SYDNEY AFL ROUND 10 - Don't Write Off the Bombers Yet
At the half-way point of the season, reigning premiers North Shore were in trouble. An exodus of players over the course of the off-season forced coach Michael Hosking to turn again to fielding a young and inexperienced team during the early rounds of 2008. Some heavy losses were to follow, with UNSW-ES running all the way to a double century; and by round 9 the Bombers found themselves 2 games plus a massive percentage break out of the finals.
And so the Bombers were under pressure when they travelled to a muddy Ern Holmes Oval to take on the high-flying Pennant Hills. The Demons were sitting pretty in second place, and even with young guns Ranga Ediwickrama and Scott Reed out of the side there was still a very talented team that took the field in the red and blue.
The Demons were the hottest of favourites, but didn't have everything their own way early. The Bombers made the early front-running with 2 of the first 3 goals; but when Clint Setford was unmarked in the square to receive a handball and score, and then Josh Duncan rode a bump from Ben Attwood and ran in to convert; the Demons were in front as the clock ticked into time-on. Maintaining the advantage, the Demons led by 6 points at quarter-time and seemingly were on their way.
But someone forgot to give North Shore a copy of the script, and the second term was to be a reversal of recent form and all expectations. North Shore dominated the quarter, refusing at any time to surrender possession. Ben Attwood restored the North Shore lead with a run to the 50 metre line before blazing away and kicking truly. For much of the quarter the ball was camped in front of the southern goals, but the Bombers were unable for much of the quarter to turn their glut of possession into scoreboard pressure. But finally after 18 minutes their perseverance was rewarded when Lachlan Pryor sharked the crumbs off a marking contest to score. From the restart, Ted Strudwick on the run added another. On the 23 minute mark, with the ball drifting off hands towards the goal-line; Adam Nicks put through a soccer special worthy of Tim Cahill or Harry Kewell to add another and the Bombers were inspired. And to make things worse for the Demons, they were then to lose Seb Parker, stretchered off after landing on the centre quagmire.
Laine Spencer dribbled a late goal through for the Demons to cut the margin to 16 points, and Keiran Wright in the opening minute of the third quarter reduced the margin further after marking on the 50 metre line. The third quarter was to be absorbing viewing - it wasn't high-scoring, with just 4 goals scored until the 25 minute mark; but it was a fascinating contest. The Demons desperately tried to force their way back into the contest but were denied time and time again by a spirited North Shore side with a point to prove. But how long could the Bombers hold the Demon surge out? It was an arm-wrestle, with the ball moving back and forth between the 50 metre lines but rarely travelling further. But, deep into time-on, a second effort by Daniel Kulk and a checkside by Ash Naylor gave the Bombers the advantage of a 21-point buffer at the last change.
Pennant Hills have come from behind to record wins in the past, and during the break Mick Cousens implored his charges to keep going and maintain the pressure. Bomber mentor Michael Hosking warned his players against complacency - the job wasn't done yet but they had to keep doing what they'd been doing.
The first goal in the last term would be all-important; even more so as it took a long time in coming. By now the light was fading, the ground was heavier than ever, and the hard-working players from both sides found themselves covered in mud. The Demons threw everything at North Shore, but the Bomber defence held firm. Finally at the 10 minute mark, Michael Cowell found Ash Naylor unmarked 20 metres out and the crucial goal had come North Shore's way. Two minutes later, Daniel Kulk was held when not in possession, his free kick adding another, and the resistance was broken. The floodgates had opened and the Bombers were to dominate the later stages; the highlight being a run with three bounces by Ben Attwood from in front of the clubhouse to add another goal.
The final margin was 56 points, in a contest that for much of the day looked to be a lot closer. It was a great result for North Shore, one that after some disappointments gives them some hope of bridging the still considerable gap between them and the finals. For Pennant Hills, the fadeout was disappointing and would cost them dearly in ladder position; but the Demons will be sure to regroup. Interestingly, the loser of the Pennant Hills v North Shore clash at Ern Holmes for the past 4 seasons has gone on to take out the premiership.
East Coast Eagles moved into the top 3 with a 45 point win over Sydney Uni at Henson Park. A 6 goals to 1 opening term set the tone for the day, with the Eagles extending their lead to 60 points at the last change before the Students restored some percentage by winning the last quarter. With the Eagles spreading the goals around so impressively that 15 Eagles got their names on the goalscoring list, Lawrence Furlan led the Eagles goalscoring with 4 goals, while Alex Lee continued his impressive run in front of goals with a bag of 5 for the Students.
Matt Eurell was the star for Western Suburbs with 7 goals as the Magpies defeated Campbelltown by 33 points at Monarch. The contest was decided in the first quarter, when the Magpies ran in 8.6 to 0.1, and although the Blues outscored Wests for the remainder of the match they never looked a chance to get back into the contest. Glenn Stevens with 5 goals put up a defiant fight for the Blues, but it was a solid win for Wests and one that sees only percentage keeping them out of the top 5 while the Blues are at serious risk of dropping out of finals contention.
St George welcomed premier Morris Iemma to Olds Park, a ground where he played his junior football, for the Crows' match against Balmain. The match never reached any great heights, but the Crows did what they needed to and recorded a 38-point win. Balmain's early inaccuracy cost them any chance of working their way into the contest, with St George going to a 31-point lead at the long break and maintaining that advantage for the remainder of the match. Maurice Goolagong dominated the Crows' forward line again, with a bag of 4 in a low-scoring contest.
Wollongong's second win for 2008 continues to elude them, but the Lions again put up a competitive effort and challenged a highly-fancied opponent. Hosting top side UNSW-ES, the Lions led at the first change and there was only a kick in it at half time. But the Bulldogs then kicked away after the long break to record a 32-point win and maintain their position at the top of the ladder. Michael Carey and Brad Abbott each kicked 3 for the Bulldogs, Abbott taking his tally to 59 for the season and the Bulldog veteran remains on track to be the first player in many years to kick the ton.
First Division action saw Camden take out a 32-point victory over NorWest Jets at Fairfax Oval. Southern Sharks took out a 15-point win over Macquarie Uni, while UTS overcame their own inaccuracy to defeat Penrith by 89 points. But it was far closer at Weldon Oval, where Holroyd-Parramatta fought it out all the way against Manly but fell short by just 7 points.
North Shore 2.3 6.9 9.14 16.17 (113)
Pennant Hills 3.3 4.5 7.6 10.7 (67)
Goals : North Shore - D Kulk 5, L Pryor 2, B Attwood 2, T Strudwick 2, A Naylor 2, A Nicks, A Chiew, A Cowell. Pennant Hills - C Setford 4, K Wright 2, L Spencer, M Carter, N Campbell, J Duncan.
Reserves - Pennant Hills 13.10 (88) d North Shore 4.3 (27)
At Ern Holmes Oval, Saturday 21st June 2008.
East Coast Eagles 6.4 10.7 18.11 21.12 (138)
Sydney University 1.3 4.7 7.7 14.9 (93)
Goals : East Coast - L Furlan 4, B Rogers 2, G Garner 2, R Smyth 2, D Bowles, A Floyd, P Entwistle, S Ryan, A McLennan, M Sankey, A Polkinghorne, A Stubbs, J Vlatko, R Bilkey, G Seebeck. Sydney Uni - A Lee 5, M Egan 3, P Fitzpatrick 3, S Crichton, N Costello, A Wilson.
Reserves - East Coast 13.13 (91) d Sydney Uni 9.5 (59)
At Henson Park, Saturday 21st June 2008.
Western Suburbs 8.6 10.5 17.7 18.8 (116)
Campbelltown 0.1 3.4 8.6 12.11 (83)
Goals : Wests - M Eurell 7, C McGuirk 3, M Scarfo 2, M Mendola, S Kassem, A Fiddler, M Frail, B Bray, B Lear. Campbelltown - G Stevens 5, M Edwins 2, D Fraser, M Skuse, C Fretwell, T Wright, L Coughlan.
Reserves - Wests 20.17 (137) d Campbelltown 5.5 (35)
At Monarch Oval, Saturday 21st June 2008.
St George 4.3 7.7 8.9 11.14 (80)
Balmain 1.6 2.6 4.10 5.12 (42)
Goals : St George - M Goolagong 4, P Dugmore 3, D Donohue 2, T Cole 2. Balmain - D Napper 2, D Wilson, B Clarke, K Moon.
Reserves - St George 20.19 (139) d Balmain 4.4 (28)
At Olds Park, Saturday 21st June 2008
Uni NSW-Eastern Suburbs 1.1 5.7 8.9 13.12 (90)
Wollongong 2.1 5.3 6.4 9.4 (58)
Goals : UNSW-ES - M Carey 3, B Abbott 3, A Heffernan 2, L Lavery 2, S Pech 2, B Habberley. Wollongong - A Holmes 3, R Neels 2, M Adamson, S Dennis, A McConnochie, T Heath.
Reserves - UNSW-ES 17.18 (120) d Wollongong 4.3 (27)
At North Dalton Oval, Saturday 21st June 2008.
Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Pts %age Streak UNSW-Eastern Suburbs 10 9 0 1 1,213 791 36 153.35 W7 St George 10 8 0 2 935 706 32 132.44 W6 East Coast Eagles 10 7 0 3 1,080 758 28 142.48 W4 Pennant Hills 10 7 0 3 1,082 819 28 132.11 L1 Sydney University 10 5 0 5 1,068 964 20 110.79 L1 Western Suburbs 10 5 0 5 860 903 20 95.24 W1 North Shore 10 4 0 6 772 983 16 78.54 W1 Campbelltown 10 3 0 7 660 1,045 12 63.16 L2 Wollongong 10 1 0 9 775 1,010 4 76.73 L7 Balmain 10 1 0 9 689 1,155 4 59.65 L4
First Division:
Camden 15.13 (103) d NorWest Jets 10.11 (71)
Southern Sharks 12.11 (83) d Macquarie Uni 10.8 (68)
Uni Technology, Sydney 14.29 (113) d Penrith 3.6 (24)
Manly-Warringah 10.14 (74) d Holroyd-Parramatta 10.7 (67)
Reserve Grade
NorWest Jets 22.16 (148) d Camden 4.4 (28)
Southern Sharks 14.7 (91) d Macquarie Uni 7.6 (48)
UTS d Penrith - forfeit
Manly-Warringah 22.24 (156) d Holroyd-Parramatta 1.2 (8)
Second Division:
Manly-Warringah d Holroyd-Parramatta - forfeit
Moorebank Sports 7.11 (53) d Sydney Uni Red 4.9 (33)
Pennant Hills 7.9 (51) d Sydney Uni Blue 6.12 (48)
UNSW-ES Whales 17.17 (119) d Macquarie Uni 5.12 (42)
UNSW-ES Bulldogs 16.20 (116) d UTS 4.6 (30)
Under 18s Premier:
Pennant Hills 8.7 (55) d North Shore Bombers 7.11 (53)
East Coast Eagles 11.11 (77) d North Shore Bears 8.10 (58)
Campbelltown 10.16 (76) d Western Suburbs 7.4 (46)
Wollongong 17.19 (121) d St Ignatius Riverview 3.6 (24)
Under 18s Challenge:
Southern Sharks 11.13 (79) d Macquarie Uni 7.8 (50)
Manly-Warringah 14.10 (94) d East Coast Eagles 6.6 (42)
Pennant Hills 10.7 (67) d Penrith 6.8 (44)
UNSW-ES 18.10 (118) d Moorebank Sports 3.4 (22)
NEXT WEEK'S FIXTURES (Lurker's Kiss of Death in bold):
Saturday 28th June
Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v St George (Seniors 2:10pm, Reserves 12pm)
North Dalton Oval - Wollongong v Western Suburbs (Seniors 2:10pm, Reserves 12pm)
Charles McLaughlin Oval - East Coast Eagles v UNSW-ES (Seniors 2:15pm, Reserves 12:15pm)
Sydney Uni No 1 Oval - Sydney University v North Shore (7pm)
(Sydney Uni v North Shore reserves at St Pauls Oval 3:00pm)
Sunday 29th June
Drummoyne Oval - Balmain v Campbelltown (Seniors 2:10pm, Reserves 12pm)
First Division:
Saturday 28th June (Seniors 2:10pm, Reserves 12pm)
Bensons Lane - NorWest Jets v Manly-Warringah
Gipps Rd Oval - Holroyd-Parramatta v Camden
Greygums Oval - Penrith v Southern Sharks
Macquarie University Oval - Macquarie Uni v UTS
Second Division:
Saturday 28th June
Gipps Rd Oval - Holroyd-Parramatta v UNSW-ES Whales (10am)
Weldon Oval - Manly-Warringah v Macquarie Uni (10am)
St Pauls Oval - Sydney Uni Red v Pennant Hills (11am)
St Pauls Oval - Sydney Uni Blue v UNSW-ES Bulldogs (1pm)
Rosedale Oval - Moorebank Sports v UTS (2pm)
Under 18s Premier:
Saturday 28th June
Charles McLaughlin Oval - East Coast Eagles v St Ignatius Riverview (8:15am)
Ern Holmes Oval - Pennant Hills v St George (10am)
Gore Hill Oval -North Shore Bears v North Shore Bombers (10am)
North Dalton Oval - Wollongong v Western Suburbs (10am)
Campbelltown has the bye.
Under 18s Challenge:
Saturday 28th June
Greygums Oval - Penrith v Southern Sharks (10am)
Macquarie University Oval - Macquarie Uni v Pennant Hills (10am)
Charles McLaughlin Oval - East Coast Eagles v UNSW-ES (10:15am)
Rosedale Oval - Moorebank Sports v Manly-Warringah (12pm)
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