SYDNEY AFL ROUND 16 2011
Sydney was plagued with one of its wettest weeks since records were kept, playing havoc with football scheduling. Many clubs were forced to train in makeshift facilities during the week. And as Friday dawned with no relief in sight, the closed sign went up at ground after ground until only a few remained; and even they were extremely heavy tracks. All games except Premier Division were called off, with the Premier Division games allocated among the few venues still available.
Bruce Purser remained open on Saturday afternoon, and the top two were in action as East Coast Eagles hosted Balmain Dockers. A win for Balmain would have virtually wrapped up the minor premiership, but the race for top spot on the ladder remains still very much alive after the Dockers were never in the hunt against an Eagle lineup that handled the heavy conditions better.
The first quarter was evenly contested, and the Eagles led by four points at the first change. But it was in the second term that the Eagles made their move. Five unanswered goals for the quarter extended the lead to 34 points, and to come back from that would be a bridge too far as the centre square area became stickier. The Dockers made a brief fightback in the third term with two goals, but it wasn’t enough to win the quarter; and with the game safely in the Eagles’ keeping, the last quarter saw the Eagles add another four goals to turn the game into a 52-point victory.
The Vlatko brothers played a dominant role throughout the afternoon, with Jamie Vlatko kicking four goals while Jon was best on ground. Damien Charleston and Stephen O’Connor were also prominent for the Eagles. Matthew Edwins, with three of Balmain’s five goals, was their best; while Ben Taggart and Josh Ryder also had plenty of the ball. The Eagles’ win sees them only half a game behind the Dockers, with a game in hand.
With Mike Kenny Oval and Picken Oval both being closed, a double-header was played at Blacktown No 2. First up was Pennant Hills taking on UTS. The Demons had claimed some big scalps in recent week, and were widely favoured to take the points against a Bats side that had only won one game in 2011.
The first half was a shootout, as the lead fluctuated. The Bats were competing for the ball, giving a good account of themselves and denying the Demons the ascendancy. The Demons led by six points at quarter time and five points at half time after what had been an evenly contested half of football.
But the Demons took control during the premiership quarter, and a run of five goals to two was the difference between the two sides. The Demons took a 26-point lead into three quarter time, and although the Bats tried everything to get back into the contest in the final term, the Demons had the answers.
The final margin was 28 points, the Demons extending their winning streak to five matches, their grip on a finals berth now close to secure. Jonathan Gourlay was a dominant force up forward with five goals, and along with Damian Dell’Aquila and Jack Keen was among Pennant Hills’ best. For the Bats, Michael Atkinson, Tom Steinfort and Andrew Morley worked hard all afternoon.
The second game in the double header saw Wests take on Illawarra. And it would be Wests who would take the game after a 15-point victory. It would be a game of constant shifts in momentum, and plenty of lead changes. Although the Magpies were ahead at every change, the game remained in the balance until the closing stages. The Magpies led by two points at the first change, by five points at half time and after a burst in the third quarter by 14 points at the last change. But although the Lions tried their utmost in the final quarter, they were unable to peg back the deficit during the final term.
Jeffrey Morgan, Matthew Lemme, and Robert Bamford were among Wests’ best, while the Lions were well served all afternoon by Jeremy Daniher, Jim Weavers and David Goodley.
Although it came too late to make a run at this year’s finals, the Magpies have run into some strong recent form, with four wins from their last five games. But the result was bad news for Illawarra, and time is running out for the Lions to have a crack at qualifying for this year’s finals.
It was a university derby on Sunday at Henson Park when UNSW-ES took on Sydney Uni. And after last week’s draw, the Students found themselves in an enthralling struggle for three quarters when the determined Bulldogs put the pressure on in the hope of gaining an upset.
Scores were level at quarter time, and with the Bulldogs piling on the pressure in the second term they found themselves holding a shock three point lead at half time. The Students regained the lead during the third term, but with only four points in it at the last change, the game appeared to be up for grabs; and few could have anticipated the complete change in momentum that would follow.
Three quarters were evenly contested, but the last was a blowout. The Bulldog resistance, that had troubled the Students for so long, could last no longer as the Students stepped up a gear. A run of ten goals to one turned a potential thriller into a 65-point result; a final winning margin that didn’t do justice to the Bulldogs’ three-quarter pressure but which underlined the gap in class between the competition front-runners and the rest.
When the game was there to be won, Sam Crichton stood up and was counted, finishing with five goals for the game. Nick Lye, Tim Barrett and Michael Hartley also played key roles for the Students, especially during their final quarter run. Josh Parmenter kicked five goals to be UNSW-ES’s best, while Joel Robbie and Ben Woods were also ball magnets for the Bulldogs.
At Monarch Oval on Sunday afternoon, North Shore ended their two-game losing streak, and did it in style with a comprehensive 110-point win over Campbelltown. It was a day to remember for Bomber full-forward Danny Roberts.
Roberts, a veteran of North Shore’s 2004 premiership, returned to the club this year after an absence of several seasons, and has played a key role up forward. Wasting no time in getting into the action, Roberts kicked the first four goals of the game, on his way to a bag of 11.
The Bombers got off to a flying start. Despite the big ground and the heavy conditions, the Bombers had little difficulty in creating scoring chances, racing to a 42-point lead and quarter time and stretching the lead to 71 at the long break after a half in which the Blues had been unable to score a goal.
The Blues finally broke through to trouble the scorer during the third term, but it wasn’t enough to prevent another dominant display by the Bombers. Victory was already secure for the Bombers, the major question being whether they could stretch the lead beyond 100 points. This was achieved, the third time in succession that North Shore have recorded a three-figure winning margin against Campbelltown.
Danny Roberts’ 11 goals gave him a best-on-ground performance, while Ted Strudwick and Lachlan Pryor were also among North Shore’s best. For the Blues, Scott Hardy, Mark Leach and Bryce Joynson worked hard all afternoon in difficult conditions. The win for North Shore, coupled with Illawarra’s loss, puts the Bombers two games plus percentage ahead of the Lions with four games to go; and their claim to a finals berth grows stronger.
East Coast Eagles 2.2 7.3 10.4 14.6 (90)
Balmain 1.4 1.5 3.7 5.8 (38)
Goals : East Coast – Jamie Vlatko 4, S Doyle 3, S O’Connor 2, M Maher 2, Jon Vlatko, B Physick, J Dimery.
Balmain – M Edwins 3, R Lilly, A Mitchell.
Best : East Coast – Jon Vlatko, D Charleston, S O’Connor, J Dimery, K McRedmond, B Bourke.
Balmain – M Edwins, B Taggart, J Ryder, D Brian, R Lilly, J Maniscalco.
At Bruce Purser Reserve, Saturday 23rd July 2011.
Pennant Hills 5.2 8.4 13.11 16.13 (109)
University of Technology 4.2 7.5 9.7 12.9 (81)
Goals : Pennant Hills – J Gourlay 5, L Bilbe 2, A Duncan 2, S Turner, J Lewis, A Nixon, J Mobbs, B Unwin, C Smith, A Goodall.
UTS – D Lavender 2, M Atkinson 2, J Caica 2, S Way, H Turner, L Trimboli, H McGregor, T McGregor, N Robinson.
Best : Pennant Hills – D Dell’Aquila, J Gourlay, J Keen, A Nixon, B Beaston, S Turner.
UTS – M Atkinson, T Steinfort, A Morley, D Lavender, F Purcell, L Trimboli.
At Blacktown Olympic Park No 2, Saturday 23rd July 2011.
Western Suburbs 3.2 5.7 8.11 10.14 (74)
Illawarra 3.0 5.2 7.3 9.5 (59)
Goals : Wests – K Walford 2, D Watkins 2, J Lear, C Specha, S Aitchison, B Lafferty, R Miller, J Morgan.
Illawarra – R Price 2, B Black 2, D McClure, M Daly, K Ewen-Chappell, P Lloyd, J Daniher.
Best : Wests – J Morgan, M Lemme, R Bamford, F Barrett, B Mumme, K Walford.
Illawarra – J Daniher, J Weavers, D Goodley, B Hanson, G Bartlett, R Oehme.
At Blacktown Olympic Park No 2, Saturday 23rd July 2011.
Sydney University 2.2 5.8 10.11 20.15 (135)
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 2.2 6.5 10.7 11.8 (74)
Goals : Sydney Uni – S Crichton 5, T Barrett 3, N Lye 2, M Carter 2, A Campbell 2, M Hartley 2, J Cole, C Clarebrough, D Mitchell, A Turco.
UNSW-ES – J Parmenter 5, J Kiel 2, S Tagliabue 2, T Garrett, A Robson.
Best : Sydney Uni – N Lye, T Barrett, M Hartley, J Cole, T Barton, C Moller.
UNSW-ES – J Parmenter, J Robbie, B Woods, T Garrett, H Nichols, A Gulden.
At Henson Park, Sunday 24th July 2011.
North Shore 6.7 11.8 16.13 20.16 (136)
Campbelltown 0.1 0.3 2.6 3.8 (26)
Goals : North Shore – D Roberts 11, L Pryor 3, S Paynter, B Attwood, D Martin, P Brackin, T Strudwick, D Hadden.
Campbelltown – B Yakimov 2, M Linsen.
Best : North Shore – D Roberts, T Strudwick, L Pryor, Z Manley, S Paynter, D Hadden.
Campbelltown – S Hardy, M Leach, B Joynson, M Linsen, L Coughlan, H Fisiitalia.
At Monarch Oval, Sunday 24th July 2011.
| Play
| Won
| Draw
| Lost
| For
| Agnst
| Pts
| %age
| Strk
|
East Coast
| 14
| 11
| 1
| 2
| 1,583
| 737
| 82.14
| 217.79
| W1
|
Balmain
| 15
| 12
| 0
| 3
| 1,358
| 1,074
| 80
| 126.44
| L1
|
Sydney Uni
| 15
| 11
| 1
| 3
| 1,644
| 1,061
| 76.67
| 154.95
| W1
|
Pennant Hills
| 14
| 10
| 0
| 4
| 1,292
| 956
| 71.43
| 135.15
| W5
|
North Shore
| 14
| 9
| 0
| 5
| 1,183
| 1,000
| 64.29
| 118.30
| W1
|
Illawarra
| 14
| 7
| 0
| 7
| 1,013
| 1,048
| 50
| 96.66
| L1
|
St George
| 14
| 6
| 0
| 8
| 995
| 1,276
| 42.86
| 77.98
| W1
|
UNSW-ES
| 15
| 6
| 0
| 9
| 1,230
| 1,354
| 40
| 90.84
| L1
|
Western Suburbs
| 14
| 5
| 0
| 9
| 924
| 1,115
| 35.71
| 82.87
| W1
|
UTS
| 14
| 1
| 0
| 13
| 886
| 1,571
| 7.14
| 56.40
| L5
|
Campbelltown
| 15
| 0
| 0
| 15
| 822
| 1,738
| 0
| 47.30
| L15
|
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 - If the season ended now, would be relegated.
THE RUN HOME
With East Coast and Sydney Uni recording wins, last year’s grand finalists have wrapped up a finals berth, joining Balmain as teams who have their participation in the finals confirmed.
Balmain are half a game ahead of the Eagles and Students, but the Eagles have a game in hand.
Pennant Hills are a game and a half behind the Eagles and Students, while North Shore are a further game behind.
Illawarra’s loss and North Shore’s win extends the gap between fifth and sixth to two games. UNSW-ES and St George can still mathematically make the finals, but their chances are extremely remote.
The remaining matches for the teams still in contention are:
Balmain
| 12 wins, 126.44%
| Camp'town (Drum'ne)
| Nth Shore (Henson)
| St George (Olds)
| bye
| East Coast
| 11.5 wins, 217.79%
| UTS (Waverley)
| Campelltown (BPR)
| Illawarra (N Dalton)
| Wests (B Purser)
| Sydney Uni
| 11.5 wins, 154.95%
| Pennant Hills (SU#1)
| bye
| Nth Shore (Gore Hill)
| Illawarra (SU#1)
| Pennant Hills
| 10 wins, 135.15%
| Sydney Uni (SU No 1)
| Wests (Blacktown)
| UNSW-ES (M Ken)
| St George (Olds)
| North Shore
| 9 wins, 118.30%
| Wests (Gore Hill)
| Balmain (Henson)
| Sydney Uni (Gore Hill)
| UNSW-ES (VlGrn)
| Illawarra
| 7 wins, 96.66%
| St George (Olds)
| UTS (Nth Dalton)
| East Coast (N Dalton)
| Syd Uni (SU No 1)
| UNSW-ES
| 6 wins, 90.84%
| bye
| St George (Vil Grn)
| Pen Hills (M Ken)
| Nth Shre (Vil Grn)
| St George
| 6 wins, 77.98%
| Illawarra (Olds)
| UNSW-ES (Vil Grn)
| Balmain (Olds)
| Pen Hills (Olds)
|
|
NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES
Premier Division (Lurker’s Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 30th July
Gore Hill Oval –
North Shore v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
Olds Park – St George v
Illawarra (2:10pm)
Waverley Oval – UTS v
East Coast Eagles (2:10pm)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval – Sydney Uni v
Pennant Hills (3:10pm)
Sunday 31st July
Drummoyne Oval –
Balmain v Campbelltown (2:10pm)
BYE – UNSW-ES
First Division:
Saturday 30th July
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Western Suburbs (12pm)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval – Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (12pm)
Waverley Oval – UTS v East Coast (12pm)
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Gwawley Park – Southern Power v Illawarra (2:30pm)
BYE – UNSW-ES
Second Division:
Saturday 30th July
Olds Park – St George v Camden (10am)
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v NorWest (2:10pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Mona Park – Auburn v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Sunday 31st July
Drummoyne Oval – Balmain v Moorebank (10am)
Third Division:
Saturday 30th July
University Oval – Macquarie Uni v Western Suburbs (12pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v UTS (12pm)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Sydney Uni (12:30pm)
Pioneers Park – Saints AFC v East Coast (2:10pm)
BYE – Campbelltown, North Shore
Fourth Division:
Saturday 30th July
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v NorWest (12pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Macquarie Uni (12pm)
Mona Park – Auburn v UTS (12pm)
Weldon Oval – Manly-Warringah v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
BYE – Moorebank
Fifth Division:
Saturday 30th July
Gipps Rd Oval – Holroyd-Parramatta v Macquarie Uni (10am)
Gwawley Park – Southern Power v Sydney Uni (10:30am)
Pioneers Park – Saints AFC v Camden (12pm)
Weldon Oval – Manly-Warringah v Camden (12pm)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 30th July
Bruce Purser Reserve – East Coast v St Ignatius Riverview (10am)
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Western Suburbs (10am)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval – Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (10am)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v Penrith (10am)
Olds Park – St George v Illawarra (12pm)
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 30th July
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Mac Uni Warriors (8:30am)
University Oval – Mac Uni Kookas v East Coast (10am)
Weldon Oval – Manly-Warringah v Moorebank (10am)
Sunday 31st July
Drummoyne Oval – Balmain v Campbelltown (10am
BYE – Holroyd-Parramatta