Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
Five rounds to go until the finals, and there’s a huge gap between fourth and fifth. The top four look to be secure in the finals; but only three of them will get the double-chance when the playoffs come around. And at Olds Park on Saturday afternoon, we found out that the race for the double-chance will be very tight.
It was a sunny but cold afternoon as St George took on Wests. The Dragons went into the game on the back of a seven-game winning streak; and the club was buoyed by an announcement that it won’t be long before Olds Park has lights installed to be able to play night games. It would be a low-scoring and often scrappy game; but the result could be critical once the finals come around.
The two sides had played out a draw at Picken Oval earlier in the season, and there didn’t look to be much between the two sides in the early exchanges this time. If anything, the Dragons had more of the ball in general play; but weren’t able to achieve reward for effort on the scoreboard. The Magpies scored two goals to one for the quarter, and it was Wests by two points at quarter time.
It was a similar story in the second term. Although the Dragons were creating more opportunities, the Magpies were making better use of theirs. Five straight goals to half time, a run of three goals to two in the second term; and when the teams returned to the rooms at half time, the Magpies had a six-point advantage.
It was looking tight in the first half, but the Magpies took control of the contest in the premiership quarter, pulling away to what would be a match-winning lead. With the wind unpredictably picking up and slowing down, it wasn’t always pretty to watch; but it was effective for the Magpies. Three goals to one for the quarter saw the margin out to 22 points at the last change. And the Dragons had nothing more to give in the last quarter; unable to score a goal as the Magpies added another three.
With the win, the Magpies drew level on games with the Dragons, to move to equal third place. And when the calculators were called into action after the game, the impact of the Magpies’ strong second half became apparent. The Magpies’ percentage has overtaken St George’s; and Wests now sit in third place on the ladder. There’s not much in it, and still five weeks to go. A St George win would have opened up a two-game break for the double-chance, but instead the Dragons face a very real risk of playing sudden-death finals. 
Taylor Williamson and Wayd Blackburne spearheaded the Magpie attack, finishing with four goals apiece. Around the ground, Leigh Conway, Tim Lambert and Mathew Lemme were getting plenty of the ball all day. Dominic Killworth, Jordan West and Ben Jones were St George’s best. It hadn’t been a great game, the windy conditions didn’t really allow it to be; but it had its highlights. None more so than a hanger of a mark by Wayd Blackburne that would rank among the best seen in Sydney AFL for many a long year.
Wests and St George sit in third and fourth place, but look safe for the finals. There’s a four-game break to fifth place, which looks too big a gap to bridge.
Sydney Uni have lost more games than they’ve won, clinging desperately to fifth place. But despite their indifferent form in recent weeks, they still had too much class on display to be troubled by bottom side Sydney Hills Eagles when they met at Number 1 Oval on Saturday evening.
The Eagles put up some resistance early, but the Students had the answers; three goals to two and a seven-point lead at quarter time. In the second term, the game became a shootout; and it was the home side who had the firepower and ammunition to take control. On the short University ground, it’s only one kick from the centre square to deep in the forward line; and both sides were going direct in the second term, keeping the scoreboard ticking over. But the Students were more effective, six goals to four, and the Students led by 22 points at half time.
Sydney Uni were in complete control, and continued their relentless march in the third term. But the Students at times were their own worst enemy, and some appalling inaccuracy in front of goals meant they didn’t quite achieve the superiority on the scoreboard that the trends in general play suggested they should. But inaccurate return of 5.9 for the quarter was more than enough against an outclassed Eagles side that could only manage two goals for the term; the lead out to 46 points at three quarter time. The last quarter was similar to the third, with the Students continuing to attack the goals but landing a wayward 5.8 while holding the Eagles goal-less for the final term. 
It was an 82-point win for the Students, a comfortable result, but the margin could so easily have been in three figures. But it was more than enough to break the losing streak and keep their spot in the top five. Dominic Vincent kicked five goals for the Students and James Howard four; Vincent, along with Aron Everett and Sam Crichton being the Students’ best. Scott Pierce fought a rearguard action for the Eagles to finish with five goals; and along with Aaron Drinkwater and Ryan Fitton was among the Eagles’ best.
In the pack of teams chasing the Students for the last finals spot, there’s a new leading challenger. Campbelltown, who haven’t been part of the playoff action since 2009, moved up to sixth place on Saturday afternoon with a 41-point win over North Shore at Gore Hill Oval.
A scrappy first quarter saw neither side able to build any form of coherent attacking structure, and wasn’t a period of play that reached any great heights. The Blues kicked the only two goals of the opening term, leading by 11 points at quarter time; but it was in the second term that they took the upper hand. The scoreboard was ticking over more often in the second quarter, every one of the six goals that the Blues kicked saw the players loudly celebrating; while the Bombers could only find the big sticks once.
The margin was 43 points in favour of the Blues at half time, and the Campbelltown juggernaut rolled on in the third term as they would add another six goals to three. With a 62-point lead at three quarter time, the game was safe. North Shore had been shell-shocked, but lifted in the last quarter, showing some spirit and playing like they rarely have managed to do this season to win the last quarter five goals to one and recover some of the enormous deficit.
With three wins in a row, the Blues have built some momentum and now find themselves just half a game outside the top five. Brenton Sommerville, Taran Etto and Joconiah Peni were influential around the ground for the Blues; and confidence is rapidly growing in the Campbelltown camp. Ron Wason kicked four goals for the Bombers, while James McKenzie, Chris Bandy and Matt Adamson were their best. But the Bombers are stuck six points behind Sydney Uni with a poor percentage, and when finals prospects are described with terms such as “still mathematically possible”, hopes are fading fast.
At Waverley Oval on Saturday afternoon, Pennant Hills ensured there is no mathematical way they can miss out on finals action, while striking a dagger into the heart of UTS’s finals hopes; when the Demons dominated from start to finish to win by 76 points.
For the first three quarters, the pattern was familiar and the trend was clear. Each of the quarters saw the Demons outscore the Bats by four goals to one. A lead of 21 points at quarter time, 40 at half time and 61 at the last change. Around the ground, the Demons were dominant, accumulating possessions at will and facing little resistance from their UTS counterparts. 
It was the Demons at their best, and the Bats found no way to resist the Pennant Hills charge. By the time the three quarter time siren sounded, the game was secure. In the last quarter, the pressure was off and it was an exhibition of free-flowing footy. High scoring and entertaining to watch, the final quarter saw the Demons score six goals to four; wrapping up another impressive win.
He who was last in alphabetical order on the team sheet came first on the forward line, as Sam Zikman recorded a five-goal haul for the Demons. Around the ground, Matt Thomas, Lloyd Shepherd and Thomas Edmonds were ball magnets. The win keeps the Demons in second place; and with St George’s loss, the Demons are six points ahead of the tight battle for third. Barring some calamitous loss of form in the run home to the finals, the Demons should be safe for the double-chance in the finals.
Adrian Morley, Joshua Maddox and Nicolas Kerber were best for UTS. But it was another disappointing result for the Bats; one that, combined with Sydney Uni’s win, leaves the Bats two games behind Sydney Uni with an inferior percentage. Although it’s still mathematically possible for them to make the five, they’d need to win all their remaining games and be depending on other results. In their fourth season in Premier Division, appearing in the finals continues to elude them.
Ladder leaders Manly returned to their best form at Weldon Oval on Saturday afternoon with a dominant display against UNSW-ES; a result that sees the Bulldogs’ finals hopes in severe jeopardy.
The Giants were always in front, but the Bulldogs were staying with them during the early stages of the game. Four goals to two in the opening quarter and a 13-point quarter time lead; and the Bulldogs were putting the Giants under pressure. But as the second term progressed, the Giants slowly but surely took control of proceedings, a run of five goals to two in the quarter taking the lead out to 24 points at the long break.
Games can be blown out during the premiership quarter, and that was certainly the case this time. When the teams emerged from the rooms for the second half, the Manly side that came out was full of running, finding plenty of targets and leaving the Bulldogs in their wake as they asserted complete control. And the scoreboard reflected the around the ground dominance, with eight goals to one stretching the Giants’ lead to 68 points at the last change. 
It was a strong performance by the Giants, and they continued on their winning ways with a run of four goals to two in the final quarter to run out 81-point winners. The Giants remain on top, having lost only one game for the season and with an imposing percentage. But the Bulldogs are stranded six points out of the five and a game behind Campbelltown, but with a better percentage than the Blues.
Tyrone Armitage took over the goal-kicking responsibilities for the Giants, finishing with four goals. Around the ground, Thomas Thurgarland, Tyrone Armitage and Jimi McDonald played a prominent role in proceedings. Tim Cummins kicked four goals for the Bulldogs to be their best; while Alex Henderson and Hayden Nichols also worked hard all afternoon.
There’s some critical games next week. UNSW-ES will need to win at Monarch next week to keep their finals hopes alive; while North Shore v UTS will see one team’s finals hopes officially come to an end. Pennant Hills can wrap up the double-chance against St George. Wests will be looking for a win against Sydney Uni to keep themselves in third; but if the Students go down to the Magpies, it leaves an opening for Campbelltown to pounce and enter the top five.
Last Modified on 14/07/2014 09:26
