Only four teams remain in the AFL Sydney Premier Division competition, and again we will lose one this week as the competition heats up.
Second Semi-Final
Manly-Warringah Wolves vs St George Dragons- Saturday 3.15pm @ Blacktown
A free pass straight through to the AFL Sydney Grand Final is on the line for the victor of this clash on Saturday.
Manly-Warringah should be the fresher of the two outfits but in saying that St George effectively had the match in their keeping by quarter-time.
Seven first-quarter goals to none set the Dragons on a pretty smooth ride through their Qualifying Final with North Shore.
The two main key forwards in Jason Saddington and Nick Ryan were dangerous with four goals each. The enigmatic Daniel Cox also went forward and was a reliable crumber, also kicking four.
Their defence is underestimated and while North Shore were wasteful going forward, Andrew Sharp and Michael Milner deserve plaudits for their leadership in the back half. Sharp is a big-bodied defender while Milner is more agile but between them they kept Daniel Roberts to two goals.
Bryce Addison played arguably his best game for the season against the Bombers. Dominic Killworth and Blake Guthrie will again be pivotal. Paul Sain’s aerial ability is well-known and will demand greater respect from the Wolves after his performance against them in their previous clash just before the finals.
Manly-Warringah thoroughly deserved their minor premiership. Their performance against North Shore was one of the best performances by any side this season in a game with plenty of hype.
The number of pressure acts they execute is unmatched by any side in the competition and will serve them well in the finals.
Their midfield is building which is a scary thing. Tyrone Armitage again continued his stellar season and was prolific in the middle and particularly going forward later in the game- hitting the scoreboard with some clever goals. David Stroud and Connor Pettersson are top-line midfielders with plenty of polish.
Their backline is also impressive with Daniel Pearson working well with former Swans listee, Jack Lynch. Lachlan Kilpatrick also gets under the guard of a lot of sides.
They will miss Hayden Washington through suspension which is a blow given he is the key forward. Even if their talls are quiet, Armitage and another gun in Anthony Robertson are small forwards who can support.
The two sides played in a thrilling draw less than a month ago in Round 17 at Olds Park. The Wolves were missing Armitage that day and the Dragons were more wasteful especially early in front of goals. Taking those two things into consideration, it should be another closely fought clash between the best two defences in the league.
Previous Encounters
Round 17 (Olds Park)- St George 9.10-64 drew Manly-Warringah 9.10.64
Round 7 (Weldon Oval)- Manly-Warringah 8.9-57 def St George 3.8-26
Prediction: The Wolves have had two weeks to prepare for this match and are in the box seat to win. Wolves by 11 points.
First Semi-Final
North Shore Bombers vs Pennant Hills Demons- Sunday 2.15pm @ Henson Park
These two sides had very differing fortunes last weekend.
Pennant Hills were back to near their best against last year’s premiers, UNSW/ES knocking them out of the competition with a 71-point victory.
The story couldn’t be more different for the Bombers who not only to St George by 35 points but have lost at least two of their biggest names.
Key forward and runner-up in the Stan Milton Medal, Daniel Roberts was handed a suspension by the tribunal on Wednesday night, while representative star Dale Fitzgerald suffered a serious knee injury in the final minuteand must be in some doubt.
Throw into the mix another representative star and key on-baller Sam Carruthers who hobbled off injured and is also in some doubt this weekend and it was a horror day for Jon Hayres’ men.
The Bombers did little to kick away any thoughts of their vulnerability in finals with a poor first quarter against the Dragons as mentioned above.
They went out in straight sets last year after having a chance of claiming the minor premiership heading into the final round. There is an eerie similarity to this year.
Despite the great performance of John Gray predominantly in the ruck, they sorely need either or both of Sam Jackson and particularly David Martin to lend support. Especially with Roberts’ absence, they lack a key forward to act as a foil to Sam Mason.
Mason predominantly plays across half-forward but may need to play deeper which could work in the Bombers favour. He is a hulking figure and can take a contested grab. On his day he is one of the most destructive forwards in the game.
More will fall on the shoulders of Doug Hadden and Charlie Callander who were both serviceable in a losing side. Brendan Fitzgerald was rushed back early from injury and question marks still loom over his fitness.
Ron Wason will need to lead an inspired performance from his defensive unit. Tom McMahon and Chris Murphy are great accountable defenders but even if they keep their opponents quiet, there is still doubt over whether the Bombers can kick a winning score.
With that said, they can take confidence out of defeating the Demons on both occasions this year. The key in these wins was defence and keeping the Demons to an average of 61 points.
Pennant Hills boast the best attack in the league and they proved that again last Sunday- generating thirty-five scoring shots against the Bulldogs.
They have so many avenues to goal it really comes down to the Bombers’ midfield to limit the supply going forward.
Aaron Crisfield led the way in the midfield last weekend for the Demons in the absence of Alex Goodall. They have some great names on paper with Cameron Smith and Damien Dell’Aquila both experienced members of the squad who can slip under the guard of other sides.
Matt Carey and Ranga Ediriwickrama are X-factors who could take Pennant Hills deep in the finals.
Kieran Wright will be playing his 150th match in further motivation for the Demons.
Previous Encounters
Round 15 (Gore Hill Oval)- North Shore 9.12-66 def Pennant Hills 7.8-50
Round 1 (Mike Kenny Oval)- North Shore 15.10-100 def Pennant Hills 11.7-73
Prediction: It is hard to see the Bombers holding Pennant Hills this week considering where both sides are placed at the moment.
Pennant Hills by 49 points.
Both matches will streamed live via Digital Sports. You can watch live or anytime afterwards at www.youtube.com/aflsydneylive
Other Observations
Under 18 Division One- There are some future stars playing in this age group. Fans going to Blacktown are encouraged to get out early to see the Second Semi between Pennant Hills and UNSW/ES. Don’t be surprised if one of these young guns playing get drafted- you heard it here first!
In the other semi, St George will start slight favourites but Illawarra came rollicking home to knock out Sydney University last week. Illawarra were runners-up to Sydney Hills last year.
Division Three- I know Nor-West are regular readers of this column and may have used it for motivation in their win over Gosford who went out in straight sets. Anything can happen in this grade and they could come through another sudden death clash against Randwick City who were soundly beaten by Blacktown last week.
Division One- Much like Manly last year, it is hard to see anyone knocking off Southern Power. It has been done before and UTS will be lining up with nothing to lose this week. They played well but will need more spark up forward if they are to get up. Holroyd-Parramatta should’ve iced their game against UTS earlier last week and face going out in straight sets against UNSW/ES who surprisingly defeated St George with ease last week.
Grand Finals- This weekend features two Grand Finals on Sunday at Blacktown in Women’s Division Two and Division Five.
Macquarie University have dominated this Women’s grade all year and it would go down as one of the greater upsets if they were to be beaten by Southern Power. Matt Crowe will leave no stone unturned in trying to get his Power charges up in what should be an entertaining affair.
In Division Five, Randwick City could get their hands on their first silverware as a senior club when they start favourites against last year’s runners-up UTS, who will be looking to go one step further after a heart-breaking five-point loss to Sydney University last year.
Last Modified on 05/09/2013 12:06
