SYDNEY AFL ROUND 13 2013
Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
We have passed two-thirds of the home and away season, and now we’re heading towards the finals. Every week the race to the finals throws up some interesting results; and this week was no exception. Manly, the competition newcomers, remain on top; but there’s plenty of teams ready to pounce if the Wolves slip up.
At Weldon Oval on Saturday afternoon, it didn’t take long for the Wolves to ensure they’d remain on top for at least another week. Drawn to play UTS, the Wolves dominated the opening quarter to ensure the Bats would never be in the contest.
The Bats were unable to manage a score, barely an inside 50, in a one-sided opening term. At the other end, the Wolves were pumping the ball into their 50 metre line with regularity; but scoring wouldn’t always be easy as the Bats defended grimly. Four unanswered goals for a 27-point lead laid the platform for a solid Manly performance. It was the start of a run of seven goals in a row for the Wolves, with the Bats not getting themselves on the scoreboard until late in the second quarter and trailing by 34 points at the long break.
Late in the second quarter the Bats finally broke their duck with the last two goals of the second term. Another goal in the opening minute of the third gave them a sniff of a comeback.
But such hopes were short-lived, as the Bats found themselves frustrated in the third term by the resolute Manly defence. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but it was effective; as time and again the ball was pumped into the UTS forward line only for it to come back again. It wasn’t like the one-sided opening quarter; the Bats were competing. But for all their efforts and their attempts to lift the intensity of the contest, they were unable to make any headway in peeling back the deficit. Two goals apiece for the quarter saw the margin finish as it started, with the Wolves 34 points ahead.
The result of the game wasn’t in doubt from there, and the last quarter saw the game open up as the forward lines for both sides became more coherent than they had been earlier in the contest. The pressure was off and the attacking game plans became more evident; and the Wolves continued to hold the edge. Five goals to three for the final term extended the full-time margin to 41 points.
For the Wolves, who had lost their previous two encounters, it was a result that restored them to the winning list and ensured they would remain on top. Tom McCaffrey, Anthony Robertson and Thomas Thurgarland had been the Wolves’ best.
Morgan Davis, Fergus Adamson and Lachlan Lamont had worked hard all day for the Bats. But the loss, their fourth on the trot, sees them languishing well down the ladder; and although it’s still mathematically possible for them to qualify for the finals, time is running out for them to turn their form around.
One team that has done an amazing job of turning their form around in recent weeks is Campbelltown. Recent years have been hard times for the Blues, but in the last few weeks they’ve found a new spirit and resolve which has helped them restore their self-belief. And again this was evident on Saturday afternoon at Monarch Oval, where the Blues won their third game in a row; and they did it in style, dominating Sydney Hills Eagles from start to finish to record a convincing 135-point win.
The Blues raced out of the blocks in the opening quarter, bursting down the corridor with minimal resistance and pumping the ball to the forward line, where the forwards were finding plenty of room to move. Seven goals to two in the opening quarter set up a 32-point quarter time lead. And although the ball was more closely and tightly contested in the second term, seeing scoring dry up at times during the quarter, the Blues still managed three goals to one for the quarter to lead by 49 points at half time.
But Campbelltown’s best was yet to come, and the second half was even more one-sided than the first. Seven unanswered goals in the third term stretched the margin to 94 points at the last change, and it didn’t take long in the last quarter for the Campbelltown advantage to blow out into three figures. A run of eight goals to one in the final term saw the Blues end up with 25 goals for the first time in many a long season.
Dave Linsen, Matt Edwins and Paul Green were best for the Blues, but there were many Campbelltown players who made stellar contributions on the day. It is unlikely Campbelltown will make the finals this year, although it’s still mathematically possible; but the momentum the Blues are building will serve them in good stead in preparation for future seasons. For the Eagles, Ryan Fitton, Dean Costello and Yoshi Harris were their best; but it was another disappointing result for them, and the Eagles will not be competing in this season’s finals.
In the logjam of teams sitting a game behind Manly, fighting it out for the double chance, St George made up some valuable ground. Their whopping 147-point win over Sydney Uni at Olds Park on Saturday afternoon not only gave them four valuable competition points, but also made up most of the gap in percentage between them and their rivals for the top-three places on the ladder.
The Dragons wasted no time in asserting themselves around the ground, and the Students quickly found themselves chasing the game which was running further away from them with each passing goal. Nine goals to one in the opening term put the Dragons 49 points ahead; and the Dragons went on with the job in the second quarter. A run of seven goals to one saw the Dragons get their score over 100 before the half-time break, with the lead being stretched to 85 points by half time.
There would be no respite for the Students in the second half, as the Dragons were in a mood for dominance and went on with the job in the third term. With a scoreline of four goals to one for the quarter, the lead was stretched to 108 points at the last change; and the one-sided nature of the game continued in the last term as the Dragons slammed through six unanswered goals.
Sharing the goal-kicking honours around, sixteen St George players got themselves into the goal-kickers’ list. Blake Guthrie, Nathan Kelly and Daniel Napper were among the Dragons’ best in a display which sees the battle for third place tighten to just a few percentage points. Charles Shaw, Mitch Harmer and Rory Avis-Foster battled hard for the Students, but it was a day when nothing was going right for them. The Students remain in finals contention, but have some work to do in the next few weeks to get themselves into the playoffs.
A twilight fixture at North Dalton Oval saw the winless Illawarra take on the in-form Pennant Hills. Illawarra have never beaten the Demons, and that record remained intact, but it was a far more competitive performance by the Lions than their clash earlier this season.
The Demons found themselves put under pressure from a determined Lions side, and it took some time for them to get on top. Three goals to two in the first quarter gave the Demons an eight-point lead at quarter time, and the Lions kept working hard to keep the Demons in check. But in the second term, the Demons began to break free with a run of four goals to one, extending their lead to 26 points at half time.
The Demons were looking for their seventh straight win, and with a handy lead at the long break, they would have been feeling confident. But the Lions emerged from the sheds at half time full of resolve, full of running, and they began to work their way back into the contest. The Demons did manage two goals during the third term, but for much of the quarter they found themselves on the back foot as the determined Lions were winning contests around the ground and with five goals for the quarter, the margin was reduced to ten points at the last change.
But the Lions’ brave comeback could go no further, as the Demons steadied during the three quarter time break. Regaining their momentum in the final term, the Demons scored five goals while holding the Lions to just one point. It had been a determined performance by the Lions, but when the game was in the balance it was the Demons who stood up.
The final margin was 43 points, a margin that didn’t do the Lions justice but instead reflected the Demons’ run-on in the final quarter. Kieran Wright, Matt Thomas and Alistair Richardson were ball magnets all day for the Demons, while the Lions received solid service all evening from Jacob Brookfield, Luke Rutter and Thomas Green. The Demons remain in second place, one win behind Manly but with a better percentage; while the Lions remain without a win in 2013 and will not be participating in this year’s finals.
In the race for positions within the finals, percentage may well turn out to be of critical importance; and UNSW-ES boosted their chances on Sunday afternoon when they were untroubled in recording a 115-point win over Balmain at Henson Park.
The two teams had played in last year’s Grand Final, in a game that was close for three quarters before the Bulldogs pulled away in the last. But the Balmain side of 2013 has struggled to replicate the form of the last couple of seasons, and it didn’t take long this time for the Bulldogs to get on top and shut the Dockers out of the contest. Four unanswered goals in the opening term gave UNSW-ES a 24-point quarter time lead. And after the Bulldogs continued to dominate with seven goals to one in the second quarter, the lead was out to 59 points at the long break.
The defending champions, well aware that percentage may be of importance in ladder positions and sensing the opportunity to record a thumping win, didn’t let up any pressure during the third term. The goals kept coming at the Bulldogs’ end, while the Dockers struggled to get the ball into their forward line. The Bulldogs couldn’t miss when running the ball forward; and would kick 13.0 in the second half. Six unanswered goals in the premiership quarter extended the margin to 91 points at the last change; and early in the final quarter the margin had been stretched into three figures.
Tom Heath stood up to be the focal point for the Bulldog attacks, finishing with five goals. Max Collett, Joel Robbie and Tom Heath were the best of many Bulldog players who were able to pick up possessions at will and place the Dockers under sustained pressure. On a tough day for the Dockers, Kristian Ericson, Wayd Blackburne and Bradley Plug continued to work hard. The Bulldogs remain locked in a tight battle for the double-chance in the finals; while this result ensures the Dockers will not be taking part in the playoffs this season.
The final game for the round, also played on Sunday afternoon, saw Western Suburbs take on North Shore at Picken Oval. The Magpies had a chance to draw level on games with the Bombers; but it was an opportunity missed as the Bombers took a hard-earned 21-point victory.
The first quarter was goal for goal as two sides that looked evenly-matched battled for supremacy. The Magpies led by six points at the first change, but the Bombers got on top in the second quarter. North Shore, decimated by injuries and going into the game on a two-game losing streak, put their recent woes behind them with a run of three goals to one in the second term to lead by nine points at half time.
When the teams returned from the rooms for the premiership quarter, it was the Bombers who were looking sharper, and although the Magpies worked hard in defence, the Bombers had lifted and began to assert themselves. Four goals to two for the quarter extended the margin to 21 points; and despite a few nervous moments during the last quarter, the lead would remain intact when the final siren sounded.
The win keeps the Bombers level on games with the Demons, Bulldogs and Dragons, with not much separating those teams on percentage. The Magpies are stuck two games behind, still with a mathematical chance of making the finals but with plenty of work to do to get there. Nick Todd, John Gray and Matt Varjavandi were North Shore’s best; while the Magpies were well served by the efforts of Kyall Walford, Stephen Hudson and Andy Eurell.
Four games will be played in Premier Division next week, catch-up games after recent rain. All of the current top five will be in action. Manly, currently a game clear on top, have a tough road trip to the Village Green to take on UNSW-ES.
If the Wolves can get up in that match, they remain on top. But if the Bulldogs can get the win, and if Pennant Hills, St George and North Shore all win their games, we could end up with a five-way tie for top spot.
