NEAFL Round 6 Preview
By James Raptis and Matt Rossleigh
UWS GIANTS v Eastlake – Saturday 10.30am Star Track Oval
This week the UWS GIANTS will come up against an Eastlake Demons side that will be fresh off the bye.
Last start the UWS GIANTS came away with an impressive win to come from behind to beat Belconnen by ten points.
The UWS GIANTS have found some good form over the last few weeks so the Demons will have their work cut out for them trying to win this one.
The winner of this match will jump the other on the competition ladder so there will be plenty at stake on Saturday morning.
The Eastlake side also has plenty of promising talent with young gun Rohan McLachlan playing his third NEAFL game this weekend. Eastlake Coach Anthony Bourke praised McLachlan’s performance and hopes he can develop into a very good player.
“Rohan has been consistent since getting his chance in the NEAFL team. I like the way he goes hard at it. His skills and game awareness at NEAFL level will improve with experience but he has made a pretty good start”. Bourke commented,” Bourke said.
Broadbeach v Ainslie – Saturday 1pm Broadbeach H-A Oval
Ainslie will be coming up against Broadbeach this Saturday at 1pm.
Broadbeach has won only one game this season and are currently placed second last on the competition ladder.
Ainslie will be looking to push their way into the top four of the Eastern conference with a win over the Cats and will be aiming to continue to play to the high standards they have set as a team so far this season.
Josh Bennett has been on fire for Ainslie scoring 7 goals, the most of his team. Aaron Vandenberg has also been a star player for the team leading the list of possessions and disposals.
Broadbeach will be hurting after their loss to Aspley and will not want to give up a lead on the scoreboard again this week. Broadbeach were winning the match in the third quarter before Aspley came back with a twenty point turnaround.
The Broadbeach side this week will have to prevent any further lapses in defence if they want to beat Ainslie.
Mt Gravatt v Belconnen – Saturday 1pm Yeronga-Leyshon Park
Mt Gravatt Vultures will play host to the Belconnen Magpies at Yeronga-Leyshon Park, this Saturday at 1pm.
This is Belconnen’s first match against a northern conference side this season and they will be hoping they can come back with a win.
Belconnen narrowly lost to the UWS GIANTS last week while Mt Gravatt are coming off the bye.
Christopher York and Matthew Lokan will be looking to keep up their strong form for the Magpies after each bagging 3 goals last week.
Mt Gravatt is still winless and in bottom place on the NEAFL ladder and will be hoping their fortunes start to turn. This may be a hard task for the Vultures as they will need to perform at their best to beat a high flying Belconnen squad who will be looking to bounce back after their disappointing last round result.
The Vultures have been continually improving as the season progresses and were in with a massive chance last week against Labrador but managed to fall short.
This match will be a good test for the Magpies in their first trip north, they will need to be on their game to make sure the Vultures don’t cause an upset.
Sydney University vs Hills Eagles – Sunday 2pm Henson Park
Sydney University will be looking for its first victory of the NEAFL season when it plays Hills Eagles in an all Sydney clash at Henson Park on Sunday.
The sides will meet for the second time this season after the Eagles triumphed by 36 points in round three which is to date the club’s only win for the season.
Jamie Vlatko that day kicked eight goals for the Hills Eagles and Sydney University will be looking stop his influence on the football match
Despite the recent loss to the Eagles, Sydney University will look at this week as an opportunity to gain the first victory of the season after achieving a victory last season over their Sydney rivals.
Queanbeyan vs Tuggeranong – Sunday 2pm Dairy Farmers Park
The undefeated Queanbeyan hosts Tuggeranong on Sunday afternoon looking to start the season with five victories in a row.
The club will go into the game confident of achieving this as they face a Tuggeranong side with just one win to start the season, albeit after having played a game less.
Queanbeyan is coming off a nail biting three point victory over Aspley last week while Tuggeranong had a bye. In the previous week they struggled against an impressive Sydney Swans reserves teams and succumbed to a heavy 30-goal defeat.
With the Sydney Swans reserves having a bye in NEAFL this week Queanbeyan has the opportunity to become outright leaders in the Eastern Conference with a win over Tuggeranong on Sunday.
BYE – Sydney Swans reserves