Round 11 of the BLK AFL Sydney Premier Division competition is Blue Sock Round where we have partnered with Beyond Blue to raise awareness and monies for depression and anxiety. It also ties in with ‘Rivalry Round’ with a number of real local derbies.
The most intriguing battle will be the clash between East Coast and Pennant Hills at Kanebridge Oval.
East Coast vs Pennant Hills at Kanebridge Oval- Saturday 2.10pm
It is the second time these two teams have played this year with the previous encounter occurring in Round 4 when the Eagles got the win by 28 points in atrocious conditions.
The teams sit one-two on the ladder and this match could go a long way in determining who will finish minor premiers.
East Coast enter the match on the back of a 45 point win over Manly Warringah last week and if they can replicate the form they showed, they will be very hard to beat.
New recruit Blake Anderson is starting to find his feet in the AFL Sydney competition after a best on ground performance last week and his speed and elite ball use from halfback will be a key for the Eagles. Ruckman Andrew Browning is having an excellent season and he along with Trent Stubbs, Andrew McConnell and co will be relied on to get first us of the ball out of the centre.
The Demons last week had to battle all game against a determined North Shore outfit, coming from behind in the last quarter to claim a 16 point win. Sam Zikman kicked five goals in Division One last weekend which has resulted in a call up to Premier Division. Tom Angel has been one of the standouts for the Demons this year and will be looking to continue on that good form.
This game is also the BLK AFL Sydney Match of the Week streamed live at www.Youtube.com/aflsydneylive
With plenty on the line and a huge crowd expected at Kanebridge Oval, this game should be a beauty.
Prediction: East Coast by 15 points
Western Suburbs vs Sydney University at Picken Oval- Saturday 2.10pm
Picken Oval will see the a replay of last years Elimination Final when Western Suburbs take on Sydney University.
The Students won the first encounter this year by a whopping 82 points however the Magpies are a much improved outfit since that game.
The Magpies nearly caused one of the upsets of the year last week, when they led by as much as 20 points in the last quarter over St George. The Dragons however dug deep in the final quarter in consecutive weeks and their class shone through and they escaped with a 2 point win.
Taran Etto has fitted in nicely at Wests and would be close to leading the Magpies best and fairest count. He will need to get the ball moving forward from the centre and use his run and carry if the Magpies want to get over the line. Paul Bevan will be the danger man inside forward 50 and if he can replicate last weeks performance, lookout for a Magpies upset.
The Students will be looking to continue on from last weeks game when they dismantled a disappointing Bulldogs side by 84 points.
Matt Powys showed what he can do when given an opportunity inside forward 50 bagging five goals and will be important for the Students. Aron Everett is again having a terrific season in the ruck and if he controls that postion tomorrow, the Students will be hard to stop.
Prediction: Sydney University by 9 points
UNSW/ES vs UTS at Village Green- Saturday 2.30pm
The battle of the Eastern Suburbs will be taking place this Saturday when UTS travel to Village Green to take on UNSW/ES.
The Bulldogs and the Bats last met in the season opener on April 10th when the Bats easily took the 4 points, winning by over 11 goals. Both sides wouldn’t be too pleased with how their season has planned out but will be looking to make a charge for the finals in the second half of the year.
The Bulldogs would be most disappointed with last weeks result against Sydney University and will need to be more competitive this weekend.
Jordan Lampi remains out which is a big blow for the Bulldogs who have missed his quality the last few weeks. Kane Latham and Ryan Plant are also out and the Bulldogs will need the class of Jeremy Daniher and Matt Round to carry a lot of the load this match.
The Bats enjoyed a much needed rest last week when they had the bye and will be confident of a second victory over their rivals this year.
UTS need to win this game if they want to stay in touch with the top five. Despite real signs of improvement under Nic Fosdike, if they were to lose they would surprisingly be in a fight to avoid consecutive wooden spoons. Tom Larby will be important at centre half forward and will need to be the link man when the Bats are coming out of defence. Skipper Ben Moyle has had a good 2015 and will be looking to carry his side over the line in this crucial clash.
Both teams are in a struggle to make finals, however the team that does win might be able to carry some momentum into the second half of the year and cause some upsets along the way.
Prediction: UTS by 24 points
North Shore vs Manly Warringah at Gore Hill Oval- Saturday 4.45pm
The final match this week will be played under lights when the North Shore Bombers take on the Manly Warringah Giants in a battle for the Bendigo Cup.
Both sides are coming off a loss in Round 9 and will be looking to return to the winners list. In the Round 4 encounter, the Giants dismantled the Bombers to the tune of 61 points in slog fest at a wet Blacktown ISP.
The Bombers come into this match with a new coach following Gareth Lawson’s departure which may be unsettling however the side are playing some good footy at the moment and have showed improved performances the last two weeks. The return of Selby Lee-Steere has been big for the Bombers and will be critical in this weeks clash. This will be Lee-Steere’s last game before leaving the Bombers for the rest of the year and he will be looking go out with a bang. The loss of Josh David-Wright is a massive blow for North Shore, with the Bombers needing to find an alternative to play on Leading Goal Kicker Brayden Fowler.
Manly Warringah would have been disappointed with their final quarter last week against the Eagles which pushed the margin out further than what it should’ve been. Brayden Fowler was kept goalless for the first time in a long while last week and will be wanting to make amends this week. Connor Pettersson was also kept unusually quiet last week and will want to get back to his earlier season form.
This game will be a gripping contest with both teams having plenty to play for.
Prediction: Manly Warringah by 43 points
Last Modified on 03/07/2015 12:04
