McGann 2, B Abbott, M Collett, J Parmenter, T Garrett, C McKinlay.
Best : Sydney Uni – A Lee, T Elkington, M Egan, J McIntyre, T Roberts, S Sloane. UNSW-ES – N McGann, X Brennan, J Robbie, B Kay, T Luff, M Collett.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Black - Confirmed finalists
Green - Currently in the top 5 or 4.
Blue - Out of the finals currently, but still in mathematical contention.
Purple - Non-finallists
Red - If the season ended now, would be relegated.
Results from other divisions include results from catch-up matches played on 24th July.
First Division:
Manly-Warringah 19.13 (127) d UNSW-ES 5.5 (35)
Pennant Hills 13.10 (88) d Western Suburbs 8.11 (59)
North Shore 9.9 (63) d East Coast Eagles 7.5 (47)
Sydney Uni 21.19 (145) d UNSW-ES 1.3 (9)
Manly-Warringah 11.13 (79) d Wollongong 7.3 (45)
UTS 11.10 (76) d Macquarie Uni 5.5 (35)
Ladder – UTS (52, 295.68%), Sydney Uni (48, 196.62%), Macquarie Uni (44, 167.75%), Manly-Warringah (44, 156.83%), North Shore (40, 138.90%), Pennant Hills (24, 75.13%), East Coast (16, 74.13%), Western Suburbs (16, 45.67%), UNSW-ES (8, 50.94%), Wollongong (8, 47.17%).
Second Division:
Manly-Warringah 11.10 (76) d Camden 7.11 (53)
Balmain Dockers v Sydney Uni – postponed
St George v Camden – postponed
Manly-Warringah 7.11 (53) d UNSW-ES 8.6 (54)
UTS 8.6 (54) d NorWest Jets 3.6 (24)
Southern Power 16.14 (110) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.2 (32)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Southern Power (100, 375.10%), UTS (93.33, 234.59%), Holroyd-Parramatta (66.67, 129.65%), Sydney Uni (57.14, 107.84%), NorWest (53.33, 131.02%), Camden (35.71, 63.51%), Balmain (35.71, 58.03%), St George (21.43, 63.81%), Manly-Warringah (20, 58.57%), UNSW-ES (13.33, 43.78%).
Third Division:
East Coast Eagles 18.4 (112) d Sydney Uni 9.5 (59)
Southern Power 22.30 (162) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.1 (19)
Pennant Hills 10.0 (60) d Macquarie Uni 6.7 (43)
Moorebank Sports 11.11 (77) d Penrith 10.6 (66)
Sydney Uni 8.10 (58) d East Coast Eagles 2.8 (20)
UTS 15.13 (103) d Campbelltown 2.3 (15)
Ladder – Moorebank Sports (52, 236.30%), UTS (44, 190.84%), Southern Power (44, 150.00%), Penrith (40, 187.53%), Macquarie Uni (36, 125.74%), East Coast (28, 102.67%), Sydney Uni (20, 72.36%), Campbelltown (20, 53.24%), Pennant Hills (8, 53.24%), Holroyd-Parramatta (8, 36.08%).
Fourth Divsion:
Mac Uni Kookas 14.18 (102) d Southern Power 8.6 (54)
Manly-Warringah 17.12 (114) d Camden 8.4 (52)
Saints AFC 20.14 (134) d Manly-Warringah 1.3 (9)
Southern Power 16.22 (118) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.4 (22)
Auburn 17.14 (116) d NorWest Jets 7.7 (49)
Moorebank Sports 7.12 (54) d Penrith 6.5 (41)
UNSW-ES 11.16 (82) d Mac Uni Kookas 4.7 (31)
Mac Uni Warriors 19.13 (127) d Camden 3.4 (22)
UTS 11.8 (74) d Sydney Uni 5.5 (35)
Ladder – Auburn (60, 304.64%), Moorebank Sports (44, 217.40%), Saints AFC (44, 217.40%), Mac Uni Warriors (40, 197.95%), UTS (36, 165.50%), Penrith (36, 104.23%), Manly-Warringah (32, 127.37%), NorWest (32, 82.28%), Sydney Uni (24, 85.22%), UNSW-ES (24, 77.84%), Mac Uni Kookas (24, 53.60%), Southern Power (12, 60.56%), Camden (12, 46.79%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 14.09%) .
Under 18s Premier:
Western Suburbs 10.10 (70) d Campbelltown 6.6 (42)
St George 11.12 (78) d St Ignatius Riverview 9.5 (59)
Wollongong 15.11 (101) d UNSW-ES 7.5 (47)
Pennant Hills 18.5 (113) d North Shore 6.11 (47)
East Coast Eagles 11.16 (82) d Sydney Uni 9.7 (61)
St Ignatius Riverview v Wollongong – postponed
St George v Campbelltown – postponed
North Shore 12.7 (79) d East Coast 8.6 (54)
UNSW-ES 4.3 (27) d Sydney Uni 1.0 (6) *
* Sydney Uni had their score reset to zero after a player count in the final quarter.
Ladder (Match Ratio) – North Shore (83.33, 214.77%), East Coast (75, 203.61%), St George (72.73, 119.10%), Sydney Uni (66.67, 189.66%), Pennant Hills (58.33, 157.03%), St Ignatius Riverview (45.45, 115.52%), UNSW-ES (38.46, 71.98%), Western Suburbs (33.33, 65.99%), Wollongong (27.27, 62.34%), Campbelltown (0, 8.17%).
Under 18s Challenge:
Holroyd-Parramatta 27.20 (182) d Manly-Warringah 3.1 (19)
Penrith d Macquarie Uni - forfeit
Penrith 20.20 (140) d Moorebank Sports 0.1 (1)
Southern Power 7.17 (59) d Holroyd-Parramatta 2.9 (21)
East Coast 13.17 (95) d Manly-Warringah 8.9 (57)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Penrith (86.67, 1128.37%), Southern Power (66.67, 143.26%), Holroyd-Parramatta (46.67, 112.84%), Manly-Warringah (33.33, 67.78%), East Coast (26.67, 58.54%), Moorebank Sports (20, 56.42%), Macquarie Uni (20, 45.30%).
THE RUN HOME:
Three rounds to go, and Sydney Uni remain on top, a game ahead of Wests. The Students are in top form, with an 11-game winning streak, and have no remaining games against teams currently in the top 5.
If Sydney Uni have a loss, Wests are in a position to capitalise. To take the minor premiership, the Magpies would need to win more games than the Students between now and the finals.
East Coast, with their win over North Shore, are well placed for the double chance. There is now a game plus percentage gap between the Eagles and the Bombers; and with only three rounds to go the Bombers would need to win two games more than the Eagles of the last three to avoid sudden death.
Pennant Hills are one win away from ensuring a finals berth. If the Demons were to lose their last three games, they could miss out on the finals only if Campbelltown were to win their last three games.
The remaining games for each club are:
Sydney Uni (52, 150.48%) – Wollongong (North Dalton), Campbelltown (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Olds).
Wests (48, 173.74%) – North Shore (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Henson), Wollongong (North Dalton).
East Coast (44, 180.02%) – Campbelltown (Monarch), Wollongong (Bruce Purser), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes).
North Shore (40, 144.60%) – Wests (Blacktown), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill), Campbelltown (Blacktown).
Pennant Hills (32, 108.57%) – Balmain (Ern Holmes), North Shore (Gore Hill), East Coast (Ern Holmes).
Campbelltown (24, 39.32%) – East Coast (Monarch), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), North Shore (Blacktown).
NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES (Lurker’s Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 7th August
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney University (2:10pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Balmain Dockers (2:10pm)
First Division:
Saturday 7th August
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v Macquarie Uni (12:30pm)
Trumper Park – UTS v East Coast Eagles (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (12pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Second Division:
Saturday 7th August
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (10:30am)
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (12:30pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Balmain Dockers (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v NorWest Jets (3pm)
Third Division:
Saturday 7th August
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (10:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (12pm)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Pennant Hills (12:30pm)
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Moorebank Sports (5pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v Penrith (1pm)
Fourth Division:
Saturday 7th August
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (8:30am)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v NorWest Jets (10:30am)
Harrington Park – Camden v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Mona Park – Auburn v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
University Oval – Mac Uni Warriors v Moorebank Sports (3pm)
University Oval – Mac Uni Kookas v Saints AFC (7pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v Penrith (11am)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 7th August
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (8:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (10am)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney Uni (10am)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (10am)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St Ignatius Riverview (10am)
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 7th August
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah (8:30am)
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Moorebank Sports (1pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Penrith v East Coast Eagles (9am)
Southern Power has the bye.
Premier Division, and most teams in the other divisions, returned to action after a week off. Some catch-up games had been played last weekend, but now it is full steam ahead as the countdown to the finals is heating up.
Fine weather was on hand at Bruce Purser Reserve for what could potentially be a crunch game as East Coast Eagles took on North Shore. Third place on the ladder, the double-chance in the finals, was up for grabs. But a blustery wind made conditions tricky for the players, with the ball moving unpredictably through the air. Players from both sides had difficulty judging marks, and missed attempts at goal from close range were frequent occurrences.
The first quarter was a tightly-contested and evenly fought affair. It was two goals apiece in the first term, with the Eagles holding a 4-point lead. But the Eagles took the initiative in the second term, shutting the Bombers down to kick the only two goals of the quarter. The flukey winds made kicking long too risky a proposition, but the Bombers were unable to find loose men to go in short to. The Eagles were able to get their running game going and present short-range targets; and make their way to a 19-point win at the long break.
It would be hard work for the Bombers to attempt to work their way back into the contest, and they didn’t do themselves any favours during the third term. The Eagles’ two goals for the quarter both came from 50 metre penalties; and although the Bombers got one goal back they had lost the quarter. Although the scoreboard showed there were only four goals in it, the game already appeared over and the Bombers would need to attempt something extraordinary in the last term. Throwing caution to the wind, literally, the Bombers tried to go long; but the gamble didn’t pay off. Despite peppering the goals early, all they could manage was a string of behinds and several balls out on the full or marked by the Eagles’ defence. The Bombers were unable to score a goal to the southern end all day; and as the clock ran down the Eagles scored four last quarter goals to extend the final margin to 50 points.
Daniel Spiteri, Trent Baker and Mike Beardsley were among East Coast’s best, while the Bombers were well served by Adrian Harry, Russell Grigg and Jeremy Stiller. The result sees the Eagles hold on to third place on the ladder, a game plus plenty of percentage ahead of the Bombers and their hold on the double-chance much stronger. To avoid sudden death in the first round of the finals, the Bombers will need to win all their remaining games and hope the Eagles lose two of their last three games.
It was an early start at Blacktown for another key game when Wests played host to Pennant Hills. The same windy conditions had a similar effect, forcing players to go short and keeping the scoring down. The Magpies scored the only goal of the opening term, one of only four goals to be scored in the first half. With only two points in it at half time the game was still up for grabs, and another close game for Friday night’s TV replay was in prospect.
The game opened up in the third term, and the Magpies were best able to capitalise. A run of four goals to two in the third quarter gave the Magpies the edge, and they were able to play out time in the final term to win by 21 points. Joel Minichiello, Dwain Watkins and Lynn Roehrig were prominent ball-winners for the Magpies; while Kieran Wright, Mitch Aitken and Jake Trestrail were getting plenty of the footy for the Demons.
The result keeps the Magpies in second place, a game behind ladder leaders Sydney Uni and with a better percentage. Top spot remains a possibility for the Magpies if the Students slip up during the final rounds, but the worst case scenario for the Magpies is third place and the double-chance for the finals is therefore now guaranteed. The loss for the Demons puts them out of the running for the double-chance; but although it’s still mathematically possible for the Demons to miss out on finals action, it would require a freak set of results – so the almost certain finals scenario for the Demons will be a sudden death final first up.
Although the day on Saturday was fine, wet weather during the week had made an impact on the fixturing. Olds Park was closed, with the St George v Campbelltown game moved to Monarch. But even Monarch, usually one of Sydney AFL’s better surfaces, had problems and the Under 18s and Second Division matches had to be called off. But the Premier Division fixture went ahead, and it would be Campbelltown who would keep their mathematical finals hopes alive, ending their 4-match losing streak with a 7-point win.
The Dragons made the early front-running, three early goals propelling them to a 10 point lead at quarter time. The Blues lifted in the second term, but were unable to convert their chances into goals and the Dragons were still ahead at the long break. And when the Dragons scored another three goals in the third term and led by 13 points at the last change, they looked headed for victory.
But the giant ground and heavy track would take their toll. The Blues, more familiar with the expansive surrounds, were able to run the game out better and grab the lead for the first time during the final minutes.
Hamish Sherwood, Matthew Keys and Alex Sneddon gave value to the Blues’ cause all day, while the Dragons’ young talent showed the way with promoted under-18s Ben Jones and Matthew Dempster being among the Dragons’ best. It’s still mathematically possible, albeit extremely unlikely, for the Blues to make the finals – they would need to win all their remaining games, all against teams currently in the top 4, while Pennant Hills would need to lose all of theirs.
Balmain and Wollongong played off on Saturday to avoid the wooden spoon. In a match switched from Drummoyne to Mahoney Park, it was the Dockers who would prevail by 12 points. The Dockers with a run of three goals to one in the first term got to an early lead, and despite the Lions making numerous attempts to get back into the contest they were unable to make any impact on Balmain’s advantage. There were only 10 points in it at half time, but another run of 3 goals to 1 in the third term put the game out of Wollongong’s reach; and despite a late charge by the Lions, the deficit was a bridge too far to overcome.
Nick Davis kicked 3 goals for the Dockers; while James Miller, Chris Bolt and Tim Schmidt got plenty of touches of the footy. For the Lions, Ken Ewen-Chappell scored 4; and along with Michael Dombroski and Beau Black was among their best.
The result is likely to condemn Wollongong to the wooden spoon for 2010. The Lions find themselves two games behind UNSW-ES and Balmain; and despite a better percentage, time is running out for the Lions to find the two wins needed to avoid the bottom spot on the ladder.
Ladder leaders Sydney Uni stretched their winning streak to 11 games, taking out the university derby with a 34-point victory over UNSW-ES at Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday. Although the ground was in heavy condition, with the other games scheduled for the ground being moved elsewhere, the small ground made goal-scoring easier and this was to be the highest-scoring game for the round.
But although the scoreboard was regularly ticking over, the Bulldogs were rarely able to string consecutive goals together and the Students gradually extended their advantage as the day developed – 19 points at the first change, 27 points at half time and 22 at the final break. But the Bulldogs never really looked a chance to get back into the contest at any stage.
Mark Egan was again a danger in front of goals with a 4-goal haul, while Alex Lee, Tom Elkington and Egan were among Sydney Uni’s best. For UNSW-ES, Xavier Brennan scored 4; while debutant Nick McGann, Brennan and Joel Robbie worked hard all day.
The Students remain on top of the ladder, a game clear of Wests but with an inferior percentage. The winning streak of 11 games sees confidence flying high among the Students, and with none of their remaining games being against teams in the top 5, there is every chance their run of success will continue in the buildup to the finals.
East Coast Eagles 2.5 4.9 6.13 10.17 (77)
North Shore 2.1 2.2 3.5 3.9 (27)
Goals : East Coast – Jamie Vlatko 2, R Silvester, B Rogers, T Baker, D Chapman, S O’Connor, D Charleston, A Stubbs, D Spiteri. North Shore – A Lord, B Fitzgerald, J Harry.
Best : East Coast – D Spiteri, T Baker, M Beardsley, R Silvester, D Bowles, D Charleston. North Shore – A Harry, R Grigg, J Stiller, R Meldrum, K Emery, T Strudwick.
At Bruce Purser Reserve, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Western Suburbs 1.1 2.5 6.5 9.9 (63)
Pennant Hills 0.2 2.3 4.4 6.6 (42)
Goals : Wests – R Lilly 2, E Kassem 2, C Lees 2, D Linsen, K Cochrane, D Watkins. Pennant Hills – N Bills 2, D Dell’Aquila, K Wright, J Mobbs, J Gourlay.
Best : Wests – J Minichiello, D Watkins, L Roehrig, M Linsen, M Kassem, S Hudson. Pennant Hills – K Wright, M Aitken, J Trestrail, D Dell’Aquila, S Parker, D Witt.
At Blacktown Olympic Park, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Campbelltown 1.3 3.8 5.12 10.14 (74)
St George 3.1 5.2 8.5 10.7 (67)
Goals : Campbelltown – M Edwins 2, M Keys 2, R Bottin-Noonan 2, D Chivas, T Wright, A Sneddon, O Love. St George – D Ryan 2, B Addison 2, P Sain 2, S Wilsen, M Holmes, D Rixon, D Donohue.
Best : Campbelltown – H Sherwood, M Keys, A Sneddon, D Chivas, Z Cook, L WcWhirter. St George – B Jones, M Dempster, P Sain, J Cooper, D Napper, D Donohue.
At Monarch Oval, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Balmain Dockers 3.4 7.6 10.9 12.11 (83)
Wollongong 1.3 5.8 6.9 10.11 (71)
Goals : Balmain – N Davis 3, J Saddington 2, K Underwood 2, C Fletcher, J Black, J Whyte, J Miller, J Howard. Wollongong – K Ewen-Chappell 4, R Price 2, D McClure, S Dowling, M Daly, C Hally-Burton.
Best : Balmain – J Miller, C Bolt, T Schmidt, C Fletcher, R Bates, N Davis. Wollongong – M Dombroski, K Ewen-Chappell, B Black, M Daly, R Oehme, R Price.
At Mahoney Park, Saturday 31st July 2010.
Sydney University 5.5 9.10 11.12 16.16 (112)
UNSW-ES 2.4 5.7 8.9 11.12 (78)
Goals : Sydney Uni – M Egan 4, A Lee 3, S Crichton 3, A Kraefft 2, J Lawson, A McConnochie, C Kendrick, J Martin. UNSW-ES – X Brennan 4, N McGann 2, B Abbott, M Collett, J Parmenter, T Garrett, C McKinlay.
Best : Sydney Uni – A Lee, T Elkington, M Egan, J McIntyre, T Roberts, S Sloane. UNSW-ES – N McGann, X Brennan, J Robbie, B Kay, T Luff, M Collett.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 31st July 2010.
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Black - Confirmed finalists
Green - Currently in the top 5 or 4.
Blue - Out of the finals currently, but still in mathematical contention.
Purple - Non-finallists
Red - If the season ended now, would be relegated.
Results from other divisions include results from catch-up matches played on 24th July.
First Division:
Manly-Warringah 19.13 (127) d UNSW-ES 5.5 (35)
Pennant Hills 13.10 (88) d Western Suburbs 8.11 (59)
North Shore 9.9 (63) d East Coast Eagles 7.5 (47)
Sydney Uni 21.19 (145) d UNSW-ES 1.3 (9)
Manly-Warringah 11.13 (79) d Wollongong 7.3 (45)
UTS 11.10 (76) d Macquarie Uni 5.5 (35)
Ladder – UTS (52, 295.68%), Sydney Uni (48, 196.62%), Macquarie Uni (44, 167.75%), Manly-Warringah (44, 156.83%), North Shore (40, 138.90%), Pennant Hills (24, 75.13%), East Coast (16, 74.13%), Western Suburbs (16, 45.67%), UNSW-ES (8, 50.94%), Wollongong (8, 47.17%).
Second Division:
Manly-Warringah 11.10 (76) d Camden 7.11 (53)
Balmain Dockers v Sydney Uni – postponed
St George v Camden – postponed
Manly-Warringah 7.11 (53) d UNSW-ES 8.6 (54)
UTS 8.6 (54) d NorWest Jets 3.6 (24)
Southern Power 16.14 (110) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.2 (32)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Southern Power (100, 375.10%), UTS (93.33, 234.59%), Holroyd-Parramatta (66.67, 129.65%), Sydney Uni (57.14, 107.84%), NorWest (53.33, 131.02%), Camden (35.71, 63.51%), Balmain (35.71, 58.03%), St George (21.43, 63.81%), Manly-Warringah (20, 58.57%), UNSW-ES (13.33, 43.78%).
Third Division:
East Coast Eagles 18.4 (112) d Sydney Uni 9.5 (59)
Southern Power 22.30 (162) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.1 (19)
Pennant Hills 10.0 (60) d Macquarie Uni 6.7 (43)
Moorebank Sports 11.11 (77) d Penrith 10.6 (66)
Sydney Uni 8.10 (58) d East Coast Eagles 2.8 (20)
UTS 15.13 (103) d Campbelltown 2.3 (15)
Ladder – Moorebank Sports (52, 236.30%), UTS (44, 190.84%), Southern Power (44, 150.00%), Penrith (40, 187.53%), Macquarie Uni (36, 125.74%), East Coast (28, 102.67%), Sydney Uni (20, 72.36%), Campbelltown (20, 53.24%), Pennant Hills (8, 53.24%), Holroyd-Parramatta (8, 36.08%).
Fourth Divsion:
Mac Uni Kookas 14.18 (102) d Southern Power 8.6 (54)
Manly-Warringah 17.12 (114) d Camden 8.4 (52)
Saints AFC 20.14 (134) d Manly-Warringah 1.3 (9)
Southern Power 16.22 (118) d Holroyd-Parramatta 3.4 (22)
Auburn 17.14 (116) d NorWest Jets 7.7 (49)
Moorebank Sports 7.12 (54) d Penrith 6.5 (41)
UNSW-ES 11.16 (82) d Mac Uni Kookas 4.7 (31)
Mac Uni Warriors 19.13 (127) d Camden 3.4 (22)
UTS 11.8 (74) d Sydney Uni 5.5 (35)
Ladder – Auburn (60, 304.64%), Moorebank Sports (44, 217.40%), Saints AFC (44, 217.40%), Mac Uni Warriors (40, 197.95%), UTS (36, 165.50%), Penrith (36, 104.23%), Manly-Warringah (32, 127.37%), NorWest (32, 82.28%), Sydney Uni (24, 85.22%), UNSW-ES (24, 77.84%), Mac Uni Kookas (24, 53.60%), Southern Power (12, 60.56%), Camden (12, 46.79%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 14.09%) .
Under 18s Premier:
Western Suburbs 10.10 (70) d Campbelltown 6.6 (42)
St George 11.12 (78) d St Ignatius Riverview 9.5 (59)
Wollongong 15.11 (101) d UNSW-ES 7.5 (47)
Pennant Hills 18.5 (113) d North Shore 6.11 (47)
East Coast Eagles 11.16 (82) d Sydney Uni 9.7 (61)
St Ignatius Riverview v Wollongong – postponed
St George v Campbelltown – postponed
North Shore 12.7 (79) d East Coast 8.6 (54)
UNSW-ES 4.3 (27) d Sydney Uni 1.0 (6) *
* Sydney Uni had their score reset to zero after a player count in the final quarter.
Ladder (Match Ratio) – North Shore (83.33, 214.77%), East Coast (75, 203.61%), St George (72.73, 119.10%), Sydney Uni (66.67, 189.66%), Pennant Hills (58.33, 157.03%), St Ignatius Riverview (45.45, 115.52%), UNSW-ES (38.46, 71.98%), Western Suburbs (33.33, 65.99%), Wollongong (27.27, 62.34%), Campbelltown (0, 8.17%).
Under 18s Challenge:
Holroyd-Parramatta 27.20 (182) d Manly-Warringah 3.1 (19)
Penrith d Macquarie Uni - forfeit
Penrith 20.20 (140) d Moorebank Sports 0.1 (1)
Southern Power 7.17 (59) d Holroyd-Parramatta 2.9 (21)
East Coast 13.17 (95) d Manly-Warringah 8.9 (57)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Penrith (86.67, 1128.37%), Southern Power (66.67, 143.26%), Holroyd-Parramatta (46.67, 112.84%), Manly-Warringah (33.33, 67.78%), East Coast (26.67, 58.54%), Moorebank Sports (20, 56.42%), Macquarie Uni (20, 45.30%).
THE RUN HOME:
Three rounds to go, and Sydney Uni remain on top, a game ahead of Wests. The Students are in top form, with an 11-game winning streak, and have no remaining games against teams currently in the top 5.
If Sydney Uni have a loss, Wests are in a position to capitalise. To take the minor premiership, the Magpies would need to win more games than the Students between now and the finals.
East Coast, with their win over North Shore, are well placed for the double chance. There is now a game plus percentage gap between the Eagles and the Bombers; and with only three rounds to go the Bombers would need to win two games more than the Eagles of the last three to avoid sudden death.
Pennant Hills are one win away from ensuring a finals berth. If the Demons were to lose their last three games, they could miss out on the finals only if Campbelltown were to win their last three games.
The remaining games for each club are:
Sydney Uni (52, 150.48%) – Wollongong (North Dalton), Campbelltown (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Olds).
Wests (48, 173.74%) – North Shore (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Henson), Wollongong (North Dalton).
East Coast (44, 180.02%) – Campbelltown (Monarch), Wollongong (Bruce Purser), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes).
North Shore (40, 144.60%) – Wests (Blacktown), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill), Campbelltown (Blacktown).
Pennant Hills (32, 108.57%) – Balmain (Ern Holmes), North Shore (Gore Hill), East Coast (Ern Holmes).
Campbelltown (24, 39.32%) – East Coast (Monarch), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), North Shore (Blacktown).
NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES (Lurker’s Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 7th August
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney University (2:10pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Balmain Dockers (2:10pm)
First Division:
Saturday 7th August
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney Uni (12pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v Macquarie Uni (12:30pm)
Trumper Park – UTS v East Coast Eagles (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (12pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Second Division:
Saturday 7th August
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (10:30am)
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (12:30pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Balmain Dockers (2:30pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v NorWest Jets (3pm)
Third Division:
Saturday 7th August
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (10:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (12pm)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Pennant Hills (12:30pm)
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Moorebank Sports (5pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v Penrith (1pm)
Fourth Division:
Saturday 7th August
Trumper Park – UTS v Southern Power (8:30am)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v NorWest Jets (10:30am)
Harrington Park – Camden v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Mona Park – Auburn v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
University Oval – Mac Uni Warriors v Moorebank Sports (3pm)
University Oval – Mac Uni Kookas v Saints AFC (7pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Sydney Uni v Penrith (11am)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 7th August
Village Green – UNSW-ES v St George (8:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles (10am)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v Sydney Uni (10am)
Sunday 8th August
Blacktown Olympic Park – North Shore v Western Suburbs (10am)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St Ignatius Riverview (10am)
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 7th August
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Manly-Warringah (8:30am)
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Moorebank Sports (1pm)
Sunday 8th August
Mahoney Park – Penrith v East Coast Eagles (9am)
Southern Power has the bye.