SYDNEY AFL PRELIMINARY FINAL 2014
Article and Premier Division Photos by Michael Shillito
Grand Final Photos thanks to www.sydneyafl.com.au


With Manly having already qualified for next week�s Grand Final, Pennant Hills met St George at Blacktown on Sunday afternoon for the other spot on Sydney footy�s biggest stage. The Demons and Dragons had played off a fortnight ago in the Qualifying Final, in what was a cracker of a contest. This time round the quality of football wasn�t anywhere near as high; but the end result was the same. A Pennant Hills win.
The weather in Sydney lately hasn�t been great, but Sunday was the best day we�ve had for weeks. The first sign of spring, with the sun shining and the mercury hitting 24 degrees, with a slight wind picking up at unpredictable intervals. Blacktown International Sportspark was looking a treat. Great conditions for footy.
The stakes were high and the pressure was intense in a first quarter in which scoring shots were hard to come by. Tom Angel got one early for Pennant Hills, and Tom Green had a reply for the Dragons. But for much of the quarter the ball was closer to the boundary lines on the wing than to the goal squares; and those goals would be the only ones to be scored in a low-scoring and evenly-matched first quarter.
The Dragons held a two-point lead at quarter time; but the Demons emerged from the quarter time huddle full of running and wasted no time in getting on top in general play. Kicking to the railway end in the second term, the midfield pumped the ball forward with regularity, with the defenders pushing forward to prevent the Dragons from getting anywhere near their scoring zone. So dominant were the Demons around the ground that the Dragons would not get an inside 50 until the 17 minute mark of the quarter.
Peter Barnes found the big sticks early in the quarter to give the Demons the lead. But for all their dominance around the ground, the Demons struggled to find the goals that the run of play suggested they should. Although the St George midfield was badly beaten, the defenders stood tall and repelled Demon attacks time and time again. And the Demons let themselves down with some wasteful finishing on the forward line.
Finally the Demons achieved some reward for effort as Aaron Crisfield sharked a boundary throw-in and snapped truly. And with the clock in time-on, Tim Angel was ridden in the back 40 metres from goal. Although Angel�s feet may have slipped, his goal-kicking wings hadn�t as he steered the ball through the big sticks.
The Demons may not have achieved as much scoring as the run of play suggested they should; but the Dragons were unable to get close. Their best chance came in the dying seconds, Dom Killworth going for a run and two bounces before the siren sounded. The Dragons had been held score-less in the second quarter; and the Demons� lead was 21 points at the long break.
After taking 17 minutes to get inside 50 in the second quarter, the Dragons got the centre break to start the third and were within the circle within 17 seconds; but the Demons had the numbers back to clear the ball out of danger.
Already more than three goals ahead, the Demons searched through the quarter for a decisive further blow; but it would take a while in coming. Not for a lack of chances. Marks within striking distance weren�t paid, shots sailed across the face of goal or didn�t make the distance. But eventually, with the clock not far short of time-on, Sam Zikman marked in the pocket under the shadow of the behind post. It was a tight angle, but running around, Zikman landed the goal and struck a key blow in the race for the Grand Final berth.
Zikman�s goal was the only major score in the third term, and the Demons enjoyed a 25-point lead at the last change. The Dragons only had one goal on the board, having been comprehensively outplayed for the last two quarters.
But early in the last quarter, suddenly the Dragons had a lifeline. Tensions had boiled over with some push and shove in the early moments of the final term. And when another bout broke out when Nick Shaw had the ball in the forward pocket, a 50 metre penalty turned a tough shot into a certainty. Suddenly the margin was back to 22 points, and a minute later Bryce Addison found himself with a free kick 20 metres from home and for a fleeting moment the prospect of an unlikely comeback was raised.
As quickly as the idea of a comeback appeared, it was gone. Addison�s shot missed. The Demons went coast to coast. And Damian Dell�Aquila played on, 25 metres from home, and the ball found the target to deliver the knockout blow.
The Demons� place in the Grand Final was assured. They would continue to create chances, missing most of them; sometimes due to the wind, but more often because of pressure and poor finishing. Tom Angel landed his third goal to put icing on the victory cake; and a 50 metre penalty gave Daniel Napper a consolation goal in the dying seconds.
But when the final siren sounded, it was the Demons who would enjoy the spoils of victory. Their fourth win over the Dragons in 2014, and just the second time in 12 seasons that the team that lost the Second Semi has bounced back to win the Prelim Final. But it was a subdued victory song back in the rooms after the game. The toughest test is yet to come, and the Demons will need to put in a much stronger performance next week if they are to challenge the Manly juggernaut.

The final margin was 29 points. Tom Angel, Ranga Ediriwickrama and Ben Urwin made pivotal contributions to the Demon success. Bryce Addison, Nick Shaw and Michael Milner were St George�s best.
It�s a sense of d�j� vu. Last year Manly were the first to qualify for the Grand Final and then Pennant Hills beat St George in the Prelim Final. And this year, the same.
Will history repeat and the maroon and white reign supreme? Or will the team of the red and the blue raise the grand old flag? All will be revealed at Blacktown next Saturday as we reach the culmination of this season�s Sydney AFL season.

Preliminary Final
Pennant Hills 1.1 4.6 5.8 7.14 (56)
St George 1.3 1.3 1.7 3.9 (27)

Goals : Pennant Hills � T Angel 3, S Zikman, A Crisfield, D Dell�Aquila, P Barnes. St George � T Green, N Shaw, D Napper.
Best : Pennant Hills � T Angel, R Ediriwickrama, B Urwin, A Crisfield, S Parker, A Goodall. St George � B Addison, N Shaw, M Milner, H Green, J West, B Hodgson.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Sunday 14th September 2014.

Division One:
Preliminary Final
UTS 2.3 4.7 6.10 9.10 (64)
Macquarie Uni 2.2 5.3 5.6 7.7 (49)
Goals : UTS �
J Caica 2, T Nixon 2, H Whiting, L Lamont, H Sleigh, N Haslam, A Davis. Macquarie Uni � N Rodgers, L Mead, R Vincent, R Harris, K Bridger, A Sliwka, J Coburn.
Best : UTS � P Bredin, L Heffernan, W Chambers, T Perks, L Lamont, L Harry. Macquarie Uni � R Harris, D Brogan, M Bishop, P Le Breton, A Robertson, C Ludowyke.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Sunday 14th September 2014.

Under 19s One:
Preliminary Final
St George 2.0 5.2 5.3 12.6 (78)
Manly 0.3 2.4 5.5 5.7 (37)
Goals : St George �
D Sanderson 6, R Waters 2, K Anu, B Kilpatrick, C Kloster, T Tegg. Manly � M Brinker 2, E Burton 2, M Bell.
Best : St George � D Sanderson, J Hill, R Orr, T Tegg, S McGrillen, B Kilpatrick. Manly � E Burton, D Cantwell, J Parker, M Brinker, M Bell, T McCaffrey.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Sunday 14th September 2014.

Under 19s Two:
Preliminary Final
Western Suburbs 4.3 6.4 12.5 15.5 (95)
Penrith 0.1 0.1 0.3 6.4 (40)
Goals : Wests �
T Amanatidis 4, B Zoppo 3, M Vitale 2, B Polley 2, A Bah, J Foley, A Manchester, D Kannan. Penrith � J Field 3, A Ehrl, M Papageorgiou, A Boelhouwer.
Best : Wests � V Romanas, T Kannan, A Bah, T Amanatidis, B Polley, M Vitale. Penrith � J Field, P Pope, B Skinner, J Eckford, C Nolan, A Boelhouwer.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 14th September 2014.
Note � Western Suburbs were playing in this match after the result of the Second Semi-Final last weekend was reversed after Wests were found to have fielded an ineligible player. Moorebank were then advanced through to the Grand Final, with Wests having to play the Prelim Final.


SECOND GRAND FINAL DAY
Saturday saw four divisional Grand Finals played at Blacktown International Sportspark. Overcast skies greeted the early arrivals, but the sun broke through as the day progressed and the games were played in good conditions.
Division Four
The first game to be played was the Division Four Grand Final; with minor premiers UTS taking on Wollondilly, the Knights making a Grand Final appearance in their first season since transferring to Sydney AFL.
But it was the Bats who were the stronger team in the early exchanges, wasting little time in asserting themselves on the scoreboard. Getting on the front foot and pumping the ball forward through the first quarter, the Bats scored four goals to one in the opening term to open up a 19-point quarter time lead. The Knights had work to do in the second term to get back into the contest, and gave it their best shot; but the UTS defence held firm. The Knights had the bulk of possession in the second term, and won the quarter; but the Bats limited the damage. With two goals to one in favour of the south-western side, the margin had been reduced to 15 points at half time.
That was as close as the Knights could get. The Bats tightened up the game in the premiership quarter, holding the Knights to just one point as the Bats scored two goals to extend the margin to 27 points. The flag was secure, and the last quarter was a countdown to the Bats� celebrations. Two goals apiece were scored in the final term before the siren sounded and the Bats were finally able to taste the spoils of victory.
The final margin was 29 points. Heath Mitchell was awarded the best on ground medal, while Dustin Teasdale and John Whealans also featured prominently for the Bats. David Wolfe, Luke Osborne and Brendan Cockerill worked hard all day for Wollondilly.
UTS 4.2 5.4 7.5 9.8 (62)
Wollondilly 1.1 3.1 3.2 5.3 (33)
Goals : UTS �
A Widdicombe 2, J Hedrick 2, E Taffa 2, R Simpkin, D Teasdale, K Dempsey. Wollondilly � C Fitzsimmons 2, J Haddock, M Jensen, R Andrews.
Best : UTS � H Mitchell, D Teasdale, J Whealans, D Tate, A Chounlamountry, R Fitzgerald. Wollondilly � D Wolfe, L Osborne, B Cockerill.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 13th September 2014.

Division Three
Randwick City completed a season to remember, and did it in style; dominating from start to finish to win a lopsided Grand Final with a 127-point win over Penrith.
Bursting out of the blocks, the Saints kept the ball in their forward line non-stop through the first quarter. The Rams barely got the ball inside 50 in the first quarter, unable to trouble the scorers; as at the other end the Saints kept the goal umpire busy as they raced to a 42-point quarter time lead. The second term was even more o ne-sided, with the Saints scoring at will with nine unanswered major scores in the second quarter.
The teams went into the rooms at half time with the Saints leading by 100 points, and the premiership flag was already assured. The Rams had been unable to score a goal in the first half, but did manage three in the third term. The Saints, keen to keep the margin in three figures, matched that return with three goals of their own to lead by 105 points at three quarter time.
The premiership party had already started by the time the final term got under way. Much of the term was going through the motions, but the Saints were in complete control and added another three unanswered goals in the final quarter to complete a 127-point victory.
Mitchell Rose helped himself to six goals, with Dimitri Garoufalis contributing five and Jayden Pendleton four. Jayden Pendleton was awarded the best on ground medal, while Blair Oliver and Mitchell Rose also picked up huge numbers of possessions. On a disappointing day for Penrith, Reece Johnson, Jackson Swarbrick and Jayden Stevens kept persevering through adversity.
Randwick City 6.6 15.11 18.16 21.23 (149)
Penrith 0.0 0.1 3.1 3.4 (22)
Goals : Randwick City �
M Rose 6, D Garoufalis 5, J Pendleton 4, S Harper-Wirth 2, M Garstin 2, A Greet, C Henderson. Penrith � J Stevens, L Geeves, B Katte.
Best : Randwick City � J Pendleton, B Oliver, M Rose, A Ireland, D Garoufalis, S Harper-Wirth. Penrith � R Johnson, J Swarbrick, J Stevens, J Yates, D Smyth, J Sultana.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 13th September 2014.

Women Division One
It was a university derby for the top women�s prize, with Sydney Uni taking on UNSW-ES. And it was Sydney Uni who took the honours, the Bombers completing an undefeated season with a 17-point win in a tight, low-scoring contest.
The Stingrays created some chances in the first term, but were unable to manage a goal to show for their efforts. Better finishing was the difference between the two sides in the first term, with the Bombers converting both their scoring shots into goals to lead by nine points at quarter time. An evenly-contested second quarter saw two desperate sides matching it with each other in general play as well as on the scoreboard, with two goals apiece being scored and the nine-point lead to Sydney Uni remaining intact at the long break.
Two competitive sides were piling plenty of pressure onto each other during the premiership quarter. Both sides had their chances, with the ball spending plenty of time in both team�s 50 metre line. But neither side was able to draw twin flags from the goal umpire during the quarter; and as the teams came into their huddles at three quarter time, the Bombers were holding an 11-point lead.
With the game still up for grabs, the pressure continued to be piled on during the final term. The Stingrays needed the first goal of the final term to stay in the contest, and as the clock continued to tick, the need became even greater. But their best efforts would be denied, and instead it was the Bombers who would break the goal drought. It was the only goal of the final quarter, and enough to ensure that the undefeated Sydney Uni would prevail to take out the premiership.
In the end, it was a 17-point win for the Bombers. Rachael Stack was presented with the best on ground medal, while Sera Kaukino and Jennifer Lew also made pivotal contributions to the Sydney Uni cause. Luisa Marzotto, Courtney Gum and Madelane Collier were the Stingrays� best.
Sydney Uni 2.0 4.1 4.6 5.7 (37)
UNSW-ES 0.3 2.4 2.7 2.8 (20)
Goals : Sydney Uni �
K Byrne, A Foo, S Lancaster, A McDonnell, L Sadler. UNSW-ES � H McIntosh 2.
Best : Sydney Uni � R Stack, S Kaukino, J Lew, A Wood, A McDonnell, L Creber. UNSW-ES � L Marzotto, C Gum, M Collier, J Smith, N Vrachnas, S Banki.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 13th September 2014.

Division Two
A twilight Grand Final saw Sydney Uni continue the trend of the earlier Grand Finals, with the minor premiers going on to take out the premiership. The Students dominated around the ground, though not consistently on the scoreboard, to take out a 39-point win over Blacktown.
There wasn�t much of a wind at Blacktown, not enough to explain the erratic kicking at goal that would plague the Students through the first half. Despite being clearly the better side in general play, the Students� inaccuracy would prevent them from achieving reward for effort; and despite having eight scoring shos to one in the first quarter, the Students would lead by only seven points at quarter time.
The Students� inaccurate finishing would hurt them again in the second quarter, as the Students would get a return of 1.3 for the quarter. And the Magic would make them pay, with three second quarter goals enabling Blacktown to hit the front and take a surprise three-point lead into the rooms at half time.
When the teams returned, any complacency had been shaken out of the Students, and their goal-kicking radar finally began to work during the premiership quarter. It didn�t take long for the Students to take the lead, and the Magic began to fall behind the pace as the University side stepped up their intensity. A late surge by the Students towards the end of the quarter saw them run through five goals to two, turning the deficit into a 20-point lead at the last change.
The Students had taken control of the contest, and the three quarter time break didn�t break their momentum. Around the ground, it was all Sydney Uni; four goals to one in the final quarter being enough to complete an impressive 39-point victory.
Peter Casey kicked four goals and took out the best on ground medal for Sydney Uni, while Nicholas Lye and Daniel Potts were also important contributors for the Students� cause. Jarrod Van Veen, Mark Burger and Brad Whale were Blacktown�s best.
The result completed back-to-back premierships for Sydney Uni. Because of a cut in the Premier Division teams, the Students didn�t get promoted after last year�s flag; but this time round it�s hard to see that they�re not going to go up.
Sydney Uni 1.7 2.10 7.15 11.19 (85)
Blacktown 1.0 4.1 6.1 7.4 (46)
Goals : Sydney Uni �
P Casey 4, A Holmes 2, J Melville 2, R Wood, D Potts, R Kennedy. Blacktown � S Low, B Akmens 2, D Connors, M Newson, L Corr.
Best : Sydney Uni � P Casey, N Lye, D Potts, T Air, M Baker, M Higgins. Blacktown � J Van Veen, M Burger, B Whale, B Akmens, L Corr, A Moeller.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 13th September 2014.


AFL SYDNEY GRAND FINAL DAY
And so we come down to the final day of the Sydney AFL season, when the four remaining premiership cups are on the line. It�s a massive day of footy at Blacktown International Sportspark; with eight clubs to contest the four Grand Finals.

The big moment will be the Premier Division decider as the Manly Giants take on the Pennant Hills Demons.
The program for next Saturday is:
8:45am � Under 19s Two � Moorebank v Western Suburbs
11:00am � Under 19s One � North Shore v St George
1:15pm � Division One � Balmain v UTS
4:00pm � Premier Division � Manly v Pennant Hills