SYDNEY AFL ROUND 11 2013
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
Everyone in Sydney footy dreads a week like the last week. When the heavens open, and the only thing rising faster than the rain gauge is the rate at which closed signs are put up on footy ovals.
With the number of grounds remaining open being so few, most games were postponed till later in the season; and only a few were played, with some last-minute reshuffling of the available venues.
Mahoney Park remained open, and hosted a morning Premier Division match between Wests and UTS; moved from Picken Oval. For the second year in a row, the Magpies and Bats slogged through a match on a heavy track when virtually everyone else was washed out.
Conditions were difficult. Every step the players took saw water kicked up, making running slow and difficult. Handling the slippery leather ball was near to impossible, and the water weight on the ball made it tricky to measure up kicks.
Much of the game was played at ground level, packs of players scrapping for the ball and inching it forward in slow increments. Packs of players trying to get the ball, and finding themselves tackled before they could dispose of it. Plenty of bounces, plenty of boundary throw-ins, as the ball neared the black paint that separated the playing area from the squelchy grass out of bounds.
The Magpies were kicking to the Golf Course End in the first quarter. Goals were hard to find in the slippery conditions, but the Magpies got the ball to the scoring zone carefully and deliberately. Two goals to one for the quarter resulted, with the Magpies six points ahead at the first change.
The two teams continued to scrap and contest every possession in the second term, tackling hard to deny each other easy possessions. The Bats briefly took the lead, but the Magpies had a quick reply to remain five points ahead as the players headed to the dry sanctuary of the rooms for the half time break.
The premiership quarter would prove decisive, as the Magpies lifted their intensity and left the Bats behind. The rain had eased off slightly, and the Magpies adapted better to the marginally easier conditions. There were no blistering runs, spectacular marks or long-range torpedo goals; just a tough approach to winning the ball and doing the best they can with it. And the rewards would come as the quarter unfolded, four unanswered goals, opening up a 33-point lead at three quarter time.
The game was safely won and lost, but there was still another quarter to be played. It was hard work in the tricky conditions, fatigue setting in as players could run no further. But the Magpie march continued, as they scored two goals to one in the final quarter.
And finally the siren sounded, and the players could leave the field for a hard-earned hot shower and leaving the park early in the afternoon with the satisfaction their footballing job was done. That they had given their all against their opponent and the elements.
Brenton Mumme, with a three goal haul, was best on ground for the Magpies; while Marcus Linsen and Stephen Hudson had also made valuable contributions to the Wests cause. For the Bats, Fergus Adamson, Liam Flanagan and Rawson Kirkhope had been their best.
Olds Park was opened up on Sunday, allowing the Sydney Hills Eagles v St George game to be moved there. It was a game that saw St George continue their recent strong run of form, as they won their third game on the trot with a convincing 98-point win over the Eagles.
The Dragons, keen to make an early impression, came out breathing fire from the start as they jumped the Eagles in the opening term. Seven unanswered goals underlined the St George dominance as they shut the Eagles out from the opening to lead by 43 points at quarter time. And the second term followed a similarly lopsided pattern, as the Dragons scored eight goals to one to open up an 89-point lead at the long break.
Compared to the one-sided dynamic performance of the first half, there was little to excite about the third quarter. The Dragons, with the game safely won but not wanting to over-extend themselves on the heavy ground, put their foot off the gas and the quarter never reached any great heights. But the Eagles salvaged something from the quarter, scoring two goals for the term to prevent the half-time margin from blowing out too much further. And even with the Dragons scoring another six goals in the final term, the Eagles at least managed to keep the margin under three figures.
But it was enough to not only keep the Dragons in the top five, but substantially boost their percentage. Alex Wynn and Ben Sharp contributed four goals apiece for the Dragons; while Jordan West, Stephen Wilsen and David Ryan were ball magnets around the ground. For the Eagles, Justin Steer, Ben Acland and Gus Seebeck were among their best.
Henson Park was also open on Sunday, allowing the Balmain v Sydney Uni game to go ahead. That match saw the Students return to the winning list, keeping their match ratio above 50 as they recorded a 38-point win over the Dockers.
Keen to assert themselves from the start, the Students broke away from the Dockers during the first term with a run of four goals to one, opening up a 19-point lead at quarter time. The Students were getting on top around the ground, and despite an inaccurate return of 4.7 in the second term, the lead had been extended to 36 points at half time.
It was a lower-scoring third term, two goals apiece, as the sting looked to have gone out of the contest after the break. The Dockers won the quarter by a point, stopping the game from becoming a blowout; but never looked like getting back into the contest. The Students kicked three goals to two in the final term to extend the final margin slightly to 38 points; snapping their two-game losing streak and keeping themselves within striking distance of the top five.
Charles Shaw was unstoppable on the Students’ forward line, and although scoring goals looked tricky for every other player, Shaw was untroubled to finish with seven goals. Ryan Edwards, Rory Avis-Foster and MJ Figg were best for the Students. For the Dockers, Kristian Ericson, Tim Underwood and Nick Halliday were tireless contributors.
The remaining three games, along with numerous games in the other divisions, were postponed to the wet weather weekend. And everyone in Sydney footy will be keeping our fingers crossed that the sun comes out this week and we can get a full round of matches in next weekend.
Last Modified on 02/07/2013 09:33
