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SYDNEY AFL ROUND 12 2010
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
Round 12 sees the home and away competition reach the two-thirds stage. Over the next few weeks the finals fates of teams will be determined – for some teams, dreams will be realised; while for others, as their finals hopes are once and for all evaporated, planning for 2011 will begin early. Each game, not just the result but also the margin, could potentially determine how the finals line up.
At Olds Park on Saturday afternoon, St George played host to North Shore. The Dragons, with four wins for the season, were looking for a win to re-ignite their finals change; while the third-placed Bombers went in to the match keen for a win to preserve their hold on the double-chance.
The match came at the end of the coldest week so far this season. Little rain ensured that all grounds would stay open, but the winds would make conditions tricky for the players, especially on open grounds such as Olds Park.
The Bombers made the early front-running, with early goals to Nick Egan and Damien Casey giving them the lead. But the Dragons were competing strongly during the early play, having just as many possessions and inside 50s as the Bombers. But the North Shore defence was holding strong, particularly Ryan Meldrum who seemed to be a magnet to attract the ball from the St George forwards.
But the Dragons finally broke through at 15 minutes, Rod Craig taking the crumbs from a marking contest and snapping truly. And at 24 minutes, David Ryan shook off the attention of his opposite number to lead out, mark and goal. But the Bombers would finish the quarter better, Sam Carruthers running through the centre before a perfectly timed pass found Nick Egan for a goal after the siren and a 9-point lead to the Bombers.
It was 3 goals to 1 to the Bombers in the second quarter, but that was against the run of play. The Dragons had the better of play for much of the quarter, and for lengthy periods of time within the quarter the ball was camped on the St George forward line. But the Dragons were unable to capitalise on their good work, their forwards finding the close checking of the North Shore defence too hard to penetrate. And Lady Luck looked to be on North Shore’s side, with their first goal for the quarter coming from a mark that it was a very close call whether Nick Egan had first touch. The first of two Bomber goals in time-on came from a free kick; and the second was set up from a free kick, with Nick Egan chipping the ball to an unmarked Ted Strudwick, with Rod Craig conceding a 50m penalty for running over the mark.
But the two goals in time-on extended the Bomber advantage to 21 points, and early in the third term the Bombers looked set to run away with the contest. From the centre break, Sam Carruthers went long with a penetrating kick to Evan Davis in the square. On 3 minutes, Ben Attwood combined his pace with his long kicking to add another. But the Dragons weren’t ready to concede yet.
A five-minute burst midway through the quarter saw the Dragons add 3 goals to cut the margin in half. Paul Sain was first to strike, leading out with a chest mark 40 metres out. Coach Shane Demir was leading from the front, working hard all day; and a quality snap from the boundary line that curled magnificently in the breeze. A minute later, Daniel Rixon scrambled through the pack in the forward line and the contest was still very much alive.
But for the Dragons, at this point it went pear-shaped and their resistance would end. Ryan Meldrum marked across half-back and was then bumped late by Troy Cole, the umpire having no hesitation in giving Cole 15 minutes in the sin bin. And while Cole was off the field, Chris Murphy went for a run with 3 bounces through the centre before finding a leading Evan Davis chest mark and a steadying goal for North Shore.
The St George fight could last no longer, and the Bombers comfortably stretched the final winning margin to 40 points; a margin that flattered the visitors but gave them a crucial 4 points, maintaining their hold on a double-chance position on the ladder. But for St George, time is running out for them to make any impact on finals calculations and they now need to not only win all their remaining games but depending on a long list of results from other games to maintain their mathematical finals hopes. But their run home is favourable, with the Dragons not facing a top 4 team again until the final round.
Nick Egan kicked 4 for the Bombers, while Sam Carruthers, Adrian Harry and Ben Clarke were among their best. For the Dragons, Robert Lombardo, Rod Craig and Blake Guthrie were key contributors.
Top spot was up for grabs under lights at Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday evening as the Students hosted defending champions East Coast Eagles. And for much of the contest it was as evenly matched as a battle for top deserved to be. Multiple lead changes featured during the first half, with the Eagles leading by 3 points at quarter time and the Students by 4 at half time. Much of the third term was also closely contested, but the Students made a breakaway late in the third term to lead by 15 points at the last change.
And when the Students made their move, the Eagles were unable to keep up. The floodgates opened in the last quarter, the Students creating numerous chances; and with 5.8 to 2.3 in the last quarter the home side took out a win by 38 points in a game that for much of the evening looked set to be considerably closer.
Mark Egan was again the focal point for the Students’ attacking moves, finishing with 4 goals; while Michael Higgins, Tom Elkington and Jack Caspersonn were key contributors for the Students. Peter Dugmore kicked 5 for the Eagles, and along with defender Rowan Bilkey and Steven Merkel were the Eagles’ best.
The result sends Sydney Uni a game clear on top of the ladder, their winning streak now up to 8 games. The Eagles head a group of three teams just a game behind the Students and with a better percentage, in what is shaping as an enthralling season in the race for the minor premiership and the double chance.
Balmain Dockers went into their match against Wests on a high after their win against Campbelltown, but were quickly dealt a harsh reality check by a red-hot Magpie lineup. The Magpies scored 6 goals to 1 in the opening term, but there would be no great second quarter comeback this time; although the Dockers stood their ground in the second term to hold the deficit to 34 points at the long break. But the second half was to be one-way traffic, and the Dockers would not score another goal for the game. The Magpies’ 9 unanswered goals stretched the final margin to 96 points, a fair reflection of their dominant display.
Blake Bray, Daryn Creswell, Ben Absolum and Dave Linsen all scored 3 goals for the Magpies; with Dave Linsen, Bray and Brenton Mumme named among their best. Chris Bolt and Jerome Farrell toiled hard all day for the Dockers; but despite improvement in some of their recent performances they still have some way to go to be competitive against the top sides in the competition.
The result keeps the Magpies just one game behind competition leaders Sydney Uni, and the size of the win ensures they have a better percentage; and despite their current fourth placed ranking on the ladder the Magpies are still very strong contenders for the 2010 title.
2010 hasn’t been a year to remember for Wollongong so far, but the Lions gave their long-suffering faithful something to cheer about when they turned on their best football to record a convincing 103-point win over Campbelltown at North Dalton on Saturday afternoon. The Lions raised the hopes of their supporters with 3 goals into the wind to win the first quarter, and with the wind at their backs in the second term a run of 7 unanswered goals gave the home side a lead of 52 points at half time.
A sniff of success was scented, and the Lions weren’t letting go. Another run of 10 goals to 2 in the second half blew the margin out to 3 figures, Wollongong’s biggest win since their admission to Premier Division in 2005 and their first at North Dalton this season.
Ken Ewen-Chappell kicked 4 goals for the Lions; while Troy Bartlett, James Weavers and Jeremy McInness were prominent around the ground. For the Blues, Dale Chivas, Ben Yakimov and Matthew Keys were among their best. The result lifted the Lions off the bottom of the ladder, but was a disappointment for Campbelltown. Just a fortnight ago, the Blues defeated Pennant Hills to have a share of 5th place, but with two disappointing losses and a poor percentage, the Blues will need to find something quickly to keep their finals hopes alive.
Campbelltown’s loss gave Pennant Hills an opportunity to move two games clear in 5th place, and despite a much-improved showing from a determined UNSW-ES side, the Demons were able to do just that with an 11-point win over the Bulldogs at Ern Holmes Oval on Saturday.
Cold conditions and a swirling wind made conditions tricky, preventing this low-scoring game from reaching any great heights. The Demons looked in control early, and led by 15 points at quarter time and 25 points at the long break. Both sides scored 3 goals in the third term, and the Demons looked to have enough of an advantage at three-quarter time to cruise to victory.
But instead, the Demons needed all the determination they could muster to hold the fast-finishing Bulldogs out. The Demons were unable to score a goal in the final term, while three goals to the Bulldogs cut the margin back to within two goals. But the visitors had left their comeback too late, and the home side were able to hang on to claim the victory.
Anthony Brawn’s three goals were invaluable to the Demons in a low-scoring game, while Alex Goodall, Damian Dell’Aquila and Jake Trestrail got plenty of the ball. For the Bulldogs, Ben Woods, Andrew White and Max Collett were among their best. The result sees the Demons two games plus percentage clear in 5th place and well placed in their quest for a 7th straight finals appearance. But, combined with Wollongong’s loss, the defeat for UNSW-ES sees last year’s grand finalist crash to bottom spot on the ladder on the back of an 8-game losing streak.
North Shore 3.3 6.5 9.7 13.9 (87)
St George 2.0 3.2 6.2 7.5 (47)
Goals : North Shore – N Egan 4, E Davis 3, D Casey 2, B Attwood, T Hill, P Brackin, T Strudwick. St George – S Demir 2, M Holmes, R Craig, D Rixon, D Ryan, P Sain.
Best : North Shore – S Carruthers, A Harry, B Clarke, E Davis, N Egan, J Stiller. St George – R Lombardo, R Craig, B Guthrie, T Addison, M Holmes, P McBride.
At Olds Park, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Sydney University 3.4 7.5 11.11 16.19 (115)
East Coast Eagles 4.1 7.1 10.2 12.5 (77)
Goals : Sydney Uni – M Egan 4, A Lee 3, J McGuirk 2, A McConnochie 2, T Roberts, N Perry, T Elkington, M Higgins, S Sloane. East Coast – P Dugmore 5, R Silvester 3, D Spiteri, R Fitton, T Baker, D Killworth.
Best : Sydney Uni – M Higgins, T Elkington, J Caspersonn, B Mankarious, A McConnochie, A Lee. East Coast – R Bilkey, P Dugmore, S Merkel, R Silvester, Jon Vlatko, D Bowles.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Western Suburbs 6.4 8.10 10.16 17.23 (125)
Balmain Dockers 1.2 3.6 3.6 3.11 (29)
Goals : Wests – B Bray 3, D Creswell 3, B Absolum 3, D Linsen 3, C Lees 2, E Kassem 2, B Mumme. Balmain – J Saddington, A Mitchell, J Howard.
Best : Wests – D Linsen, B Bray, B Mumme, D Lambert, J Minichiello, B Lafferty. Balmain – C Bolt, J Farrell, T Stevens, J Miller, R Bates, J Blums.
At Drummoyne Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Wollongong 3.2 10.8 12.11 20.15 (135)
Campbelltown 2.4 2.4 3.7 4.8 (32)
Goals : Wollongong – K Ewen-Chappell 4, T Bartlett 3, J Weavers 3, J McInnes 3, S Morgan 2, M Picken, D McClure, T Heath, S Dowling, N Kenny. Campbelltown – M Keys 2, J Bottin-Noonan, R Bottin-Noonan.
Best : Wollongong – T Bartlett, J Weavers, J McInnes, B Hanson, M Dombroski, K Ewen-Chappell. Campbelltown – D Chivas, B Yakimov, M Keys, O Love, A Sneddon J Bottin-Noonan.
At North Dalton Park, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Pennant Hills 2.5 6.6 9.10 9.15 (69)
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 0.2 2.5 5.7 8.10 (58)
Goals : Pennant Hills – A Brawn 3, D Dell’Aquila 2, D De Looze, A Richardson, A Goodall, K Wright. UNSW-ES – B Abbott 2, J Parmenter 2, T Luff, P Kefalas, B Kay, C Ogle.
Best : Pennant Hills – A Goodall, D Dell’Aquila, J Trestrail, J Low, A Crisfield, A Brawn. UNSW-ES – B Woods, A White, M Collett, J Robbie, A Robson, T Luff.
At Ern Holmes Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Black - Confirmed finallists
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.
First Division:
UTS 19.12 (126) d Wollongong 0.3 (3)
Pennant Hills 11.13 (79) d UNSW-ES 9.8 (62)
Sydney Uni 11.10 (76) d East Coast Eagles 2.7 (19)
Western Suburbs 9.5 (59) d Manly-Warringah 7.7 (49)
Macquarie Uni 10.11 (71) d North Shore 9.8 (62)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – UTS (83.33, 264.90%), Sydney Uni (83.33, 181.31%), Macquarie Uni (75, 163.77%), Manly-Warringah (72.73, 150.88%), North Shore (58.33, 137.32%), Pennant Hills (41.67, 78.38%), East Coast (33.33, 79.30%), Western Suburbs (25, 44.55%), Wollongong (16.67, 51.04%), UNSW-ES (9.09, 53.07%).
Second Division:
UTS 22.12 (144) d UNSW-ES 6.3 (39)
Holroyd-Parramatta 13.12 (90) d St George 9.11 (65)
Balmain Dockers 13.9 (87) d Manly-Warringah 5.7 (37)
Southern Power 15.6 (96) d NorWest Jets 9.12 (66)
Camden 7.6 (48) d Sydney Uni 3.13 (31)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Southern Power (100, 321.41%), UTS (91.67, 213.32%), Holroyd-Parramatta (75, 159.87%), NorWest (50, 124.94%), Sydney Uni (50, 86.95%), Balmain (41.67, 71.56%), Camden (36.36, 58.10%), St George (25, 75.87%), Manly-Warringah (18.18, 56.86%), UNSW-ES (8.33, 40.55%).
Third Division:
East Coast Eagles 10.6 (66) d Moorebank Sports 6.12 (48)
Southern Power 17.19 (121) d Pennant Hills 2.4 (16)
Sydney Uni 15.17 (107) d Campbelltown 9.2 (56)
Macquarie Uni 17.10 (112) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.7 (37)
UTS 9.14 (68) d Penrith 9.9 (63)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Moorebank Sports (83.33, 245.45%), Southern Power (75, 156.93%), Penrith (66.67, 177.27%), UTS (66.67, 142.99%), Macquarie Uni (66.67, 128.53%), East Coast (54.55, 120.54%), Campbelltown (33.33, 57.59%), Sydney Uni (27.27, 63.78%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16.67, 40.15%), Pennant Hills (8.33, 40.61%).
Fourth Division:
UNSW-ES 11.8 (74) d Sydney Uni 4.7 (31)
Manly-Warringah 9.17 (71) d Moorebank Sports 3.6 (24)
Mac Uni Kookas 13.23 (101) d Holroyd-Parramatta 6.5 (41)
NorWest Jets 12.18 (90) d Southern Power 5.5 (35)
UTS 8.13 (61) d Penrith 6.4 (40)
Auburn 30.15 (195) d Camden 6.2 (38)
Saints AFC 11.10 (76) d Mac Uni Warriors 8.6 (54)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Auburn (100, 350.66%), Moorebank Sports (66.67, 228.39%), Mac Uni Warriors (66.67, 215.08%), Saints AFC (66.67, 154.92%), Penrith (66.67, 103.43%), Manly-Warringah (63.64, 176.50%), UTS (58.33, 158.60%), NorWest (58.33, 86.02%), Sydney Uni (50, 112.73%), Mac Uni Kookas (36.36, 41.27%), UNSW-ES (25, 56.71%), Southern Power (18.18, 57.29%), Camden (18.18, 45.15%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 14.40%).
Under 18s Premier:
Pennant Hills 9.11 (65) d UNSW-ES 2.6 (18)
Wollongong 10.8 (68) d Campbelltown 3.3 (21)
St George 6.18 (54) d North Shore 8.4 (52)
Western Suburbs 11.9 (75) d St Ignatius Riverview 9.4 (58)
East Coast Eagles 14.11 (95) d Sydney Uni 10.6 (66)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – East Coast (77.78, 197.31%), North Shore (77.78, 171.36%), Sydney Uni (70, 194.11%), Pennant Hills (70, 187.60%), St George (66.67, 104.07%), St Ignatius Riverview (50, 143.45%), Wollongong (37.5, 81.10%), Western Suburbs (36.36, 68.09%), UNSW-ES (27.27, 66.78%), Campbelltown (0, 8.90%).
Under 18s Challenge:
Manly-Warringah 26.11 (167) d Moorebank Sports 5.1 (31)
Holroyd-Parramatta 9.8 (62) d Macquarie Uni 6.9 (45)
Penrith 18.21 (129) d Southern Power 1.4 (10)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Penrith (100, 864.62%), Southern Power (70, 134.74%), Manly-Warringah (50, 98.19%), Holroyd-Parramatta (50, 91.40%), Macquarie Uni (33.33, 52.65%), Moorebank Sports (30, 67.40%), East Coast (20, 43.99%).
THE RUN HOME:
At the top of the ladder, Sydney Uni are a game clear on top. But breathing down the Students’ neck are East Coast, North Shore and Wests; all one game behind but all with a better percentage. With several games still to come between those top 4 teams, all could be of critical importance – beginning this week when the Students take on North Shore at Gore Hill. A win to Sydney Uni will guarantee the Students their first finals appearance since their promotion to Premier Division in 2007.
Pennant Hills are a further two games behind in 5th place, with two games and a lot of percentage separating them from 6th placed Campbelltown.
It’s still mathematically possible for Wollongong or UNSW-ES to qualify for the finals, but the margin for error is now zero – must win every game and rely on Pennant Hills to lose every game, by enough for their percentage to pass that of the Demons. Balmain and St George have little time left and will also need to time their run quickly to have any hope of keeping their mathematical finals hopes alive.
The remaining games this season for clubs in contention are:
Sydney Uni (40, 149.62%) – North Shore (Gore Hill), Pennant Hills (Sydney Uni No 1), UNSW-ES (Syd Uni No 1), Wollongong (North Dalton), Campbelltown (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Olds).
East Coast (36, 187.32%) – Balmain (Bruce Purser), Wests (Henson), North Shore (Bruce Purser), Campbelltown (Monarch), Wollongong (Bruce Purser), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes).
North Shore (36, 172.18%) – Sydney Uni (Gore Hill), Balmain (Drummoyne), East Coast (Bruce Purser), Wests (Blacktown), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill), Campbelltown (Blacktown).
Wests (36, 154.90%) – Campbelltown (Monarch), East Coast (Henson), Pennant Hills (Blacktown), North Shore (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Henson), Wollongong (North Dalton) .
Pennant Hills (28, 112.79%) – St George (Ern Holmes), Sydney Uni (Sydney Uni No 1), Wests (Blacktown), Balmain (Ern Holmes), North Shore (Gore Hill), East Coast (Ern Holmes).
Campbelltown (20, 75.46%) – Wests (Monarch), UNSW-ES (Village Green), St George (Olds), East Coast (Monarch), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), North Shore (Blacktown).
St George (16, 68.97%) – Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes), Wollongong (Blacktown), Campbelltown (Olds), UNSW-ES (Village Green), Balmain (Blacktown), Sydney Uni (Olds).
Balmain (12, 47.35%) – East Coast (Bruce Purser), North Shore (Drummoyne), Wollongong (Drummoyne), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes), St George (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Village Green).
Wollongong (8, 76.05%) – UNSW-ES (North Dalton), St George (Blacktown), Balmain (Drummoyne), Sydney Uni (North Dalton), East Coast (Bruce Purser), Wests (North Dalton).
UNSW-ES (8, 68.78%) – Campbelltown (Village Green), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Village Green), Wests (Henson), Balmain (Village Green) .
NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES (Lurker’s Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 10th July
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Balmain Dockers (2:10pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St George (2:10pm)
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Sydney University (2:10pm)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
First Division:
Saturday 10th July
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Macquarie Uni (12pm)
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Sydney Uni (12pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (12pm)
Trumper Park – UTS v Western Suburbs (2:30pm)
Second Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v St George (12:30pm)
Bensons Lane – NorWest Jets v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Holroyd-Parramatta (2:10pm)
St Pauls Oval – Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Balmain Dockers (2:30pm)
Third Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v East Coast Eagles (10:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v Holroyd-Parramatta (12pm)
St Pauls Oval – Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (12pm)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (12:30pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Macquarie Uni (2:10pm)
Fourth Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v Auburn (8:30am)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (10:30am)
Bensons Lane – NorWest Jets v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Mac Uni Warriors (12pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Mac Uni Kookas (12pm)
Pioneers Park – Saints AFC v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v Holroyd-Parramatta (2:10pm)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 10th July
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St George (10am)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (10am)
Riverview First Field – St Ignatius Riverview v East Coast Eagles (10am)
Western Suburbs, North Shore, Campbelltown and Sydney Uni have the bye.
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 10th July
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (8:30am)
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Macquarie Uni (10am)
Manly-Warringah has the bye.
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
Round 12 sees the home and away competition reach the two-thirds stage. Over the next few weeks the finals fates of teams will be determined – for some teams, dreams will be realised; while for others, as their finals hopes are once and for all evaporated, planning for 2011 will begin early. Each game, not just the result but also the margin, could potentially determine how the finals line up.
At Olds Park on Saturday afternoon, St George played host to North Shore. The Dragons, with four wins for the season, were looking for a win to re-ignite their finals change; while the third-placed Bombers went in to the match keen for a win to preserve their hold on the double-chance.
The match came at the end of the coldest week so far this season. Little rain ensured that all grounds would stay open, but the winds would make conditions tricky for the players, especially on open grounds such as Olds Park.
The Bombers made the early front-running, with early goals to Nick Egan and Damien Casey giving them the lead. But the Dragons were competing strongly during the early play, having just as many possessions and inside 50s as the Bombers. But the North Shore defence was holding strong, particularly Ryan Meldrum who seemed to be a magnet to attract the ball from the St George forwards.
But the Dragons finally broke through at 15 minutes, Rod Craig taking the crumbs from a marking contest and snapping truly. And at 24 minutes, David Ryan shook off the attention of his opposite number to lead out, mark and goal. But the Bombers would finish the quarter better, Sam Carruthers running through the centre before a perfectly timed pass found Nick Egan for a goal after the siren and a 9-point lead to the Bombers.
It was 3 goals to 1 to the Bombers in the second quarter, but that was against the run of play. The Dragons had the better of play for much of the quarter, and for lengthy periods of time within the quarter the ball was camped on the St George forward line. But the Dragons were unable to capitalise on their good work, their forwards finding the close checking of the North Shore defence too hard to penetrate. And Lady Luck looked to be on North Shore’s side, with their first goal for the quarter coming from a mark that it was a very close call whether Nick Egan had first touch. The first of two Bomber goals in time-on came from a free kick; and the second was set up from a free kick, with Nick Egan chipping the ball to an unmarked Ted Strudwick, with Rod Craig conceding a 50m penalty for running over the mark.
But the two goals in time-on extended the Bomber advantage to 21 points, and early in the third term the Bombers looked set to run away with the contest. From the centre break, Sam Carruthers went long with a penetrating kick to Evan Davis in the square. On 3 minutes, Ben Attwood combined his pace with his long kicking to add another. But the Dragons weren’t ready to concede yet.
A five-minute burst midway through the quarter saw the Dragons add 3 goals to cut the margin in half. Paul Sain was first to strike, leading out with a chest mark 40 metres out. Coach Shane Demir was leading from the front, working hard all day; and a quality snap from the boundary line that curled magnificently in the breeze. A minute later, Daniel Rixon scrambled through the pack in the forward line and the contest was still very much alive.
But for the Dragons, at this point it went pear-shaped and their resistance would end. Ryan Meldrum marked across half-back and was then bumped late by Troy Cole, the umpire having no hesitation in giving Cole 15 minutes in the sin bin. And while Cole was off the field, Chris Murphy went for a run with 3 bounces through the centre before finding a leading Evan Davis chest mark and a steadying goal for North Shore.
The St George fight could last no longer, and the Bombers comfortably stretched the final winning margin to 40 points; a margin that flattered the visitors but gave them a crucial 4 points, maintaining their hold on a double-chance position on the ladder. But for St George, time is running out for them to make any impact on finals calculations and they now need to not only win all their remaining games but depending on a long list of results from other games to maintain their mathematical finals hopes. But their run home is favourable, with the Dragons not facing a top 4 team again until the final round.
Nick Egan kicked 4 for the Bombers, while Sam Carruthers, Adrian Harry and Ben Clarke were among their best. For the Dragons, Robert Lombardo, Rod Craig and Blake Guthrie were key contributors.
Top spot was up for grabs under lights at Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday evening as the Students hosted defending champions East Coast Eagles. And for much of the contest it was as evenly matched as a battle for top deserved to be. Multiple lead changes featured during the first half, with the Eagles leading by 3 points at quarter time and the Students by 4 at half time. Much of the third term was also closely contested, but the Students made a breakaway late in the third term to lead by 15 points at the last change.
And when the Students made their move, the Eagles were unable to keep up. The floodgates opened in the last quarter, the Students creating numerous chances; and with 5.8 to 2.3 in the last quarter the home side took out a win by 38 points in a game that for much of the evening looked set to be considerably closer.
Mark Egan was again the focal point for the Students’ attacking moves, finishing with 4 goals; while Michael Higgins, Tom Elkington and Jack Caspersonn were key contributors for the Students. Peter Dugmore kicked 5 for the Eagles, and along with defender Rowan Bilkey and Steven Merkel were the Eagles’ best.
The result sends Sydney Uni a game clear on top of the ladder, their winning streak now up to 8 games. The Eagles head a group of three teams just a game behind the Students and with a better percentage, in what is shaping as an enthralling season in the race for the minor premiership and the double chance.
Balmain Dockers went into their match against Wests on a high after their win against Campbelltown, but were quickly dealt a harsh reality check by a red-hot Magpie lineup. The Magpies scored 6 goals to 1 in the opening term, but there would be no great second quarter comeback this time; although the Dockers stood their ground in the second term to hold the deficit to 34 points at the long break. But the second half was to be one-way traffic, and the Dockers would not score another goal for the game. The Magpies’ 9 unanswered goals stretched the final margin to 96 points, a fair reflection of their dominant display.
Blake Bray, Daryn Creswell, Ben Absolum and Dave Linsen all scored 3 goals for the Magpies; with Dave Linsen, Bray and Brenton Mumme named among their best. Chris Bolt and Jerome Farrell toiled hard all day for the Dockers; but despite improvement in some of their recent performances they still have some way to go to be competitive against the top sides in the competition.
The result keeps the Magpies just one game behind competition leaders Sydney Uni, and the size of the win ensures they have a better percentage; and despite their current fourth placed ranking on the ladder the Magpies are still very strong contenders for the 2010 title.
2010 hasn’t been a year to remember for Wollongong so far, but the Lions gave their long-suffering faithful something to cheer about when they turned on their best football to record a convincing 103-point win over Campbelltown at North Dalton on Saturday afternoon. The Lions raised the hopes of their supporters with 3 goals into the wind to win the first quarter, and with the wind at their backs in the second term a run of 7 unanswered goals gave the home side a lead of 52 points at half time.
A sniff of success was scented, and the Lions weren’t letting go. Another run of 10 goals to 2 in the second half blew the margin out to 3 figures, Wollongong’s biggest win since their admission to Premier Division in 2005 and their first at North Dalton this season.
Ken Ewen-Chappell kicked 4 goals for the Lions; while Troy Bartlett, James Weavers and Jeremy McInness were prominent around the ground. For the Blues, Dale Chivas, Ben Yakimov and Matthew Keys were among their best. The result lifted the Lions off the bottom of the ladder, but was a disappointment for Campbelltown. Just a fortnight ago, the Blues defeated Pennant Hills to have a share of 5th place, but with two disappointing losses and a poor percentage, the Blues will need to find something quickly to keep their finals hopes alive.
Campbelltown’s loss gave Pennant Hills an opportunity to move two games clear in 5th place, and despite a much-improved showing from a determined UNSW-ES side, the Demons were able to do just that with an 11-point win over the Bulldogs at Ern Holmes Oval on Saturday.
Cold conditions and a swirling wind made conditions tricky, preventing this low-scoring game from reaching any great heights. The Demons looked in control early, and led by 15 points at quarter time and 25 points at the long break. Both sides scored 3 goals in the third term, and the Demons looked to have enough of an advantage at three-quarter time to cruise to victory.
But instead, the Demons needed all the determination they could muster to hold the fast-finishing Bulldogs out. The Demons were unable to score a goal in the final term, while three goals to the Bulldogs cut the margin back to within two goals. But the visitors had left their comeback too late, and the home side were able to hang on to claim the victory.
Anthony Brawn’s three goals were invaluable to the Demons in a low-scoring game, while Alex Goodall, Damian Dell’Aquila and Jake Trestrail got plenty of the ball. For the Bulldogs, Ben Woods, Andrew White and Max Collett were among their best. The result sees the Demons two games plus percentage clear in 5th place and well placed in their quest for a 7th straight finals appearance. But, combined with Wollongong’s loss, the defeat for UNSW-ES sees last year’s grand finalist crash to bottom spot on the ladder on the back of an 8-game losing streak.
North Shore 3.3 6.5 9.7 13.9 (87)
St George 2.0 3.2 6.2 7.5 (47)
Goals : North Shore – N Egan 4, E Davis 3, D Casey 2, B Attwood, T Hill, P Brackin, T Strudwick. St George – S Demir 2, M Holmes, R Craig, D Rixon, D Ryan, P Sain.
Best : North Shore – S Carruthers, A Harry, B Clarke, E Davis, N Egan, J Stiller. St George – R Lombardo, R Craig, B Guthrie, T Addison, M Holmes, P McBride.
At Olds Park, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Sydney University 3.4 7.5 11.11 16.19 (115)
East Coast Eagles 4.1 7.1 10.2 12.5 (77)
Goals : Sydney Uni – M Egan 4, A Lee 3, J McGuirk 2, A McConnochie 2, T Roberts, N Perry, T Elkington, M Higgins, S Sloane. East Coast – P Dugmore 5, R Silvester 3, D Spiteri, R Fitton, T Baker, D Killworth.
Best : Sydney Uni – M Higgins, T Elkington, J Caspersonn, B Mankarious, A McConnochie, A Lee. East Coast – R Bilkey, P Dugmore, S Merkel, R Silvester, Jon Vlatko, D Bowles.
At Sydney Uni No 1 Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Western Suburbs 6.4 8.10 10.16 17.23 (125)
Balmain Dockers 1.2 3.6 3.6 3.11 (29)
Goals : Wests – B Bray 3, D Creswell 3, B Absolum 3, D Linsen 3, C Lees 2, E Kassem 2, B Mumme. Balmain – J Saddington, A Mitchell, J Howard.
Best : Wests – D Linsen, B Bray, B Mumme, D Lambert, J Minichiello, B Lafferty. Balmain – C Bolt, J Farrell, T Stevens, J Miller, R Bates, J Blums.
At Drummoyne Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Wollongong 3.2 10.8 12.11 20.15 (135)
Campbelltown 2.4 2.4 3.7 4.8 (32)
Goals : Wollongong – K Ewen-Chappell 4, T Bartlett 3, J Weavers 3, J McInnes 3, S Morgan 2, M Picken, D McClure, T Heath, S Dowling, N Kenny. Campbelltown – M Keys 2, J Bottin-Noonan, R Bottin-Noonan.
Best : Wollongong – T Bartlett, J Weavers, J McInnes, B Hanson, M Dombroski, K Ewen-Chappell. Campbelltown – D Chivas, B Yakimov, M Keys, O Love, A Sneddon J Bottin-Noonan.
At North Dalton Park, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
Pennant Hills 2.5 6.6 9.10 9.15 (69)
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 0.2 2.5 5.7 8.10 (58)
Goals : Pennant Hills – A Brawn 3, D Dell’Aquila 2, D De Looze, A Richardson, A Goodall, K Wright. UNSW-ES – B Abbott 2, J Parmenter 2, T Luff, P Kefalas, B Kay, C Ogle.
Best : Pennant Hills – A Goodall, D Dell’Aquila, J Trestrail, J Low, A Crisfield, A Brawn. UNSW-ES – B Woods, A White, M Collett, J Robbie, A Robson, T Luff.
At Ern Holmes Oval, Saturday 3rd July 2010.
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Black - Confirmed finallists
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.
First Division:
UTS 19.12 (126) d Wollongong 0.3 (3)
Pennant Hills 11.13 (79) d UNSW-ES 9.8 (62)
Sydney Uni 11.10 (76) d East Coast Eagles 2.7 (19)
Western Suburbs 9.5 (59) d Manly-Warringah 7.7 (49)
Macquarie Uni 10.11 (71) d North Shore 9.8 (62)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – UTS (83.33, 264.90%), Sydney Uni (83.33, 181.31%), Macquarie Uni (75, 163.77%), Manly-Warringah (72.73, 150.88%), North Shore (58.33, 137.32%), Pennant Hills (41.67, 78.38%), East Coast (33.33, 79.30%), Western Suburbs (25, 44.55%), Wollongong (16.67, 51.04%), UNSW-ES (9.09, 53.07%).
Second Division:
UTS 22.12 (144) d UNSW-ES 6.3 (39)
Holroyd-Parramatta 13.12 (90) d St George 9.11 (65)
Balmain Dockers 13.9 (87) d Manly-Warringah 5.7 (37)
Southern Power 15.6 (96) d NorWest Jets 9.12 (66)
Camden 7.6 (48) d Sydney Uni 3.13 (31)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Southern Power (100, 321.41%), UTS (91.67, 213.32%), Holroyd-Parramatta (75, 159.87%), NorWest (50, 124.94%), Sydney Uni (50, 86.95%), Balmain (41.67, 71.56%), Camden (36.36, 58.10%), St George (25, 75.87%), Manly-Warringah (18.18, 56.86%), UNSW-ES (8.33, 40.55%).
Third Division:
East Coast Eagles 10.6 (66) d Moorebank Sports 6.12 (48)
Southern Power 17.19 (121) d Pennant Hills 2.4 (16)
Sydney Uni 15.17 (107) d Campbelltown 9.2 (56)
Macquarie Uni 17.10 (112) d Holroyd-Parramatta 5.7 (37)
UTS 9.14 (68) d Penrith 9.9 (63)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Moorebank Sports (83.33, 245.45%), Southern Power (75, 156.93%), Penrith (66.67, 177.27%), UTS (66.67, 142.99%), Macquarie Uni (66.67, 128.53%), East Coast (54.55, 120.54%), Campbelltown (33.33, 57.59%), Sydney Uni (27.27, 63.78%), Holroyd-Parramatta (16.67, 40.15%), Pennant Hills (8.33, 40.61%).
Fourth Division:
UNSW-ES 11.8 (74) d Sydney Uni 4.7 (31)
Manly-Warringah 9.17 (71) d Moorebank Sports 3.6 (24)
Mac Uni Kookas 13.23 (101) d Holroyd-Parramatta 6.5 (41)
NorWest Jets 12.18 (90) d Southern Power 5.5 (35)
UTS 8.13 (61) d Penrith 6.4 (40)
Auburn 30.15 (195) d Camden 6.2 (38)
Saints AFC 11.10 (76) d Mac Uni Warriors 8.6 (54)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Auburn (100, 350.66%), Moorebank Sports (66.67, 228.39%), Mac Uni Warriors (66.67, 215.08%), Saints AFC (66.67, 154.92%), Penrith (66.67, 103.43%), Manly-Warringah (63.64, 176.50%), UTS (58.33, 158.60%), NorWest (58.33, 86.02%), Sydney Uni (50, 112.73%), Mac Uni Kookas (36.36, 41.27%), UNSW-ES (25, 56.71%), Southern Power (18.18, 57.29%), Camden (18.18, 45.15%), Holroyd-Parramatta (0, 14.40%).
Under 18s Premier:
Pennant Hills 9.11 (65) d UNSW-ES 2.6 (18)
Wollongong 10.8 (68) d Campbelltown 3.3 (21)
St George 6.18 (54) d North Shore 8.4 (52)
Western Suburbs 11.9 (75) d St Ignatius Riverview 9.4 (58)
East Coast Eagles 14.11 (95) d Sydney Uni 10.6 (66)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – East Coast (77.78, 197.31%), North Shore (77.78, 171.36%), Sydney Uni (70, 194.11%), Pennant Hills (70, 187.60%), St George (66.67, 104.07%), St Ignatius Riverview (50, 143.45%), Wollongong (37.5, 81.10%), Western Suburbs (36.36, 68.09%), UNSW-ES (27.27, 66.78%), Campbelltown (0, 8.90%).
Under 18s Challenge:
Manly-Warringah 26.11 (167) d Moorebank Sports 5.1 (31)
Holroyd-Parramatta 9.8 (62) d Macquarie Uni 6.9 (45)
Penrith 18.21 (129) d Southern Power 1.4 (10)
Ladder (Match Ratio) – Penrith (100, 864.62%), Southern Power (70, 134.74%), Manly-Warringah (50, 98.19%), Holroyd-Parramatta (50, 91.40%), Macquarie Uni (33.33, 52.65%), Moorebank Sports (30, 67.40%), East Coast (20, 43.99%).
THE RUN HOME:
At the top of the ladder, Sydney Uni are a game clear on top. But breathing down the Students’ neck are East Coast, North Shore and Wests; all one game behind but all with a better percentage. With several games still to come between those top 4 teams, all could be of critical importance – beginning this week when the Students take on North Shore at Gore Hill. A win to Sydney Uni will guarantee the Students their first finals appearance since their promotion to Premier Division in 2007.
Pennant Hills are a further two games behind in 5th place, with two games and a lot of percentage separating them from 6th placed Campbelltown.
It’s still mathematically possible for Wollongong or UNSW-ES to qualify for the finals, but the margin for error is now zero – must win every game and rely on Pennant Hills to lose every game, by enough for their percentage to pass that of the Demons. Balmain and St George have little time left and will also need to time their run quickly to have any hope of keeping their mathematical finals hopes alive.
The remaining games this season for clubs in contention are:
Sydney Uni (40, 149.62%) – North Shore (Gore Hill), Pennant Hills (Sydney Uni No 1), UNSW-ES (Syd Uni No 1), Wollongong (North Dalton), Campbelltown (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Olds).
East Coast (36, 187.32%) – Balmain (Bruce Purser), Wests (Henson), North Shore (Bruce Purser), Campbelltown (Monarch), Wollongong (Bruce Purser), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes).
North Shore (36, 172.18%) – Sydney Uni (Gore Hill), Balmain (Drummoyne), East Coast (Bruce Purser), Wests (Blacktown), Pennant Hills (Gore Hill), Campbelltown (Blacktown).
Wests (36, 154.90%) – Campbelltown (Monarch), East Coast (Henson), Pennant Hills (Blacktown), North Shore (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Henson), Wollongong (North Dalton) .
Pennant Hills (28, 112.79%) – St George (Ern Holmes), Sydney Uni (Sydney Uni No 1), Wests (Blacktown), Balmain (Ern Holmes), North Shore (Gore Hill), East Coast (Ern Holmes).
Campbelltown (20, 75.46%) – Wests (Monarch), UNSW-ES (Village Green), St George (Olds), East Coast (Monarch), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), North Shore (Blacktown).
St George (16, 68.97%) – Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes), Wollongong (Blacktown), Campbelltown (Olds), UNSW-ES (Village Green), Balmain (Blacktown), Sydney Uni (Olds).
Balmain (12, 47.35%) – East Coast (Bruce Purser), North Shore (Drummoyne), Wollongong (Drummoyne), Pennant Hills (Ern Holmes), St George (Blacktown), UNSW-ES (Village Green).
Wollongong (8, 76.05%) – UNSW-ES (North Dalton), St George (Blacktown), Balmain (Drummoyne), Sydney Uni (North Dalton), East Coast (Bruce Purser), Wests (North Dalton).
UNSW-ES (8, 68.78%) – Campbelltown (Village Green), Sydney Uni (Syd Uni No 1), St George (Village Green), Wests (Henson), Balmain (Village Green) .
NEXT WEEK’S FIXTURES (Lurker’s Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 10th July
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Balmain Dockers (2:10pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St George (2:10pm)
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Sydney University (2:10pm)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v Western Suburbs (2:10pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
First Division:
Saturday 10th July
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v Macquarie Uni (12pm)
Gore Hill Oval – North Shore v Sydney Uni (12pm)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (12pm)
Trumper Park – UTS v Western Suburbs (2:30pm)
Second Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v St George (12:30pm)
Bensons Lane – NorWest Jets v Manly-Warringah (2:10pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Holroyd-Parramatta (2:10pm)
St Pauls Oval – Sydney Uni v UNSW-ES (2:10pm)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Balmain Dockers (2:30pm)
Third Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v East Coast Eagles (10:30am)
Monarch Oval – Campbelltown v Holroyd-Parramatta (12pm)
St Pauls Oval – Sydney Uni v Pennant Hills (12pm)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (12:30pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Macquarie Uni (2:10pm)
Fourth Division:
Saturday 10th July
Trumper Park – UTS v Auburn (8:30am)
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (10:30am)
Bensons Lane – NorWest Jets v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Mac Uni Warriors (12pm)
Harrington Park – Camden v Mac Uni Kookas (12pm)
Pioneers Park – Saints AFC v Sydney Uni (2:10pm)
Village Green – UNSW-ES v Holroyd-Parramatta (2:10pm)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 10th July
Ern Holmes Oval – Pennant Hills v St George (10am)
North Dalton Oval – Wollongong v UNSW-ES (10am)
Riverview First Field – St Ignatius Riverview v East Coast Eagles (10am)
Western Suburbs, North Shore, Campbelltown and Sydney Uni have the bye.
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 10th July
Gwawley Oval – Southern Power v Moorebank Sports (8:30am)
Bruce Purser Oval – East Coast Eagles v Holroyd-Parramatta (10am)
Greygums Oval – Penrith v Macquarie Uni (10am)
Manly-Warringah has the bye.