SYDNEY AFL PRELIMINARY FINAL 2015
Article and Premier Division Photos by Michael Shillito
Divisional Grand Final Photos thanks to www.sydneyafl.com.au


With East Coast Eagles� spot in the Grand Final already secure, Pennant Hills and St George played off for the right to take on the Eagles; the third year in a row that the Demons and Dragons have been Preliminary Final opponents.
Sunday afternoon�s Preliminary Final at Henson Park started under overcast skies, but before too long the sun would emerge from the clouds. Conditions were good for footy, with no wind of any significance. And it would be a tale of fluctuating fortunes that would remain in the balance until the final siren.
Pennant Hills, third after the home and away season, had got there with a win against Manly in the Qualifying Final before narrowly going down to East Coast in the Second Semi. For St George, it was their third sudden death final on the trot, having beaten Sydney Uni and Manly so far during the playoffs.
St George hit the ground running, with the Dragons piling on the pressure early. They were on the scoreboard in the opening minute, and would maintain the lead throughout the first quarter. At times their enthusiasm would get the better of them, and Jackson Okunbor found himself banished to the sin bin for 15 minutes. But for the most part it was a team turning on their pace and creating opportunities.
Paul Sain provided a highlight as he flew high above a pack to pull down one of the most spectacular marks to be seen in Sydney footy. But although the Dragons were doing the pace-making and remained in front through the first quarter, the Demons were never far behind. After a quarter of three goals to two, the Dragons held a five-point lead at quarter time.
The momentum of the game would resemble a pendulum during the second quarter. Seven goals were scored during the term, four by the Demons, three by the Dragons; and every one of them would see the lead change. Both sides were trying to be positive without compromising their defence; but both would let themselves down with some silly turnovers and giving away some frees that they shouldn�t.
But James Dunn�s goal for Pennant Hills, the Demons� fourth for the quarter, came through a split-second before the final and saw the Demons come into the rooms at half time with a five point lead.
The third quarter started in confusion, with two umpires awarding free kicks in different directions before the ball was bounced. But it was the free kick to the Demons in the centre that prevailed, and they would get first use of the footy.
Luke Bilbe on the lead would add to the Demons� lead with the first goal of the third term. But when it looked like the Demons were set to get on top, the Dragons would fight back. Jake Brown kick-started the revival, losing his footing but regaining it before a clever snap around the corner to goal; and when Taylor Preece marked strongly 25 metres from home at the 10 minute mark, the Dragons were back in front.
Preece was in form up forward, and a rather spectacular mark and goal sent the vocal St George contingent in front of the eastern hill into full voice. The Dragons were eight points ahead. But there would be more twists in this tale.
The Demons would get back to one point behind. Michael Talbot was surrounded, but an overhead handball managed to find its target and Connor Owen-Auburn ran through to score. A minute later, Luke Bilbe led and marked, and the Demons were back in front.
It had been relatively free-flowing footy; not as many ball-ups and congested packs as what it often seen. Although not all opportunities to create scoring shots were taken, it was certainly possible to string some scores together. And with just six points separating the sides at the last change, the game was in the balance. And with a Grand Final berth on offer, the stakes were high.
As the final quarter started, the game was there to be one. And the Demons struck an important blow early, as Luke Bilbe shrugged off two tackles before going short to find Damian Dell�Aquila for the first goal of the last term. But the Dragons had a quick reply, with David Lycakis putting his body on the line to force a turnover and find Taylor Preece for his third. And at the 10 minute mark, Nick Shaw on the run gave the Dragons the lead.
This was a game of shifting fortunes, and now it was Pennant Hills� turn to apply some scoreboard pressure. But they radar was deserting them, and the next five scoring shots would be Demon behinds. It was enough to turn the two-point deficit into a three-point lead; but far too tight for comfort. Tension was mounting, nerves building among the faithful fans as the minutes ticked by.
But weight of possession and getting the ball forward would eventually take its toll as Tom Angel landed a long bomb from 50 metres out. The minutes were ticking by, the clock into time-on; and when Michael Talbot forced a holding-the-ball free and converted the free kick, the Demons were 15 points to the good.
The clock had passed 26 minutes, but Dean Gilbert threw the Dragons a lifeline when he kicked truly when getting a free on a tight angle. The Dragons got the centre break, Paul Sain marked 15 metres out and kicked truly. Suddenly the margin was back to three points. Could the Dragons get one more and complete the miracle?
The Dragons got the tap-out, and moved it out of the centre. But Stephen Wray saved the day for the Demons, lunging himself into a tackle that brought down Jordan West. Holding the ball was paid, and the chance was gone. Had West got his kick forward, the Dragon forwards were ready. But Wray�s aerobic feat of throwing himself at West and preventing him from getting the kick away would be the difference between the two sides.
The siren sounded, and the Demons were home by three points. Relief for the Demons, and their reward is a place in the Grand Final. Luke Bilbe kicked four goals in a best-on-ground performance, while Sam Widmer and Damian Dell�Aquila also featured prominently for the Demons.
For St George, Ben Jones, Taylor Preece and Tim Coenen worked hard all day. But it was a heart-breaking loss for the Dragons; the third year in a row that the Demons had ended their Grand Final hopes at the last hurdle.

And so the season comes down to one more game. East Coast Eagles taking on Pennant Hills Demons.
The Eagles will be the hottest of favourites. A host of star-power, many of them dropping down from their NEAFL team of recent seasons. Minor premiers, having only dropped one game all year. Well rested, having only been called into action once during the finals.
But Pennant Hills will only need to cast their mind back to 2006 for inspiration. The Eagles had been undefeated until Grand Final day. But on the big day, the heavens opened and the Demons surfed the tide in the final term to run over the Eagles. Will history repeat?

Pennant Hills 2.3 6.7 9.11 12.17 (89)
St George 3.2 6.2 9.5 13.8 (86)
Goals : Pennant Hills �
L Bilbe 4, N Hey 2, D Dell�Aquilia 2, M Talbot, T Angel, J Dunn, C Owen-Auburn. St George � N Ryan 3, T Preece 3, P Sain 2, N Shaw, D Gilbert, D Lycakis, B Hodgson, J Brown.
Best : Pennant Hills � L Bilbe, S Widmer, D Dell�Aquila, T Angel, C Smith, R Ediriwickrama. St George � B Jones, T Preece, T Coenen, D Tomlins, T Martin, J West.
At Henson Park, Sunday 20th September 2015.

Division One:
Preliminary Final
Sydney Uni 3.0 6.2 8.4 9.10 (64)
Balmain 1.2 3.4 4.4 8.5 (53)
Goals : Sydney Uni �
N Dale 3, S Clark 2, C Kendrick 2, A MacPherson, C Browne. Balmain � W Blackburne 3, D Woodend, R Chowanetz, J Donato, A Cottrell, B Lambert.
Best : Sydney Uni � M Higgins, W Gowers, R Kennedy, S Ryan, D Vincent, D Miller. Balmain � C Brown, K Jones, A Barr, W Blackburne, B Lambert, E Woodend.
At Henson Park, Sunday 20th September 2015.

Under 19s One:
Preliminary Final
North Shore 4.3 5.3 5.7 8.12 (60)
Pennant Hills 3.0 7.1 7.5 7.5 (47)
Goals : North Shore �
C Silvester 2, B Parks 2, J Mapleson, N Campbell, M Wilson, A Roy. Pennant Hills � M Vidler, B Thompson, C Lee, M Preen, L De Vries, I Pearson, B Clark.
Best : North Shore � D Baron-Hay, J Mapleson, J Cubis, S Fraser-Krause, N Hurrell, M Wright. Pennant Hills � J Carroll, H Rivers, C Lees, L De Vries, C Luscombe, J Preedy.
At Henson Park, Sunday 20th September 2015.


SECOND GRAND FINAL DAY
On Saturday at Blacktown International Sportspark, five premierships were up for grabs. It was a marathon day of footy that saw five different clubs lift up premiership cups.
Division Four
The first game on the program was Division Four, with Macquarie Uni taking on Wollondilly. The Warriors had been minor premiers and first to qualify for the Grand Final; and everything looked to be going according to script in the first quarter as they kicked the only two goals for the quarter and held the Knights scoreless.
The Knights lifted in the second term. The defence was tightened, and the Warriors were unable to penetrate it to score a goal in the second quarter. At the other end, the Knights began to create chances, but some inaccurate finishing would hold them back and for all their efforts they would only score one goal; and at half time the Warriors� lead was cut to four points.
A more open third quarter saw the Warriors looking to take the other hand. The University side would win the quarter with a haul of three goals to two, leading by ten points at the last change. For much of the game it had been a low-scoring and tightly-defended match; but even in the context of a game where goals had been hard to come by, a ten point lead was far from insurmountable.
And so it would prove in the last quarter. The Knights would emerge the stronger side in the last term, and would score three unanswered goals for the quarter. Hitting the lead late in the match, they would hang on in the final moments to take out the flag. It was a triumph for the Southern Highlands club, in just the second season since they joined Sydney AFL.
Rhys Hamilton took out the best on ground medal, while Daniel Hockey and James Weston also picked up plenty of the ball for the Knights. Ryan Ludowyke, Gavin Nixon and James Coburn worked hard for the Warriors.
Wollondilly 0.0 1.5 3.6 6.6 (42)
Macquarie Uni 2.2 2.3 5.4 5.6 (36)
Goals : Wollondilly �
B Robinson, S Paget, D Wolfe, A Stamoulos, R Andrews, J Hamilton. Macquarie Uni � T Cameron 2, J Coburn, A Benson, T Ellen.
Best : Wollondilly � R Hamilton, D Hockey, J Weston, R Andrews, C Fitzsimmons, S Paget. Macquarie Uni � R Ludowyke, G Nixon, J Coburn, T Cameron, M Lawrence, T McMurrich.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 19th September 2015.

Division Three
It was a University derby in Division Three, with UTS taking on Sydney Uni. They had been the standout teams in this division all season, but the Bats had finished top of the table after the home and away season and had won the Second Semi.
Not much separated the sides in the first quarter. The Students had their chances but poor kicking would let them down. The Bats would capitalise, kicking two goals to one to take a three point lead into the quarter time huddle.
The arm-wrestle would continue in the second quarter. It was low-scoring, as the defences were tight and relentless pressure was piled on by both sides. The Students, kicking two goals to one for the quarter, took the lead in the dying moments of the quarter and led by two points at half time.
When the teams returned to the field for the second half, the premiership quarter would prove decisive. The Students lifted and controlled proceedings around the ground with a burst of footy that would turn out to be the difference on the day. A run of four goals to one would give the Students an advantage of 23 points at three quarter time.
There would be no way back for the Bats in the final quarter. They would win the quarter, by three goals to two, but it wasn�t enough to get anywhere near returning to the lead. And when the final siren sounded, the Students had taken out the Grand Final by 18 points.
Nicholas Lloyd was awarded the best-on-ground medal for the Students. Gabriel Robbie contributed four goals to the Sydney Uni cause, while Charles Allworth and Alex Clarke were ball magnets all day. For the Bats, the efforts for so much of the day by Hugh Perks, Bradley Wooten and Brett Day kept them in the contest.
Sydney Uni 1.4 3.6 7.9 9.13 (67)
UTS 2.1 3.4 4.4 7.7 (49)
Goals : Sydney Uni �
G Robbie 4, N Lloyd 3, J Walsh, B Clendenning. UTS � N Barrett 3, M Ayers, M Pennycuick, M Bignell, G Kaufman.
Best : Sydney Uni � N Lloyd, C Allworth, A Clarke, R Lee, N Danckert, P Younan. UTS � H Perks, B Wooten, B Day, M Bignell, N Barrett, R Fitzgerald.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 19th September 2015.

Womens Division One
Next up was the Womens Division One Grand Final, an inner-city derby with Sydney Uni taking on Newtown Breakaways. The Bombers had easily taken out the minor premiership and then won the Second Semi-Final. But on Grand Final day, it was the Breakaways who would pull off a stunning upset and take out the premiership.
The Breakaways took control around the midfield early in the contest, and the weight of possession saw the ball spend much more time inside their forward 50. And in turn that led to some scoreboard pressure being put on, as they scored the only two goals of the quarter to lead by 14 points at quarter time.
Stung by the first quarter, the Bombers tried to lift their way out of trouble in the second term. But some inaccurate finishing would let them down, and the Breakaways were high in confidence and weren�t going to let their opposition back into the contest without a fight. And for all Sydney Uni�s efforts, they were outscored for the quarter; the Breakaways adding two goals to one to lead by 17 points at half time.
An upset was in the air, and the Bombers knew they would have to turn on something that was missing in the first half if they were going to get back into the contest. But it just wasn�t happening for them; and for all their possession and all their work in the third quarter they were unable to make a dent in the deficit. The Breakaways didn�t have as many chances in the third quarter, but were able to do more with what they had; and another run of two goals to one saw them leading by 21 points at the last change.
The Breakaways were visibly tired by then, and were unable to score in the final quarter. But the lead they had built up was enough of a buffer to hold Sydney Uni out; and the Bombers would only score one goal in the last term.
In the end, the Breakaways took out the Grand Final by 14 points. Codie Briggs was awarded the best on ground medal, while Cassandra Lees and Rosemary Morison also made key contributions. For Sydney Uni, Nicola Barr, Megan Andresen and Rachael Stack were among their best.
Newtown 2.3 4.4 6.4 6.4 (40)
Sydney Uni 0.1 1.5 2.7 4.8 (26)
Goals : Newtown �
C Briggs 2, L Holdsworth, V Iles, B Small, A Schroeder. Sydney Uni � B Michalk, N Barr, L Sadler.
Best : Newtown � C Briggs, C Lees, R Morison, S Foster, L Holdsworth, A Parkin. Sydney Uni � N Barr, M Andresen, R Stack, E Yuen, A Foo, B Michalk.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 19th September 2015.

Division Two
In the three earlier Grand Finals, the team that had got into the Grand Final from the Second Semi had been beaten. Division Two finally saw a team that qualified first for the Grand Final take out the premiership. But it was still a shock result, as Camden had dominated the home and away season in Division Two before going down in the Second Semi and only just falling over the line in the Preliminary Final.
The Cats were looking the stronger side early, and the ball spent much of the first quarter inside their attacking 50. Some inaccurate finishing would cost them, but the Blacktown defence rose to the occasion to stop many more attacking raids. But with three goals to two in the first quarter and a nine-point lead, the minor premiers were looking on the right track.
But the momentum changed in the second term, as the Magic made their move. Camden�s attacking flair was rubbed out, and the Magic began to pile on the forward pressure. And this was quickly turned into scoreboard pressure, as the Magic kicked three unanswered goals for the quarter to turn the deficit into a ten point half time lead.
When the teams returned to the field for the premiership quarter, the game became more defensively-minded. The scoring dried up as the tackles became harder and the physical pressure rose. Just one goal apiece for the quarter and Blacktown was eight points to the good at the last change.
The Cats threw everything at the challenge in the last quarter, desperate to regain the lead. But it wasn�t to be, as the Blacktown defence was equal to the task. The Cats could only manage a single goal in the last term, and the Magic also managed to get one which put the result beyond doubt and ensured the Magic would take out the premiership.
The final margin was eight points. Kent Weir took out the best on ground medal, while Leighton Corr and Ethan Barclay also made important contributions; Barclay�s four goals being invaluable in the context of a low-scoring game. For Camden, it was a disappointing end to a season that promised so much; but the former Campbelltown Premier Division trio of Matt Withers, Josh Van Luenen and Mark Maher had strong games on the day.
Blacktown 2.1 5.3 6.5 7.8 (50)
Camden 3.4 3.5 4.9 5.12 (42)
Goals : Blacktown �
E Barclay 4, A Moeller, L Corr, D Lim. Camden � M Withers 2, M Lecek, M Maher, J Ven Luenen.
Best : Blacktown � K Weir, L Corr, E Barclay, J Moeller, B Hynes, A Polkinghorne. Camden � M Withers, J Van Luenen, M Maher, M Broadstock, J Leys, B Sommerville.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 19th September 2015.

Under 19s Division Two
The last Grand Final of the day was played under lights, as Wests took on Holroyd-Parramatta in the Under 19s Division Two.
The Goannas were runaway minor premiers but were beaten by Wests in the Second Semi before bouncing back to win the Prelim Final and a re-match with the Magpies. For three quarters it was an even contest before Wests took control in the final term.
Nothing separated the two sides in the first quarter. It was goal for goal, two goals apiece for the quarter, and scores were level at quarter time. The second quarter was a similar story, with the lead changing numerous times as two sides that looked evenly-matched looked for weaknesses in the other but probed in vain. Three goals apiece in the second term, and the teams returned to the rooms at half time with the Magpies holding a three-point advantage.
The lead continued to fluctuate in the third quarter. It was more open footy now, with forwards beginning to create leads and both sides throwing caution to the wind in a desperate search for the advantage. But neither side would crack under pressure and the lead would change hands several more times during a quarter in which each side would score four goals. The three quarter time siren sounded with the Magpies six points ahead, and it was looking like it would be a thriller.
But as the final quarter unfolded, the Magpies began to assert themselves. The Goannas, after three thrilling quarters, had nothing more to give and it was Wests who broke away with a stunning final quarter. The floodgates opened and they would score six goals to one in the final quarter, and finally the Magpie faithful had cause to break out into full voice.
In the end, the premiership was won by 32 points. Ben Zoppo was awarded the best on ground medal, while Jordan Etto controlled the final quarter up forward to finish with five goals. Kaya Bremner and Aidan Bell also featured prominently for the Magpies as they completed back to back premierships. Mitchell Sapiatzer, Stephen Smith and Chom Manut picked up plenty of the ball for the Goannas; but premiership glory was not to be and a marathon Grand Final day in which not one minor premier team would go on to take out the flag was complete.
Western Suburbs 2.2 5.6 9.9 15.12 (102)
Holroyd-Parramatta 2.2 5.3 9.3 11.4 (70)
Goals : Wests �
J Etto 5, B Zoppo 3, T Kannan 2, C McEvoy-Gray 2, D Tilio, A Ball, D Kannan. Holroyd-Parramatta � S Smith 3, J Upfill 2, B Pidgeon 2, M Pasfield 2, K Mansfield, H Landels.
Best : Wests � B Zoppo, K Bremner, A Bell, J Etto, T Kannan, R Connelly. Holroyd-Parramatta � M Sapiatzer, S Smith, C Manut, M Bleesing, R Morris, J Upfill.
At Blacktown International Sportspark, Saturday 19th September 2015.


GRAND FINAL DAY
Just one more game day to finish the season, the big one. It�s Grand Final day for the three remaining grades next Sunday at Henson Park; which will be the climax to what�s been a marathon season.
The program at Henson Park on Sunday is:
9:30am � Under 19s Division One � UNSW-ES v North Shore
12:00pm � Division One � Pennant Hills v Sydney Uni
2:30pm � Premier Division � East Coast v Pennant Hills