SYDNEY AFL ROUND 6 - From Coast to Coast, Eagles have the Most.
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito

 

On Saturday night, Sydney beat West Coast in a thriller at Homebush. Sunday saw the West Coast Eagles officials stay in Sydney and head up the Windsor Rd to Bruce Purser Reserve to witness the East Coast Eagles v St George match. And they would have liked what they saw, as the ground has shown itself to be an excellent part of the Sydney football landscape; while on the field the Eagles were far too strong for St George, with club President and former Sandover Medallist Gus Seebeck the major destroyer.

All the signs were there early that Seebeck was set for a dominant display. Within 9 minutes of the start, the big forward already had 3 goals on the board. All three goals came from contested marks, but Seebeck was too big and too strong for the Dragons' defence could throw at him. But there were other weapons that Eagles' coach Glenn Garner had at his disposal; with Luke Stanford looking dangerous early, taking a speckie in the forward pocket, and Jon Vlatko controlling traffic in the midfield. And anything that Seebeck wasn't able to grab would spill to Ben Rogers, who would play the small forward's role to perfection. Seebeck would add a fourth goal, again from a mark, with a kick after the siren. By then, the margin had already blown out to 49 points.

It would be a long way back for St George, but early in the second term the Dragons made a reasonable fist of their comeback effort and the first 15 minutes would be their best football for the day. The Dragons got the start they needed when a defensive mix-up result in a turnover and a quick snap to Daniel Rixon. A double to Chris Windle saw the Dragons having made up some ground on the deficit, but the Eagles then snapped back into gear and St George had no hope of stopping the Eagle juggernaut. Seebeck continued his assault on the forward line with another 4 goals during the last 13 minutes of the quarter, his 8th for the match coming up after the siren to give East Coast a 67-point lead at half time.

It was more of the same in the second half, 13 goals to 4 boosting the final winning margin to 122 points. Gus Seebeck finished with 13 goals, Ben Rogers scored 5 and Luke Stanford 4. Around the ground, it was hard to find an Eagles player who didn't make a solid contribution; with the Eagles dominating the match in every department. The forward line functioned like a dream, the midfield gave perfect delivery to the forwards, while the backline gave St George no opportunities to get back into the contest. St George highlights were rare, the major Dragons' moment being a contender for Mark of the Year by Tim Addison climbing over Seebeck to pull down a great grab. But even after such a highlight, the next kick would result in a turnover and within a minute Seebeck had yet another goal on the board.

East Coast's victory, their biggest of the season to date, sent out another warning to the rest of the competition that the Eagles will be contenders for the title. Undefeated on top of the ladder, with an imposing percentage and with a well-drilled lineup of stars, this East Coast side will be hard to beat. And with another 3 in a row at their Bruce Purser fortress, it's looking good for the Eagles. St George, with former coach Brad Pullin being forced to withdraw from his role, have now lost 4 in a row and a season that showed promise a month ago is now threatening to unravel.

 

Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from the East Coast v St George match.

North Shore moved into the top 5 for the first time in 2009 with a hard-fought 31-point win over Wollongong at North Dalton Oval. Recent work on the irrigation system made the surface sandy and uneven, with both sides struggling with mounting injury tolls. North Shore led all the way, but were constantly kept under pressure by a plucky and determined Wollongong side; and there was only a kick in it at the last change. But the Bombers pulled away in the last term, a 5 goals to 1 quarter extending the margin in a game that for much of the day looked to be considerably closer. Andrew Marsh scored 3 goals for the Bombers; while Daniel McClure scored 3 for Wollongong, who remain winless but with the grit and determination they displayed, their first win for the year is surely not too far away.

 

UNSW-ES turned on a devastating second quarter burst in their match against Balmain at Drummoyne Oval, scoring 7 goals to 1 for the quarter, to lead by 47 points at half time. The warning signs of a blowout were there, but the Dockers wouldn't go down without a fight; and put up a determined showing in the second half. Although the Dockers never loooked like stealing the game, and the size of the deficit was far too great to put the Bulldogs under any real pressure, the Dockers stuck to the task and rescued some pride and some percentage by winning the third and fourth quarters to cut the final margin to 31 points. Brad Abbott was in stellar form up forward with 7 goals, while Marc O'Regan and Earl Shaw were among the Bulldogs' best. For Balmain, Ryan Officer kicked 5, while Anthony Randell and Daniel Turner played solid games for the Dockers.

 

Pennant Hills extended their winning streak to 4 games when the Demons were 56 points too good for Campbelltown at Monarch on Saturday. The Blues were unable to score a first half goal, as the Demons got off to another flying start and led by 41 points at half time. The Blues were more competitive in the second half and won the final quarter, but by then the damage was done. Kieran Wright scored 5 goals for the Demons and Luke Bilbe contributed 4, while Lloyd Shepherd and Charlie Richardson were among their best. For Campbelltown, Rising Star nominee Fraser Brown continued to make a positive impression in senior ranks.

 

Wests returned to the winners' circle, bouncing back from their loss last week to defeat a disappointing Sydney Uni by 66 points at Sydney Uni on Saturday afternoon. Leading by 14 points at the first change, the Magpies kicked 7 goals to 3 in the second term and 7 goals to 1 in the third to blow the margin out to unreachable levels. Troy Cole and Ben Absolum kicked 4 for the Magpies and David Clout 3, while Brett Bedwell and Absolum prominent around the ground as the Magpies maintained second on the ladder. For the Students, Sam Crichton kicked 3 while Brydon Coles and Nathan Hayward were among their best.

 

East Coast Eagles   9.4   16.5   22.8   29.9 (183)

St George   1.3   5.4   7.5   9.7 (61)

Goals : East Coast - G Seebeck 13, B Rogers 5, L Stanford 4, S Ryan 2, M Skuse, J Vlatko, D Spiteri, M Sankey, J Dimery. St George - C Windle 3, S Richmond, D Rixon, A Buttling, R Craig, J Barrett, D Carey.

Best : East Coast - G Seebeck, L Stanford, J Vlatko, M Maher, S Ryan, B Rogers. St George - B Maddern, T Dickson, P McBride, R Craig, D Carey, C Windle.

Umpires - C Fletcher, D Deigan, T Stevens.

At Bruce Purser Oval, Sunday 17th May 2009.

North Shore   2.5   5.6   7.11   12.14 (86)

Wollongong   1.2   4.6   7.6   8.7 (55)

Goals : North Shore - A Marsh 3, D Kulk 2, M Voyage 2, A Lord, J Russell-Jones, L Pryor, T Strudwick, T Elkington. Wollongong - D McClure 3, D Jefferis, M Dombroski, S Davis, B Hanson, K Ewen-Chappel.

Best : North Shore - D Allen, R Meldrum, C Holmes, J Brain, T Strudwick, T Elkington. Wollongong - M Thompson, K Ewen-Chappel, M Dombroski, R Price, C Wells, L Wilson.

At North Dalton Oval, Saturday 16th May 2009.

 

Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs   4.3   11.11   15.14   17.18 (120)

Balmain Dockers   3.2   4.6   9.11   13.11 (89)

Goals : UNSW-ES - B Abbott 7, E Shaw 2, M O'Regan 2, B Woods 2, J Bradfield, T Luff, R Underwood, J Kiel. Balmain - R Officer 5, D Ryan 2, J Miller, R Allen, D Turner, N O'Brien, B Jones, L Mitchell.

Best : UNSW-ES - M O'Regan, E Shaw, S Rutland, A Pech, B Abbott, P Stokes. Balmain - A Randell, D Turner, N Todd, N O'Brien, R Officer, B Jones.

At Drummoyne Oval, Saturday 16th May 2009.

 

Pennant Hills   3.2   7.8   14.10   15.13 (103)

Campbelltown   0.3   0.9   2.10   6.11 (47)

Goals : Pennant Hills - K Wright 5, L Bilbe 4, M Carey 2, S Myers 2, C Richardson, J Duncan. Campbelltown - S Kershaw 2, C Lees, M Edwins, F Brown, J Brazill.

Best : Pennant Hills - L Shepherd, C Richardson, A Crisfield, J Duncan, M McCamey, J Low. Campbelltown - F Brown, J Edwards, R Lothian, C Everson, M Edwins, M Moore.

At Monarch Oval, Saturday 16th May 2009.

 

Western Suburbs   5.3   12.5   19.10   21.11 (137)

Sydney University   3.1   6.3   7.3   11.5 (71)

Goals : Wests - T Cole 4, B Absolum 4, D Clout 3, M Withers 2, C McGrath 2, D Watkins 2, C McGuirk, B Mumme, D Williams, S D'Arcy. Sydney Uni - S Crichton 3, M Egan 2, R Close 2, B Mankarious, B Coles, J McIntyre, T Barton.

Best : Wests - B Bedwell, B Absolum, D Watkins, D Williams, T Cole, D Clout. Sydney Uni - B Coles, N Hayward, D Archer, B Mankarious, B Malone, N Barton.

At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 16th May 2009.

 

 

First Division:

Wollongong 12.9 (81) d North Shore 5.9 (39)

Sydney University 17.14 (116) d Western Suburbs 4.2 (26)

Manly-Warringah 11.19 (85) d Pennant Hills 4.9 (33)

Uni Technology, Sydney 10.10 (70) d UNSW-ES 9.5 (59)

East Coast Eagles 16.15 (111) d St George 4.2 (26)

Ladder - UTS (100, 254.89%), Sydney Uni (20, 194.01%), Manly-Warringah (20, 169.03%), UNSW-ES (16, 127.83%), East Coast (12, 134.12%), Pennant Hills (12, 119.18%), North Shore (8, 100.23%), Wollongong (4, 56.05%), Wests (0, 31.89%), St George (0, 29.88%).

 

Second Division:

Southern Power 18.22 (130) d Balmain 3.5 (23)

Camden 14.3 (87) d Campbelltown 5.8 (38)

Manly-Warringah 10.17 (77) d East Coast Eagles 4.8 (32)

Macquarie University 14.7 (91) d UTS 7.8 (50)

Holroyd-Parramatta 9.13 (67) d Sydney Uni 4.8 (32)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Macquarie Uni (100, 390.55%), Southern Power (100, 375.50%), UTS (66.67, 169.85%), Holroyd-Parramatta (66.67, 107.07%), Sydney Uni (40, 115.79%), Balmain (33.33, 97.04%), Manly-Warringah (33.33, 65.64%), East Coast (33.33, 40.68%), Camden (20, 46.18%), Campbelltown (0, 21.77%).

 

Third Division:

UTS 11.7 (73) d Macquarie Uni 7.7 (49)

NorWest Jets 11.10 (76) d Pennant Hills 2.6 (18)

UNSW-ES 26.14 (170) d Holroyd-Parramatta 2.2 (14)

Moorebank Sports 13.6 (84) d Southern Power 9.7 (61)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - UNSW-ES (100, 428.39%), NorWest Jets (100, 237.95%), UTS (83.33, 245.69%), Macquarie Uni (60, 113.80%), Pennant Hills (50, 103.04%), Penrith (25, 57.82%), Moorebank Sports (20, 59.91%), Southern Power (0, 46.15%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 23.63%).

 

Fourth Division:

UTS 12.14 (86) d Macquarie Uni 9.5 (59)

Sydney Uni 20.15 (135) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.7 (37)

Manly-Warringah 10.8 (68) d NorWest Jets 7.6 (48)

UNSW-ES 18.11 (119) d Moorebank Sports 6.5 (41)

Penrith 18.6 (114) d Camden 3.5 (23)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Sydney Uni (100, 422.56%), UTS (83.33, 210.24%), NorWest Jets (66.67, 237.91%), Macquarie Uni (66.67, 162.03%), Manly-Warringah (66.67, 129.79%), UNSW-ES (50, 110.23%), Holroyd-Parramatta (33.33, 51.61%), Penrith (20, 57.12%), Moorebank Sports (0, 28.08%), Camden (0, 18.07%).

 

Under 18s Premier:

UNSW-ES 17.14 (116) d Balmain 12.14 (86)

Pennant Hills 12.11 (83) d Campbelltown 5.5 (35)

North Shore 9.13 (67) d Wollongong 7.5 (47)

East Coast Eagles 9.12 (66) d St George 8.12 (60)

St Ignatius Riverview 13.17 (95) d Western Suburbs 4.7 (31)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - North Shore (100, 287.06%), East Coast (83.33, 213.54%), Pennant Hills (66.67, 170.55%), St George (66.67, 155.03%), Wollongong (60, 131.58%), St Ignatius Riverview (40, 65.72%), UNSW-ES (33.33, 71.73%), Balmain (33.33, 62.66%), Campbelltown (16.67, 54.69%), Western Suburbs (0, 32.29%).

 

Under 18s Challenge:

Sydney Uni 23.9 (147) d Holroyd-Parramatta 2.9 (21)

Manly-Warringah 7.10 (52) d East Coast Eagles 6.9 (45)

Pennant Hills 6.22 (58) d Macquarie Uni 4.9 (33)

Southern Power 13.10 (88) d Moorebank Sports 7.7 (49)

Ladder (Match Ratio) - Southern Power (100, 178.02%), Sydney Uni (80, 312.50%), Penrith (75, 129.79%), Pennant Hills (66.67, 103.68%), Moorebank Sports (60, 111.22%), Manly-Warringah (33.33, 76.86%), Macquarie Uni (20, 52.02%), Holroyd-Parramatta (20, 37.74%), East Coast Eagles (0, 70.65%).

 

NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURES (Lurker's Kiss of Death in bold):

Saturday 23rd May

Gore Hill Oval - North Shore v Campbelltown (2:10pm)

Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v Balmain (2:30pm)

Bruce Purser Oval - East Coast Eagles v Sydney Uni (4:10pm)

North Dalton Oval - Wollongong v St George (6:10pm)

Henson Park - Western Suburbs v UNSW-ES (6:40pm)

 

First Division

Saturday 23rd May

Gore Hill Oval - North Shore v Manly-Warringah (12pm)

Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v UTS (12:30pm)

Bruce Purser Oval - East Coast Eagles v Sydney Uni (2pm)

North Dalton Oval - Wollongong v St George (4pm)

Henson Park - Western Suburbs v UTS (4:30pm)

 

Second Division

Saturday 23rd May

Bruce Purser Oval - East Coast Eagles v Sydney Uni (2pm)

Harrington Park - Camden v UTS (2:10pm)

Pittwater No 6 - Manly-Warringah v Campbelltown (2:10pm)

Charles McLaughlin Reserve - Holroyd-Parramatta v Balmain (2:30pm)

University Oval - Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (2:30pm)

 

Third Division

Saturday 23rd May

Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v Penrith (10:30am)

Charles McLaughlin Reserve - Holroyd-Parramatta v Moorebank Sports (12:30pm)

University Oval - Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (12:30pm)

Bensons Lane - NorWest Jets v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)

UTS has the bye.

 

Fourth Division

Saturday 23rd May

Charles McLaughlin Reserve - Holroyd-Parramatta v Moorebank Sports (10:30am)

University Oval - Macquarie Uni v UNSW-ES (10:30am)

Bensons Lane - NorWest Jets v Sydney Uni (12pm)

Harrington Park - Camden v UTS (12pm)

Pittwater No 6 - Manly-Warringah v Penrith (12pm)

 

Under 18s Premier

Saturday 23rd May

Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v Balmain (8:30am)

Gore Hill Oval - North Shore v Campbelltown (10am)

North Dalton Oval - Wollongong v St George (2pm)

Henson Park - Western Suburbs v UNSW-ES (2:30pm)

Bruce Purser Oval - East Coast Eagles v St Ignatius Riverview (7pm)

 

Under 18s Challenge

Saturday 23rd May

Charles McLaughlin Oval - Holroyd-Parramatta v Moorebank Sports (8:30am)

University Oval - Macquarie Uni v Southern Power (8:30am)

Bruce Purser Oval - East Coast Eagles v Sydney Uni (10am)

Pittwater No 6 - Manly-Warringah v Penrith (10am)

Pennant Hills has the bye.