Article and Photos by Michael Shillito
We’re a third of the way through the home and away season, and on the weekend we observed Community Umpiring Round. The umpires form a crucial part of our game, without them there would be no game.
For East Coast Eagles, it’s a season in which they’ve returned as a force to be reckoned with in Premier Division. Although they did field a team for the last three years, it’s a far stronger side this year. And they went through their paces in fine style at Kanebridge Oval on Saturday afternoon, far too good for a young and rebuilding North Shore side.
There was never any doubt who was going to win the game, especially after the Eagles ran through six unanswered goals in the first quarter. The Bombers put on some early defensive resistance, but the pressure was unable to be sustained for long enough to keep the Eagles at bay for too long. With a 38-point lead at the first change, and two goals in the opening minutes of the second, it was looking like a blowout.
North Shore had only managed one goal in their last clash; and had barely made an inside 50 to that point in the game. But for a fleeting period of play in the second term, the Bombers lifted. Suddenly they began to hit their targets, suddenly the Eagles had slowed. And in the time-on period of the second term, the Bombers kicked three goals in a row to level the second term and reduce the deficit to 38 points. But the North Shore revival was short-lived, and they would not score again until the final seconds of the match.
The teams returned to the field for the premiership quarter. In terms of overcoming the opposition from North Shore, the Eagles had it covered and the Bombers were rarely sighted in the third term. But in terms of overcoming the opposition from within themselves, the Eagles were really struggling. A succession of shanked shots at goal held them back and had many of the larger than normal crowd shaking their heads in disbelief. In a close game it would have caused considerable concern; but the Bombers didn’t have the momentum or firepower to capitalise, and even incursions into the 50m arc were few and far between. 
At one stage the Eagles had 2.9 for the quarter. Two late goals stretched the margin to 71 points at the last change. But the floodgates had opened, and with three quarter time adjustments to the goal-kicking radar, the Eagles finally achieved the rewards of their dominance in the last quarter. Eight goals for the quarter to a last-minute consolation by the Bombers extended the final margin to 116 points.
Other than their inaccuracy in the second and third quarters, it had been an impressive performance by the Eagles. A well-drilled team with plenty of star power going through their paces, with a midfield collecting touches at will and a miserly half-back line that refused to concede any attacking opportunities to their opponents.
Andrew McConnell spearheaded the Eagles’ charge to finish with five goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Jack Dimery and Stuart Turner also figured prominently for the Eagles. On a tough afternoon for the Bombers, Ted Strudwick, Sam Carruthers and Todd Alexander continued to persevere all afternoon.
Hot on the Eagles’ trail is defending champions Manly. The Giants travelled to Olds Park to take on St George, an opponent who have troubled them in the past. But after an even first quarter, they had little trouble in overcoming the Dragons to record a comfortable 44-point win.
An entertaining opening quarter saw the Dragons put up plenty of resistance to the Giants. There were plenty of goals, plenty of lead changes, as both sides attempted to find an edge over the other; but in the first term neither would find that decisive advantage. Both sides created chances, and both sides took advantage of them. Four goals apiece for the quarter, the Dragons leading by a point at the first change; and as the teams went into their huddles for the quarter time break, both sides would have had plenty of reason to feel optimistic.
But it was the visitors who would take the upper hand in the second term. Their trademark defence, relentlessly pressuring the opponents into turnovers and denying easy possessions, rose to the forefront. It didn’t take long for the Giants to take the lead, and they would not relinquish it for the rest of the game as they booted four unanswered goals to take a 26-point lead to the long break.
But the Dragons weren’t a side to be written off and they bounced back hard in the third term. Matching the Giants’ pressure with their own, it was a physical quarter in which both sides were made to work hard for every possession. It was tight and tough, and the Dragons kept themselves in the contest by scoring the only goal that would be scored in the quarter, reducing the margin to 21 points at three quarter time and giving themselves just the slightest sniff of getting back to within striking distance. 
But St George hopes would not be realised in the last quarter. The tightness of the third term was unable to be sustained, and the game would open up in the last quarter as running players were able to find room to move that wasn’t there in the third term. And as the attacking flair was re-discovered, it was the Giants who had the superior firepower. With five goals to two in the final term, the final margin was stretched to 44 points.
Once again Braydon Fowler was magnificent on the forward line for the Giants to finish with five goals. Around the ground, Harrison Koch, Gareth Benbow and James Brain were in great touch, picking up plenty of possessions to keep the Giants on top. The result keeps the Giants in second place, only percentage keeping them behind the Eagles. St George had fought gallantly but fell short on the scoreboard; but the efforts of Daniel Napper, Bryce Addison and Ben Hodgson went a long way towards keeping the Dragons in the contest for so long.
Pennant Hills hosted Sydney Uni at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday, and it would be a thriller; with little separating the sides for much of the afternoon and nothing separating them when the final siren sounded.
A low-scoring match in which both sides would check and tag each other and loose men were hard to find, the pressure was on from the start. Both sides would fail to make much of the limited opportunities they had in a tightly-contested first term. One goal apiece and scores level at quarter time, setting the scene for the rest of the game.
Pennant Hills briefly broke the shackles in the second term to get out to a lead, but this was always going to be a low-scoring contest; with the defences on top most of the time and few chances for uncontested marks or possessions. But with three goals to one in favour of the Demons in the second term and a 15-point lead to the home side at half time, they would have been confident that they could ride out the Sydney Uni pressure and get the job done. 
But when the teams came back out for the third term, the Students had lifted their intensity even further and began to work their way back into the contest. The Demons scored two goals for the quarter, which was enough to keep in front on the scoreboard. But the Students kept the ball in their forward line for much of the quarter and kept the goal umpire busy enough, scoring three goals for the quarter and cutting the margin to six points at the last change.
It was a thriller, and everyone at the ground was riding a wave of emotion through an enthralling last term. There were plenty of errors and turnovers, which could be explained by the intense pressure of the moment; but they added to the theatre that was unfolding before them. When there’s a close finish, every possession takes on a new importance; and such it was in the last quarter. The Students scored two goals for the quarter, the Demons one. Scores were level, both sides could have salvaged another score to steal the contest. Neither did.
The siren sounded, and it was a draw. For both sides, relief at not suffering a loss, but rueing the chances that got away. For the Demons, Kieran Wright, James Dunn and Tom Angel were ball magnets all day; but this result would cost them a share of the competition lead. The Students with the win maintain their position in the top five; and have much to thank the efforts of Max Wilson, Ben Hawtin and Lachlan Maples for.
The last game for the round was played under lights at Henson Park on Saturday night; with Wests, going into the game without a win, playing host to UTS who hadn’t won since the opening night of the season. It would be a low-scoring scrap between two clubs desperate for a win.
The match began with what it a rare event in dry weather football, a goal-less quarter. From end to end the ball travelled, plenty of numbers gathering around the ball throughout; but never could the ball penetrate the big sticks. The Magpies led by a point after a very short quarter in which the forwards were frustrated by the lack of opportunity while defensive midfielders were enjoying some impressive stats. 
The Bats broke the deadlock in the second quarter to take the lead; their three unanswered goals giving them a 13-point lead against the Magpies. Wests had not scored a goal to half-time, despite creating some chances during the second term but being unable to take advantage of them. There was nothing wrong with the weather or the conditions, the low-scoring nature of play was related to the intense pressure applied by both sides as well as some turnovers and missed chances.
Winless going into the game and goal-less at half time; it was now or never for the Magpies. And as they returned to the game for the third quarter, they came out with a new determination and the momentum slowly but surely swung in their direction. Scores were hard to come by, but gradually they whittled away the deficit. Three goals to one for the quarter saw scores level at the last change; and both coaches held their players tightly in their huddles at the break, desperately imploring them to leave nothing in the tank and give their all for the team cause in the last quarter.
The game was there to be won for the team that would step up and take the prize that was on offer. And it was the Bats who would rise to the challenge in the last quarter. Three goals to one was enough to get the job done and record a 14-point win. It hadn’t been a game that reached any great heights, but the four points were immensely valuable for UTS. And thanks to other results, and their percentage, it was a result that sees the Bats return to the top five.
Jacob Harvey, Thomas Perks and Ben Moyle were prominent contributors for the Bats as they welcomed a return to the winning list. Yannick Milligan-Saville, Josh Robinson and Ryan Smith were the Magpies’ best; but the loss is deeply disappointing for them, leaving them at the bottom of the ladder and yet to record their first win for the season.
Last Modified on 18/05/2015 09:31
