Phil Doyle
6th May 2002, 22:16
SYDNEY AFL RECORD ROUND FIVE PREVIEW
Only three games this week. Pennant Hills v North Shore will be played on Sunday, May 26 - after the State game on the 25th (which is the curtain raiser for the Sydney Swans v Essendon match at the Olympic Stadium).
Balmain Tigers v Sydney Redbacks
Drummoyne Oval, Sunday May 12
Sydney Redbacks’ coach, Brett Allison had a look at the Balmain Tigers at Drummoyne Oval last week.
“They’ve got a lot of big, strong, tall players and they moved the ball about.” Said Allison in the lead up to this week’s clash.
Despite their recent good form – they have won two from three and would have been three from three if they had of kicked straight against Western Suburbs – this will be an important test for Allison’s young side.
The Redbacks will probably lose a few players to the VFL this week as Port Melbourne only used nine of a possible twelve Swans listed players last weekend.
For Balmain this will be a danger match, but Coach Troy Luff will be taking the same approach into this match as he has over the last two weeks.
They have been in winning form since they were pipped at the post in their opening encounter, but Luff believes that Balmain have discovered what is needed to go all the way in 2002.
“Every week we’re improving. For the last two weeks we’ve been sticking to our game plan and it’s been working.
“We’re a lot fitter side than Balmain has been in the past, which is why we’ve been able to overrun sides in the final quarter.”
The Tigers have a potent goalkicker in Matthew Sier, who has been thrown forward at key times in matches over the last two weeks to great effect.
Sier came to the club as a forward, but he has been dominating across the Tigers’ backline and creating headaches for opposition forwards. Another bonus for Balmain has been the form of Josh Bartlett and Michael Ghobrial who continue to rack up plenty of possessions.
Balmain won’t be taking the Redbacks lightly. Luff identified Lewis Roberts-Thompson, Adam Schneider and Tom Hill as the key players for the Swans development side.
The form of Redbacks Luke Jarjoura and Martin Brewster has been strong in recent weeks, while Swans’ rookie Tom Hill, in his second year at the Redbacks, has made an impressive return to the paddock from injury.
“I’m happy for [Hill] to play up forward, but we also use his run through the midfield. If I need to send someone up forward he’s one of the choices I’d make.” Said Allison, who also nominated two first year Redbacks’ players, Chris Noordhof and Dale Perrett, as being exciting prospects to watch.
The Redbacks two wins have both been at the SCG, where the young side seems to play its best footy, and for Allison it will be a task to get his young charges switched on and fired up at suburban grounds like Drummoyne Oval. The Tigers might prove to be too strong in the end, but they won’t want to be taking the young Redbacks skill and speed lightly.
Prediction: Balmain Tigers by 30 points
Western Suburbs Magpies v Campbelltown Panthers
Rosedale Oval, Sunday May 12
Western Suburbs high flying start to the season came back to earth against reigning premiers North Shore last week, but the Magpies have a good record over the last few lean seasons against Campbelltown at this venue.
“Wests form against us is pretty good. We’ll have to be at our best.” Said Campbelltown Coach Geoff Valentine, who nominated the Magpies key position players and strong midfield as the danger the Panthers will have to overcome:
“You have to break even with Odgers in the ruck. There’s Laine Spencer, if he gets 20 or 30 touches he’ll really punish you. There’s Thomlinson, and Campbell can kick goals.”
Campbelltown had the bye last week, which must have been a welcome reprieve after they also went down to the Bombers, but in more spectacular fashion.
“It’s one of my favourite expressions in football: there’s always next week. We’re not as bad as we showed.” Said Valentine. “If you flirt with your form – if you muck around – then next thing it’s not there. We need to recapture our confidence.”
The Panthers have had a grueling fortnight on the training paddock after their loss, but Valentine has not flagged any major personnel changes, instead signaling a back-to-basics approach from last year’s grand finalists.
Western Suburbs’ Coach Laine Spencer is also looking to his side’s good form against Campbelltown at this venue:
“We beat Campbelltown there last year. It’s a nice ground and it suits our style of play.”
Spencer will be looking for the Magpies to pick up their running game this week, focussing on players not following the ball too much and creating loose men for the opposition.
Western Suburbs will take a similar squad into this week’s match as the one that went down to the Bombers. Despite the loss the Magpies were competitive, and they will be keen to get back on the winners list.
It will be a tall order for the Panthers to turn around their form in such a short space of time, but they will put in a much stronger showing. If they can get first possession of the ball in the centre, hold the Magpies key players and keep Lee Campbell quiet they will be in with a chance, but that’s a big ask.
Prediction: Western Suburbs by 24 points
UNSW – Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs v East Coast Eagles
Village Green, Sunday May 12
“We’re under no illusion about what we’re up against this week.” Said the East Coast Eagles coach, Gus Seebeck, in the lead up to this match.
Last week, in a return to a pattern from the early rounds of the competition, the Eagles had another fourth quarter fade out to go down to the Tigers, but Seebeck remains quietly confident about what needs to be done to triumph over the as yet undefeated Bulldogs:
“We need to man up on their key players and stop their running play. Three or four guys will be given jobs to do.”
Seebeck believes that some old style footy and hard work is the key to taking on a side like UNSW – Eastern Suburbs, and he doesn’t see the Village Green as being too much of an advantage for the Bulldogs.
“We’ve got a pretty good record at the Village Green. Last year we beat the Redbacks there under lights mid-week, and we’ve won a few other games there.”
Seebeck will also be using UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach, and ex-Eagle, Tim Jones as a bit of a motivation for his young charges.
For his part Tim Jones is treating it as another game for the Bulldogs.
“It’ll be our club versus their club, but they’ll be coming out pretty hard at us.” Said Jones. “They haven’t got a bad mix. They’re a reasonable side. I know from my days there that they’ll be hard at the footy.”
Jones knows that if the Eagles get a sniff they could prove to be dangerous and he is looking for the Bulldogs to stamp their mark upon the game early.
Despite the Bulldogs unbeaten start to the season Jones believes there is still room for improvement in his side. With many new faces around the club the team is taking a little time to gel, and the coach believes they are still a few weeks away from their best form:
“We’ve got the quality out there to win. We haven’t been playing as smartly or as spectacularly as I’d like.”
UNSW - Eastern Suburbs will take a largely unchanged line up into this match, while Tim Bylsma and Rod Pash – injured in the last quarter against Balmain – are likely to be available for the Eagles this week.
The Bulldogs have been the early pacesetters this year and are still yet to fully realise their potential for 2002. Back on their home ground they should be hard to beat if they get to play their own game, but if the Eagles can bustle them at the contest they may get enough momentum to pull off an upset.
Prediction: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs by 21 points
Phil Doyle
Only three games this week. Pennant Hills v North Shore will be played on Sunday, May 26 - after the State game on the 25th (which is the curtain raiser for the Sydney Swans v Essendon match at the Olympic Stadium).
Balmain Tigers v Sydney Redbacks
Drummoyne Oval, Sunday May 12
Sydney Redbacks’ coach, Brett Allison had a look at the Balmain Tigers at Drummoyne Oval last week.
“They’ve got a lot of big, strong, tall players and they moved the ball about.” Said Allison in the lead up to this week’s clash.
Despite their recent good form – they have won two from three and would have been three from three if they had of kicked straight against Western Suburbs – this will be an important test for Allison’s young side.
The Redbacks will probably lose a few players to the VFL this week as Port Melbourne only used nine of a possible twelve Swans listed players last weekend.
For Balmain this will be a danger match, but Coach Troy Luff will be taking the same approach into this match as he has over the last two weeks.
They have been in winning form since they were pipped at the post in their opening encounter, but Luff believes that Balmain have discovered what is needed to go all the way in 2002.
“Every week we’re improving. For the last two weeks we’ve been sticking to our game plan and it’s been working.
“We’re a lot fitter side than Balmain has been in the past, which is why we’ve been able to overrun sides in the final quarter.”
The Tigers have a potent goalkicker in Matthew Sier, who has been thrown forward at key times in matches over the last two weeks to great effect.
Sier came to the club as a forward, but he has been dominating across the Tigers’ backline and creating headaches for opposition forwards. Another bonus for Balmain has been the form of Josh Bartlett and Michael Ghobrial who continue to rack up plenty of possessions.
Balmain won’t be taking the Redbacks lightly. Luff identified Lewis Roberts-Thompson, Adam Schneider and Tom Hill as the key players for the Swans development side.
The form of Redbacks Luke Jarjoura and Martin Brewster has been strong in recent weeks, while Swans’ rookie Tom Hill, in his second year at the Redbacks, has made an impressive return to the paddock from injury.
“I’m happy for [Hill] to play up forward, but we also use his run through the midfield. If I need to send someone up forward he’s one of the choices I’d make.” Said Allison, who also nominated two first year Redbacks’ players, Chris Noordhof and Dale Perrett, as being exciting prospects to watch.
The Redbacks two wins have both been at the SCG, where the young side seems to play its best footy, and for Allison it will be a task to get his young charges switched on and fired up at suburban grounds like Drummoyne Oval. The Tigers might prove to be too strong in the end, but they won’t want to be taking the young Redbacks skill and speed lightly.
Prediction: Balmain Tigers by 30 points
Western Suburbs Magpies v Campbelltown Panthers
Rosedale Oval, Sunday May 12
Western Suburbs high flying start to the season came back to earth against reigning premiers North Shore last week, but the Magpies have a good record over the last few lean seasons against Campbelltown at this venue.
“Wests form against us is pretty good. We’ll have to be at our best.” Said Campbelltown Coach Geoff Valentine, who nominated the Magpies key position players and strong midfield as the danger the Panthers will have to overcome:
“You have to break even with Odgers in the ruck. There’s Laine Spencer, if he gets 20 or 30 touches he’ll really punish you. There’s Thomlinson, and Campbell can kick goals.”
Campbelltown had the bye last week, which must have been a welcome reprieve after they also went down to the Bombers, but in more spectacular fashion.
“It’s one of my favourite expressions in football: there’s always next week. We’re not as bad as we showed.” Said Valentine. “If you flirt with your form – if you muck around – then next thing it’s not there. We need to recapture our confidence.”
The Panthers have had a grueling fortnight on the training paddock after their loss, but Valentine has not flagged any major personnel changes, instead signaling a back-to-basics approach from last year’s grand finalists.
Western Suburbs’ Coach Laine Spencer is also looking to his side’s good form against Campbelltown at this venue:
“We beat Campbelltown there last year. It’s a nice ground and it suits our style of play.”
Spencer will be looking for the Magpies to pick up their running game this week, focussing on players not following the ball too much and creating loose men for the opposition.
Western Suburbs will take a similar squad into this week’s match as the one that went down to the Bombers. Despite the loss the Magpies were competitive, and they will be keen to get back on the winners list.
It will be a tall order for the Panthers to turn around their form in such a short space of time, but they will put in a much stronger showing. If they can get first possession of the ball in the centre, hold the Magpies key players and keep Lee Campbell quiet they will be in with a chance, but that’s a big ask.
Prediction: Western Suburbs by 24 points
UNSW – Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs v East Coast Eagles
Village Green, Sunday May 12
“We’re under no illusion about what we’re up against this week.” Said the East Coast Eagles coach, Gus Seebeck, in the lead up to this match.
Last week, in a return to a pattern from the early rounds of the competition, the Eagles had another fourth quarter fade out to go down to the Tigers, but Seebeck remains quietly confident about what needs to be done to triumph over the as yet undefeated Bulldogs:
“We need to man up on their key players and stop their running play. Three or four guys will be given jobs to do.”
Seebeck believes that some old style footy and hard work is the key to taking on a side like UNSW – Eastern Suburbs, and he doesn’t see the Village Green as being too much of an advantage for the Bulldogs.
“We’ve got a pretty good record at the Village Green. Last year we beat the Redbacks there under lights mid-week, and we’ve won a few other games there.”
Seebeck will also be using UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach, and ex-Eagle, Tim Jones as a bit of a motivation for his young charges.
For his part Tim Jones is treating it as another game for the Bulldogs.
“It’ll be our club versus their club, but they’ll be coming out pretty hard at us.” Said Jones. “They haven’t got a bad mix. They’re a reasonable side. I know from my days there that they’ll be hard at the footy.”
Jones knows that if the Eagles get a sniff they could prove to be dangerous and he is looking for the Bulldogs to stamp their mark upon the game early.
Despite the Bulldogs unbeaten start to the season Jones believes there is still room for improvement in his side. With many new faces around the club the team is taking a little time to gel, and the coach believes they are still a few weeks away from their best form:
“We’ve got the quality out there to win. We haven’t been playing as smartly or as spectacularly as I’d like.”
UNSW - Eastern Suburbs will take a largely unchanged line up into this match, while Tim Bylsma and Rod Pash – injured in the last quarter against Balmain – are likely to be available for the Eagles this week.
The Bulldogs have been the early pacesetters this year and are still yet to fully realise their potential for 2002. Back on their home ground they should be hard to beat if they get to play their own game, but if the Eagles can bustle them at the contest they may get enough momentum to pull off an upset.
Prediction: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs by 21 points
Phil Doyle