NEAFL Eastern Round 18 review

This article first appeared on neafl.com.au

By Nic Belardo

Eastlake vs. Belconnen, Ainslie Oval

Belconnen have come off the top of the NEAFL Eastern Conference ladder with their loss to Eastlake at Ainslie Oval.

With both teams inside of the top five prior to the game, Eastlake has almost stamped their name on a finals spot with the victory over the leaders.

Belconnen were on the back foot from the opening bounce, with Eastlake taking the game with both hands early on, opening up to a 28 point lead by the end of the first quarter, on the back of five early goals.

It was in the first quarter that the damage was done, as the Magpies attempted to fight their way back into the game, but were still down by 24 points at half time.

The second half was a much tighter affair between the two sides, as Belconnen continued to slowly try and work themselves back in the game, and brought the deficit down to 18 points with the final quarter left to play.

The Magpies had a flurry of chances in the final quarter, but in kicking five behinds to accompany their final two goals, the Demons were able to hold on, and record the nine point victory.

Eastlake’s Matthew O’Dwyer and Ricky Stoyanoff kicked two goals apiece from the Demons eight goals throughout the game.

Matthew Laing was integral in the half-forwards for Eastlake , while Ben Halse continued to show the form that saw him earn junior representative selection.

Xavier McMahon and John Van Meurs were a good partnership in the half-backs for the Demons, and helped stamp out Belconnen’s late charge.

Belconnen’s Andrew Dess and Simon Curtis both scored two goals for the Magpies, and also worked tirelessly in the middle of the park throughout the match.

James and Alexander Bennett also proved pivotal for the Magpies chances in the centre square throughout the match.

Eastlake have a bye next week, while Belconnen look to bounce back against a strong Ainslie outfit.

Final Score: Eastlake 8.14.62 def. Belconnen 7.11.53

Hills Eagles vs. Queanbeyan, Bruce Purser Res

Queanbeyan have been able to put themselves into close finals contention with a convincing victory over the Hills Eagles in Sydney.

The Tigers began somewhat of a mauling in the first quarter, opening the match with six unanswered goals, and a 37 point lead.

The Eagles started the fight back in the second quarter, with six goals of their own, but with the Tigers playing as they were, the deficit was still at 21 points heading into half time.

The Tigers started to slowly pull away again in the third quarter, with another six goals on their tally, and a three quarter time lead of 34 points.

The final quarter saw seven goals between the two sides, with three to the Eagles, as the Tigers left Sydney with the vital 4 points, with the dominant first quarter pivotal to their 43 point victory.

James Kavanagh was the Tigers sharpshooter in a best on ground effort, kicking eight goals for Queanbeyan, with Kaine Stevens their next highest goal scorer with three.

Steve Joliffe was valuable in the centre of the ground for the Tigers, contributing with a goal, while Toby Conroy also played well in the ruck, also chipping in with two goals, and Paul Franchi was solid in defence, also adding a goal to his name.

Jeremy Finlayson kicked three goals for the Eagles, with Dean Costello and William Bradley adding another two each.

Steven Pollock and Trent Stubbs were the standouts for the Eagles though, proving as great support for their forwards during the match.

The win sees Queanbeyan just one win outside the top five, although their percentage doesn’t hold them in great stead in comparison with the fifth placed UWS Giants.

Hills Eagles have a bye next week, while Queanbeyan travel back to Sydney to take on Sydney University on Saturday.

Final Score: Hills Eagles 13.11.89 def. by Queanbeyan 20.12.132

Gold Coast Suns vs. Sydney Swans, Metricon Stadium

The Swans found themselves back in the winner’s circle, and back on top of the NEAFL Eastern Conference ladder with a victory over Northern Conference side Gold Coast Suns.

With the Swans being in a bit of a slump recently, they were able to go back to their best against the Suns in a see-saw match.

The match opened tensely, with both sides scoring two goals as they ended the first quarter with the Swans leading by just one point.

Both sides were firing in the second quarter, although it was the Suns who were on target, adding five goals, while the Swans added five behinds, and found themselves down by 15 points at half time.

The Swans fought back in the third quarter and added four goals, whilst restricting the Suns to just the one, as the Swans led going into the final break by five points.

The Swans added another four goals in the final quarter, also keeping the Suns from adding more than one, and won the match by 21 points.

Gary Rohan and Tim Membrey kicked three goals apiece for the Swans, while Timmy Sumner and Stephan Thynne scored two goals each for the Suns.

Daniel Robinson was outstanding in the centre of the ground, and was a key part of the Swans victory, with Shane Biggs and Tony Armstrong also playing a part for the Sydney Swans.

Jack Martin and Daniel Gorringe played well in the Gold Coast ruck, able to provide their side with plenty of ball, with Jared Ellis proving hard to beat in the back line.

Gold Coast again face AFL reserves competition in the UWS Giants next week, at home at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, with the Swans getting a week off thanks to the bye.

Final Score: Gold Coast Suns 9.10.64 def. by Sydney Swans 12.13.85

Ainslie vs. Tuggeranong, Ainslie Oval

Ainslie find themselves just four points behind the leaders on the ladder after a dominating victory over the bottom of the ladder Tuggeranong at home.

The match was a blowout from the opening bounce, with the Hawks failing to score any points in the opening quarter .

However, Ainslie started relatively slow, and with three goals, saw themselves leading by 22 points after the first quarter.

Tuggeranong managed to get on the scoresheet in the second quarter, while Ainslie started to get make the most of the Hawks lacklustre attack, adding six goals, and leading by 54 points at half time.

Ainslie broke the century mark in the third quarter, adding another six goals, with Tuggeranong scoring a goal, and missing two valuable opportunities, as Ainslie led by 86 points heading into the final quarter.

Four goals to one in the final quarter saw Ainslie win the match by 108 points, with the heavy victory surely helping their percentage come the end of the season when the finals positions are decided.

Josh Bennett kicked six goals for the Tri-Colours, with Nic Paine and Luke Jarjoura next best on the scoresheet, with four and three goals respectively.

Lachlan Highfield was best on ground for the match, with a solid performance in defence, and pairing up with Robert Tuohey, restricted the Hawks to just six scoring opportunities in the match.

Aaron Vandenberg worked tirelessly in half forward for Ainslie, as well as Kane Morris and Ash Harris in the ruck, who had plenty of ball during the game for the dominating display.

Ashley Pocock scored two of Tuggeranong’s three goals, with Brent Macleod adding the third goal in a match where he stood out for a side who was played off the park.

Toby McGrath, Toby Richards and Peter Ashcroft were other players whose performance stood out for the Hawks.

Ainslie could find themselves creeping into the top two next week, as they take on second placed Belconnen at Kippax, with Tuggeranong left with the week off to ponder on their performance.

Final Score: Ainslie 19.15.129 def. Tuggeranong 3.3.21