Round 3 Match Reports
Division 2
Mac Uni 14.20.104 beat Sydney Uni 6.11.47
First Grade took on a strong Sydney University side on their home ground with the boys looking to stay on top of the ladder after a good win the week before against Campbelltown.
MUAFC almanac "Wrighty" advised us that we had not beaten Sydney University in 7 years so the boys were keen for a win against a strong club who had recruited very well in the off season.
The first quarter saw the Warriors kick inaccurately with 3 goals and 9 behinds with the on ballers and forward blazing away after getting a bit to excited playing on the small Sydney Uni Ground. Had we converted many of these we may well have killed the game off early however we didn't and to Sydney Uni's credit they fought us all day and did not relent until the final siren blew.
After the poor first quarter we managed to then convert 50% of our shots on goal for the rest of the match kicking 11 goals and 11 behinds to finish 14.20.104 to 6.11.47.
To the boys credit we used the ball better in the 2nd half after a half-time chat and with our backman being more accountable the scoreline was pushed out to a 57 point win.
Best players were Vice Captain Justin Whyte on the wing, Brett Harland kicking 5 goals up forward, Brodie Cooper running strongly off Half Back and debutante Alex Lamond who's tackling & pressure was first class.
The Warriors now play away to Camden on Saturday in what will be another difficult game with the boys looking to make it 4 wins on the trot.
Best on Ground: J. Whyte, B. Cooper, B. Harland, A. Lamond, C. Barnes, J. Farrell
Division 3
Mac Uni 4.8.32 lost to UNSW/ES 14.22.106
Round 3 saw the Mac Warriors head to the Village Green to take on the undefeated UNSW squad. With a strong wind gusting across the ground conditions were always going to be testing.
The early signs were promising when Scotty Cations started the scoring with the first goal. Claw was wining the tap but the bounce of the ball wasn't going our way and getting clean clearances out of the centre were proving difficult. UNSW started winning these contested possessions and on a ground this size the first kick out of the centre puts you in a scoring position. UNSW put on the next 5 goals to go into quarter time with a handy lead and only their inaccurate kicking keeping us in the contest. Mac Uni 1.1 to UNSW 5.9
The quarter time break gave us time to regroup however it was UNSW that came out with a greater attack on the ball. When we got possessions a combination of perceived pressure and windy conditions made hitting the target difficult. This resulted in a number of turnovers from our positive attacks going forward and we were getting punished through these errors on the scoreboard. A nice goal from the pocket to Gunns right on half time was only our second for the half and we went to the sheds trailing by 55 points.
After the break we were far more competitive. Astro, who was shifted to defence thwarted many a UNSW attack with his aggressive attack on the ball. Funky, Scotty and Gunns continued to get their hands on the ball and get us going forward and a number of positives moves out of the backline were generated. Unfortunately a succession of poor disposals and smothered kicks prevented more forays into our forward fifty.
Busta took some strong marks in tough conditions and had the better of his opponent for the day which is a comforting sign given his first run for the year.
The final quarter was one of redemption with the result beyond doubt. To the credit of the boys the matched the intensity of the home team and we controlled the ball much better. The swirling breeze kept the ball from piercing the big sticks and we added 1.4 for the quarter to UNSW 2.2.
The bye next week will give us time to sharpen our skills on the training track and if we can somehow simulate a wind tunnel then this may help when these conditions arise next.
Best on Ground: S. Lawrenson, S. Cations, P. Sobb, G. Nixon, S. Millard, P. Hyndman
Division 4
Mac Uni 4.6.30 lost to Sydney Uni 15.17.107
Best on Ground:
U18 Challenge Cup
Mac Uni 6.3.39 lost Sydney Uni 27.12.174
Friday night saw us take on Sydney Uni under lights at their home ground in what was for many their first ever night game.
Sydney Uni kicked the first couple of goals before we kicked ours but from then on it was all one way traffic to half time without us recording another score, which after last weeks effort, perseverance and determination was very disappointing.
After the half time break we came back out with some team goals to achieve for the qtr which we actually went well beyond and played our best qtr for the game. Unfortunately we could not sustain this for the whole last qtr and in the end were comprehensively beaten by a better Syd Uni team.
Sam " Sammy " Lehman tried hard all game and kicked 4 goals whilst playing on the ball with Pooley, Belly and Noney stepping up as the game went on and Mark Bishop showing encouraging signs of improvement and determination.
Best on Ground: G. Smith, S. Lobascher, D. Smith, J. Seabrook, T. Kallio, S. Uglow
Last Modified on 30/04/2009 11:51