Season from heaven for Manly-Warringah

In a game where the winner wasn’t decided until the last minute, Manly-Warringah came from 11 points down halfway through the last quarter to overrun the Demons and be named premiers of Premier Division winning 11.14.80 to 11.6.72.

On a beautiful day day for footy, both teams were ready for the contest when the first ball was bounced. After an even start to the match it was Pennant Hills with the first goal of the Grand Final with Tim Wales snapping a goal through from 25 metres out.

However, after that it was all the Wolves with great forward pressure keeping the ball locked in their fifty but some innaccurate kicking at goal meant they failed to capitalise on their dominance until Lachlan Kilpatrick picked up a loose ball and drilled one through the middle from 15 metres out to get the first goal on the board for Manly Warringah.

The Wolves continued to show dominance winning most of the ball around the ground but Pennant Hills kept trying hard, working their way back into the contest kicking two goals near the end of the quarter to take a two point lead into the first break.

The Demons came out firing with goals from Matt Carey and Luke Bilbe stretching the Demons lead out to 13 points eight minutes into the second quarter before Phelan Medalist Tyrone Armitage kicked a goal after a fifty metre penalty.

That cut the margin to seven points before Ranga Ediriwickrama stamped his class on the game, kicking back to back goals to give Pennant Hills a 19 point lead halfway through the second quarter. Manly-Warringah responded, kicking the next two goals to only trail by a goal at the main break.

Manly-Warringah came out firing in the premiership quarter kicking the first three goals to open up 10 point lead with all the momentum, before Matt Carey kicked a captain’s goal to cut the lead to six points at the final change.

Pennant Hills were the first to strike with Ediriwickrama kicking his forth to level the scores with a Brant Jack floater from 35 metres out putting the Demons in front by a goal.

And when Carey dribbled one through to kick his third, the margin was out to 11 points midway through the last quarter and it looked like Pennant Hills one hand on the premiership trophy.

But the Wolves weren’t minor premiers for nothing with Kilpatrick snapping the ball high and sailing through the goals to bring the margin back to five point and when small forward bombed one from fifty and it sailed over a pack in the goalsquare and through, the Wolves had hit the lead by a point.

When Jack Lynch marked in the goalsquare with under two minutes to go and goaled to put the Wolves up by eight points it was all theirs and after a couple of ball ups the siren sounded to crown Manly Warringah premiers of 2013.

Half forward Lachlan Kilpatrick ran hard all day setting up numerous attacking plays and was awarded the Rod Podbury Medallist as Best on Ground. He was well supported by backman Harrison Koch, stopping several Demons forward thrusts, and midfielder Connor Pettersson.

For the Demons, Aaron Crisfield was in and under at every contest all day with fellow midfielders Damian Dell’Aquila and James Dunn supporting around around the contest all game.

For Pennant Hills it was a hard way to end having come from fourth position to be only a couple of kicks away from being Premiers. For Manly-Warringah, it capped off a great year which included being promoted into Premier Division, winning the Under-18 Division Two premiership as well as the Club Championship and to cap it all off, being crowned premiers of Premier Division 2013.

Visit sydneyafl.com.au for all the results from the final day of the 2013 AFL Sydney season!