SYDNEY AFL ROUND 2 2013
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
Glorious autumn weather greeted the players in AFL Sydney for the second round of action. The grounds were bathed in sunshine during the day, the surfaces looking a treat. In conditions like these, where would anyone rather be than at the footy?
For North Shore, it was a historic day; as the venue’s lights were switched on. A twilight fixture started in daylight, as the shadows were growing longer across the field. But as the evening unfolded, the lights began to replace the fading natural light. The sense of occasion, and a North Shore club function to follow after the game, brought a much larger crowd than normal to Gore Hill. And they would witness a North Shore side with high ambitions for 2013.
The Bombers were taking on St George; and it was the Dragons who would draw first blood, as Declan Donohue was taken high in the goal square and converted the free kick in the opening minute. But it would be St George’s only goal in the first half.
Not that they didn’t apply plenty of pressure. There were plenty of scoring attempts, most of them from 40 metres out or longer, that ended in behinds. The Bomber defenders were under the pump on occasions; none more so than Adrian Harry, who was forced to run and take three bounces but only went sideways as he worked to evade the Dragon defenders.
The Bombers managed two goals in the opening term, almost against the run of play; as Brendan Fitzgerald threaded a shot on the run from a tight angle and then Danny Roberts took a diving slips-catch mark in the pocket and kicked truly.
At quarter time, the switch was flicked to turn on the lights. And in the huddles on the field, North Shore coach Jon Hayres switched on the Bomber run; and the second quarter was a one-sided affair.
The Bombers were kicking to the Highway End in the second term, and got off to a flying start as Evan Davis centred the ball for Danny Roberts. Roberts was unable to take the mark, but was hit high and had no trouble in converting the free kick. A few minutes later, an attempted clearance by Pat McBride was intercepted by Jason Harry and the Bombers were on the board again.
A long bomb by Adrian Harry set up Danny Roberts for his third, and then Evan Davis popped up on the forward line; held when not in possession 20 metres from home. And with the clock deep in time-on, the ball ended up with Sam Mason on a tight angle in the pocket. Mason measured his kick, as if with a set-square; and then kicked the goal as if by ritual.
The Bombers were 30 points ahead at half time, and continued the demolition early in the third term. When Sam Carruthers converted a free kick, and then when Jared Shattock landed a torp from outside the 50 metre line, the Bombers were 49 points clear.
Suddenly, in the final minutes of the quarter, out of nowhere, the Dragons came to life. Blake Guthrie snapped truly from an impossible angle. A heavy tackle by Declan Donohue forced a turnover, and Steven Wilsen gathered the crumbs to add another. Donohue was again in the thick of the action, taking a run and bounce before shooting long and straight. The Dragons had got back to the half-time margin, and were breathing fire as they had a fleeting dream of a comeback.
The Dragons kept coming, and Dean Gilbert forced a holding-the-ball free inside 50. Getting the ball off to Guthrie for a shot at goal, but Guthrie’s kick was smothered and the comeback was over. The Bombers ran the ball to the other end for Dale Fitzgerald to land a steadying goal just seconds before the three quarter time siren.
St George’s comeback was over, and the Bombers were unstoppable in the final quarter. The crowd on the hill roared their approval through the procession, particularly during the running, bouncing goals by Sam Carruthers and Adrian Harry. It was a Bomber night to remember.
The final margin was 71 points, after a run of seven goals to two in the final term. Danny Roberts finished with six goals for the Bombers, while Adrian Harry and Nick Todd were also influential around the ground. For the Dragons, Michael Milner, Declan Donohue and Pat McBride kept working hard all evening. The Bombers are undefeated after the first two rounds. St George are winless, having been given a tough draw in the first two rounds; and the next few weeks will give an indication of their prospects for 2013.
At Monarch Oval, Campbelltown hosted UNSW-ES on Saturday afternoon. Campbelltown have struggled in recent seasons, and had a tough match against the defending premiers; but the Blues took the fight up to the Bulldogs.
Running the ball around the massive Monarch arena, the Blues kicked the only two goals of the opening term to let the Bulldogs know this game would be no walkover. But the Bulldogs steadied in the second term, landing four unanswered goals to turn the quarter time deficit into a 17-point half time lead.
The premiership quarter saw the Bulldogs set up a match-winning lead; but they were made to work hard for it by the determined Blues. Scoring was easier in the second half, with the Bulldogs scoring four goals to three in the third term, extending the lead to 24 points. There would be no way back for the Blues, but they refused to lie down and would win the last quarter to gain a lot of respect for their fighting spirit.
The final margin was 15 points. Matt Rawlinson, Henry Mason and Jeremy Kiel were among the Bulldogs’ best; while the Blues were well served by the efforts of Matt Withers, Amua Pirika and Hamish Sherwood.
Manly’s dream run since entering Premier Division continued on Saturday as the Wolves were 31 points too good for Illawarra. A closer margin than last week’s blowout, but the Wolves remain unbeaten.
It was goal for goal in the first quarter, with several lead changes and the Lions led by five points at the first change. But the Wolves took the upper hand in the second term, with a run of five goals to one to run to a 21-point lead at the long break.
The game tightened in the third quarter, with both sides finding goals hard to come by as the defensive players began to wield a greater influence. The Wolves kicked two goals to one for the quarter, extending the margin to 25 points at three-quarter time. Throwing caution to the wind, the Lions went out on the attack in the final term as they kicked four for the quarter; but the Wolves had the answers with five goals of their own.
Hayden Washington kicked four goals for the Wolves, while Anthony Robertson, Angus Buncle and Robert Hart were among their best. For the Lions, Jeremy Daniher, Ken Ewen-Chappell and Jack Nugent kept working hard all day.
Pennant Hills broke through for their first win of 2013, and UTS suffered their first defeat, when the two sides clashed at Waverley Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The platform for Pennant Hills’ win was laid in the first quarter, as the Demons got off to a flying start. Driving the ball forward with regularity, the Demons recorded 14 scoring shots to three in the opening term; a dominant period of football that finished with the Demons 36 points ahead.
The Bats had to steady, and they did; and during the next two quarters they gradually worked their way back into the contest. On the narrow confines of the Waverley ground, there’s plenty of goals to be had by going straight to the corridor; and the scoreboard was frequently ticking over, particularly during a shootout third quarter.
By the last change, the Bats had reduced the margin to 20 points. But that was as close as they could get, as the Demons tightened the game in the final term. Called into desperate defence, the Demons repelled any thoughts of a late UTS charge, as the last quarter went to one goal apiece.
The Demons took the points by 22 points. Ranga Ediriwickrama returned to the Pennant Hills lineup and kicked six goals for the Demons, and along with Dale Witt and Matt Thomas was among the Demons’ best. For the Bats, Tom Steinfort, Andrew Morley and Frank Boland were among their best.
Western Suburbs, a club looking to bounce back in 2013, continued their impressive start to the season as they recorded a percentage-boosting 136-point win over a disappointing Sydney Hills Eagles team at Bruce Purser Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies were 13 points ahead at quarter time, but it was in the second term that they became the truly dominant team. Goals were coming from everywhere, the Magpie midfield running rampant as they slammed on 11 goals to two for the quarter, blowing the margin out to 70 points at the long break.
The shell-shocked Eagles defended harder in the third term to hold the Magpies to four goals and ensure they’d at least be spared having a score of 200 kicked against them. But the Magpies were in complete control, the margin well into three figures; and seven unanswered goals in the last quarter completed a remarkable day for the Magpies.
Matt Eurell and Rory Miller kicked six goals apiece, two of the 11 players who kicked goals for the Magpies. Scott Lear, Levi Sands and Rory Miller were among the more dominant Magpies; while Aaron Savage, James Regan and Harrison Bond kept working hard for the Eagles in a difficult day.
We’re only two weeks into the new season, but already Sydney Uni have beaten their total wins from last season when they were held to one victory for the year. Their second win of 2013 came at the expense of Balmain under lights at Henson Park on Saturday.
Determined to avoid a repeat of the humiliation of last week’s loss to Manly, the Dockers kept the game tight early and held the Students to three goals in the first term and the margin to 14 points. The second quarter saw the defences loosened and the goals flowed more freely; but the Students had the edge with six goals to four to lead by 25 points at half time.
The Dockers were never going to get back into the game, but they held the Students up in the third term; holding the Students to two goals. But the floodgates opened in the final quarter, as the Students took control of the game with a run of eight goals to extend the final margin to 62 points.
Gabriel Robbie kicked five goals for the Students, with MJ Figg contributing four. Around the ground, Max Carter, Matt Hutton and Bilal Taha picked up plenty of ball for the Students. For the Dockers, Wayd Blackburn, Matt Round and Selby Lee-Steere were among their best.
