NEAFL Eastern Conference Finals review

By Todd Davey

SWANS STUN TIGERS TO ADVANCE TO FINAL

The Sydney Swans will compete for the 2012 NEAFL Eastern Conference title after sweeping aside the Queanbeyan Tigers by 55 points at Manuka Oval on Saturday.

The Swans were able to pull away after a hotly contested first half, which saw the Tigers dominate the early stages but were unable to sustain the pressure for four quarters.

The league leaders used every advantage they could find in the first quarter, nailing four goals to the Swans’ three to take a six point lead into the first change.

The second quarter saw a lift in intensity from the Swans and it translated on the scoreboard, with the visitors outscoring the home side by six goals to five to take a one goal advantage into the long break. The Swans lead should have been longer but they were wasteful in front of goal, kicking six behinds for the term.

The Tigers big forward James Kavanagh was uncharacteristically quiet in the final, only nailing one goal for the game. A large amount of credit must go to the meagre Swans defence, who choked up the Queanbeyan forward line and limited scoring opportunities. Ben Klemke was able to step up for the Tigers in Kavanagh’s goal scoring absence, nailing four.

For the Swans, first round selection Jed Lamb was best afield, dominating through the middle and also chiming in with two goals, while Trent Dennis-Lane and Mitch Morton ran amuck in the Sydney forward line, combining for eight goals.

The third quarter saw the Swans gain control of the contest with a dominant display. They completely choked the Tigers out of the contest, limiting them to just two goals whilst piling on six of their own. It handed them a 32 point margin at the last change and complete control of the game.

Unfortunately for the Tigers they were not able to get back into the game, with a carbon copy of the third quarter taking place, with the Swans putting together another six goal term whilst limiting the Tigers to just the two to push the margin beyond 50 points for the game.

The win puts the Swans straight into the Grand Final for the second straight year since the NEAFL’s inception while the Tigers will have to tackle Eastlake who won in dramatic fashion on Sunday to book their place in the preliminary final.

QUEANBEYAN    4.2   9.2     11.2        13.5 (83)
SWANS               3.2   9.8   15.10   21.12 (138)

POST-SIREN SHOCK AS EASTLAKE ADVANCE

The clash between the two Canberran powerhouses ended in dramatic fashion at Manuka Oval on Sunday, with Eastlake advancing through to the preliminary final by a solitary point.

An after siren behind to Eastlake superstar Aaron Bruce sealed the Demons fate and ended a strange season for the Tri-colours, whose season will leave plenty at the club asking “what if?”

It was Ainslie’s home game, despite Manuka Oval playing host, a ground which Eastlake know well, playing the majority of their football at Canberra’s most famous AFL venue, yet it was the Tri-colours that got the jump on the Demons, kicking 2.3 to Eastlake’s 1.3 to take a one goal advantage into the first change. Both teams were wasteful in front of goal and probably could have done more in front of the sticks.

Ainslie took off in the second quarter where they left off in the first, piling on more pain for the Demons with a five goals to three effort that gave them a 21 point advantage and left the game teetering on a knife’s edge. Again Eastlake’s goal kicking woes came back to haunt them, with a 2.5 effort in the second threatening to derail their chances of getting back into the contest.

The third quarter saw the Demons close the margin slightly on their counterparts, outscoring the Tri-colours 3.3 to 2.1 to lessen the damage to 13 points giving them real belief of storming home in the final term to record a famous victory.

And come they did, with huge four goals to three final term, drawing the teams together before Bruce’s point after the full time siren handed Eastlake victory over their arch rivals and progression through to the preliminary final.

For Ainslie, Ken McGregor was again magnificent for the second week in a row, nailing five goals, while Simon Horner chipped in with two of his own.

Eastlake on the other hand had great service again from Justin Mesman, and the man of the moment, Aaron Bruce who kicked the behind to put them into the preliminary final failed to register a major for the afternoon, but it mattered little as the Demons now go on to face Queanbeyan for a spot in the 2012 Eastern Conference Grand Final.

AINSLIE       2.3   7.5     9.6      11.8 (74)
EASTLAKE    1.3   3.8   6.11   10.15 (75)

Photo by Ben Southall