SYDNEY AFL CATCH-UP ROUND (5a) 2013
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
A weekend was set aside in the draw to catch up on games washed out in the first five weeks; a contingency that was needed as the heavens opened on the morning of round 3, causing three games in that round to be postponed. And so half the Premier Division teams were called into action last weekend.
Saturday started as a sunny day, but some dark clouds rolled in late in the afternoon, with a brief shower falling on Wollongong. But by the time the night clash between Illawarra and Sydney University started, the rain had stopped; and although the ground was damp, there was nothing in the conditions to prevent the teams from playing to their best ability.
Illawarra came into the game being yet to taste victory in 2013. Despite competitive performances in all four of their games so far, leading at the last change last week, they had been unable to be in front when the final siren rang. Meanwhile, Sydney Uni had posted impressive wins in their first two matches before losing their next two.
An early jump by the Students saw them take the lead, and they would not be headed. After just a minute, James Braico centred a free kick from the boundary, finding Nick Lye on a better angle. Michael Higgins sharked a ball-up to snap another; and then Gabriel Robbie marked 25 metres out to add the Students’ third.
After the early onslaught, the Lions steadied and prevented the Students from continuing that run; and the Students would not goal again for the quarter. At the other end, James Adamson snapped over his shoulder to give the Lions a goal to cut the margin to 11 points at the first change.
The Students had got the lead, and they tried to add to their margin in the second term. At times during the quarter they threatened to run away to an unassailable lead; but the determined Lions were hanging in there, conjuring up answering goals against the run of play. For all the Students’ efforts to run away with the contest, it was four goals apiece for the quarter and 13 points separated the sides at the long break.
The Lions were within striking distance, and desperately attempted to get into the contest during the third term. Matching themselves against anything the Students threw at them, the Lions stood their ground and refused to concede easy possessions; making the Students work harder. But, for all their hard work, they were unable to peg back the deficit. Three goals apiece for the quarter saw the Students 14 points to the good at three quarter time.
But the Lions were unable to go on with the job in the last quarter. The Students had the lead, and although it was a narrow margin, it was enough for them to tighten the screws in the last quarter and lock the Lions out of the contest. It was a defensive quarter, with the Students kicking the only three goals; as again the Lions had been in the game for much of the match but were unable to complete the deal.
The final margin was 33 points, enough to keep the Students in the top five but leave the Lions winless. Michael Higgins kicked five goals for the Lions in a best on ground performance, while Kyle Underwood and Scott Snodgrass were also influential. For the Lions, Joshua Tier, David Goodley and Joshua David-Wright were among their best.
At Monarch Oval, North Shore maintained their undefeated status, and the ladder leadership, when the Bombers completed a 59-point win over Campbelltown.
A lacklustre opening term in blustery conditions saw the Bombers nine points ahead at the first change; with North Shore looking in control as they shut the Blues down in the second term, holding them scoreless while adding three goals to move 28 points clear at half time. And with two goals in the first five minutes of the third term, the Bombers looked set to be cruising to victory.
But, out of nowhere, the Blues lifted and caused North Shore some anxious moments during the third term. With the next four goals of the game, the Blues cut the margin back to 22 points at the last change and looked to have built some momentum.
But the final term saw the Bombers steady and the Blues were unable to keep up with the run of the Bombers in the final term. Seven goals to one for the final term was enough for a percentage-boosting win for the Bombers; but in reality for much of the day the contest was considerably closer than the final scores indicated.
Daniel Roberts was again unstoppable on the forward line, scoring seven goals; while Jarrod Shattock spearheaded the final quarter run-on with four goals, all scored in the last quarter. Shattock, Roberts and Tom McMahon were North Shore’s best. Hamish Sherwood, Matt Edwins and Bryce Joynson picked up plenty of the ball for Campbelltown.
St George continued their rise up the ladder with their third win on the trot, but were made to work for it by a determined Wests side at Picken Oval; with the game in the balance for three quarters before the Dragons took control in the last.
The first term was evenly contested around the ground, but the Magpies had the edge on the scoreboard with a six-point lead at quarter time. In the second quarter, the Dragons were getting more of the ball around the ground; but some wasteful finishing would prevent them from applying scoreboard pressure on the Magpies. A return of 1.7 for the quarter, while holding the Magpies to one point, saw the Dragons six points to the good at the long break.
The third quarter was goal for goal, an arm wrestle in which two sides desperate for a win tried hard but tried in vain to assert themselves. By three quarter time, the Dragons had a four-point lead; and the game looked set to be a thriller.
But in the final term, the Dragons took control of the contest and the Magpies had nothing more to give. St George scored four unanswered goals in the last quarter, blowing the final margin out to 32 points. Three even quarters had set the game up for a close finish, but the superior finishing of the Dragons in the final term was decisive.
Ben Sharp, Pat McBride and Blake Guthrie were pivotal to the Dragons’ success, particularly in the final quarter. For the Magpies, Yannick Milligan-Saville, Levi Sands and Kyall Walford were among their best.
The ladder now sees all teams having played five games. North Shore and Manly are the only undefeated teams; with UNSW-ES, Wests and Sydney Uni completing the top five. And with those washed out games now having been made up, we have a full round of games next weekend.
