Phil Doyle
25 Jun 2002, 10:06
Previews:
UNSW – ES v Pennant Hills
Village Green, Saturday June 29, 1pm
Fresh from knocking off their second top three side in as many weeks, Pennant Hills now face the tall order of the Bulldogs at home.
“I could get every Pennant Hills player to go out there with a chainsaw in their pocket and chop them off at the knees.” Joked Demons’ coach Danny Ryan, who knows that the Bulldogs will be a real test.
“They’re a huge threat to us.’ Said UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach Tim Jones. “We built Balmain up as a big game, and now we have to apply ourselves as we have been. [Pennant Hills] have got a couple of players back and they’re starting to get some momentum.”
Despite last weeks win Pennant Hills coach Danny Ryan still believes there is room for improvement from the Demons:
“It’s still quarter by quarter. We’re still a bottom team.”
Despite Ryan’s modesty the return of senior players has provided the club with a tremendous lift, and Tim Jones points out that there are still many players that remain from Pennant Hills’ last premiership side.
It has been the improving self-belief of the Demons younger brigade that has capped off this impressive form reversal.
“The young blokes grow a leg when the Greg Byrnes and the Tim Nunans of this world are out there. They bring a quality and an expectation, and take on an enormous load.” Said Ryan, who believes his younger charges have really taken something away from the first half of the season. “They’ve learnt that without struggle you can’t achieve something worthwhile.”
The Bulldogs are now alone out in front as the field swings for home, and they are a big, mobile side is setting the benchmark this year. The form of UNSW – Easts’ captain Jason McPherson has been particularly prominent. One of the great players of the Sydney AFL, Jason’s position at the Bulldogs has been especially pleasing for coach Tim Jones:
“His leadership skills have improved as he has taken on the captaincy role.”
Ryan knows McPherson is a danger, but he has faith in the Demons ability to play to their strengths.
While sides taking the Demons lightly may partly explain Pennant Hills’ two wins, they are also improving as a footy side. Winning form is good form, but the Bulldogs may have more of that than Pennant Hills this time.
First Round Result: UNSW – ES 18.11 (119) d Pennant Hills 9.9 (63)
Prediction: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs by seven points
St George v Western Suburbs
Bankstown Oval, Saturday June 29
Bankstown Oval has proved something of a graveyard for sides visiting the Magpies there. The injury problems that affected them against Balmain have abated after Wests’ big names missed the clash against UNSW – ES.
St George will be smarting after battling to get into a winning position before last week’s loss, and they will be keen to return to the form that saw them storm into the top three.
Despite last week’s result St George coach Craig O’Brien was not unduly dismayed:
“We played one bad quarter of football and it cost us the game.”
The Crows have begun to face some injury woes of their own, losing the talented Seccull for the majority of the season, and O’Brien admits that the Crows are ‘half-a-dozen players off full strength’.
As Wests found before their bounce back against the Eagles last week, missing key players can be costly. A fit Odgers, Campbell, Thomlinson, Denison and Spencer are integral to the Magpies performance.
Both of these sides have been playing their better football on smaller grounds, and Western Suburbs’ coach Laine Spencer believes it is important for his side to get their set plays right on the smaller venues. That, and to get on top from the start:
“We need to attack and get to the ball first. We can’t give them a one, two or three goal start. We have to win the first quarter, and take it quarter by quarter from there.”
Last week saw Wests win all four quarters for the first time this year, and the final score could have been greater if Lee Campbell had not tried to keep hitting the goal post.
O’Brien is looking for his side to be competitive until they can get their full strength side back, and he knows that a fit Wests is a good side:
“They gave us a bit of a touch up in the first round, but this year is all about education.” His young side faces a good test this week, and if Matthew Johnston gets to play on Lee Campbell it should prove to be a riveting match of the round.
First round result: Western Suburbs 15.20 (110) d St George 9.10 (64)
Prediction: Western Suburbs by twelve points
Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles
Monarch Oval, Saturday June 29
Campbelltown have learnt to put scores on the board again after some lean weeks, but this week they come up against side that shares the Panthers’ experience of big grounds.
For East Coast Eagles’ coach Gus Seebeck the job will be to rebuild the confidence of his young side following two of their poorer performances this year.
The Panthers would have to fancy themselves running into a side with East Coast’s recent form, but changes this week by the Eagles may turn things around.
Gavin Walsh returns for the Eagles, a player Seebeck describes as ‘a bit of a general for us’.
Seebeck, whose personal form has been good since his return from injury, recognises that this is a rebuilding year for the Eagles.
“For us it’s back to basics and focus on the simple things that are costing us in the clinch. We’ll be playing one-on-one football and, when we get the ball, free up a few players and create things with it.”
The Eagles had six new faces from their previous side last week, and they will continue to rotate and monitor the progress of their younger players this year.
Campbelltown, also in a rebuilding phase, will be looking to continue their improvement. The Panthers haven’t had a lot of luck and coming up against the Redbacks during the Swans week off wasn’t the easiest of tasks. The young side is learning all the time and if they click they have the ability to knock over any side on their day.
First Round Result; Campbelltown 12.15 (87) d East Coast Eagles 11.13 (79)
Prediction: Campbelltown by fourteen points
Sydney Redbacks v North Shore
SCG, Sunday June 30 11.30am
The Redbacks will not have the personnel they had last week, or even when these two sides met back in April. This week they come up against a resurgent Bombers side that emerged from a mid-season form slump in fine style before their bye last week.
“This will really test us out.” Said Redbacks’ coach Brett Allison. “It should be an interesting game.”
The Redbacks return to the SCG, where they have played some of their best footy, for the first time in six weeks.
“It’ll be nice to play at the SCG. When you play the Redbacks it’s a game you expect to win.” Said North Shore coach Simon Wilson, who was enthusiastic about his side’s return to form. “We had a good chat about things. There was a bit more enthusiasm, we had twenty contributors instead of two or three.”
Despite having a few players on the injury list Ben Sheidow is expected to return for the Bombers and Wilson still believes that North Shore’s year is still on track:
“I’m very confident we’ll be there at the end of the year.”
Allison was concerned that many of the Redbacks regulars took their foot off the pedal last week when the AFL split-round saw many Swans listed players available. He will be looking for those players to bounce back.
North Shore seem to play their better football on bigger grounds, like the SCG, and if they can keep the form they had against East Coast they may prove too strong for the Swans developmental side this week.
First Round Result: North Shore 14.15 (99) v Sydney Redbacks 10.5 (65)
Prediction: North Shore by forty points
Phil Doyle
UNSW – ES v Pennant Hills
Village Green, Saturday June 29, 1pm
Fresh from knocking off their second top three side in as many weeks, Pennant Hills now face the tall order of the Bulldogs at home.
“I could get every Pennant Hills player to go out there with a chainsaw in their pocket and chop them off at the knees.” Joked Demons’ coach Danny Ryan, who knows that the Bulldogs will be a real test.
“They’re a huge threat to us.’ Said UNSW – Eastern Suburbs coach Tim Jones. “We built Balmain up as a big game, and now we have to apply ourselves as we have been. [Pennant Hills] have got a couple of players back and they’re starting to get some momentum.”
Despite last weeks win Pennant Hills coach Danny Ryan still believes there is room for improvement from the Demons:
“It’s still quarter by quarter. We’re still a bottom team.”
Despite Ryan’s modesty the return of senior players has provided the club with a tremendous lift, and Tim Jones points out that there are still many players that remain from Pennant Hills’ last premiership side.
It has been the improving self-belief of the Demons younger brigade that has capped off this impressive form reversal.
“The young blokes grow a leg when the Greg Byrnes and the Tim Nunans of this world are out there. They bring a quality and an expectation, and take on an enormous load.” Said Ryan, who believes his younger charges have really taken something away from the first half of the season. “They’ve learnt that without struggle you can’t achieve something worthwhile.”
The Bulldogs are now alone out in front as the field swings for home, and they are a big, mobile side is setting the benchmark this year. The form of UNSW – Easts’ captain Jason McPherson has been particularly prominent. One of the great players of the Sydney AFL, Jason’s position at the Bulldogs has been especially pleasing for coach Tim Jones:
“His leadership skills have improved as he has taken on the captaincy role.”
Ryan knows McPherson is a danger, but he has faith in the Demons ability to play to their strengths.
While sides taking the Demons lightly may partly explain Pennant Hills’ two wins, they are also improving as a footy side. Winning form is good form, but the Bulldogs may have more of that than Pennant Hills this time.
First Round Result: UNSW – ES 18.11 (119) d Pennant Hills 9.9 (63)
Prediction: UNSW – Eastern Suburbs by seven points
St George v Western Suburbs
Bankstown Oval, Saturday June 29
Bankstown Oval has proved something of a graveyard for sides visiting the Magpies there. The injury problems that affected them against Balmain have abated after Wests’ big names missed the clash against UNSW – ES.
St George will be smarting after battling to get into a winning position before last week’s loss, and they will be keen to return to the form that saw them storm into the top three.
Despite last week’s result St George coach Craig O’Brien was not unduly dismayed:
“We played one bad quarter of football and it cost us the game.”
The Crows have begun to face some injury woes of their own, losing the talented Seccull for the majority of the season, and O’Brien admits that the Crows are ‘half-a-dozen players off full strength’.
As Wests found before their bounce back against the Eagles last week, missing key players can be costly. A fit Odgers, Campbell, Thomlinson, Denison and Spencer are integral to the Magpies performance.
Both of these sides have been playing their better football on smaller grounds, and Western Suburbs’ coach Laine Spencer believes it is important for his side to get their set plays right on the smaller venues. That, and to get on top from the start:
“We need to attack and get to the ball first. We can’t give them a one, two or three goal start. We have to win the first quarter, and take it quarter by quarter from there.”
Last week saw Wests win all four quarters for the first time this year, and the final score could have been greater if Lee Campbell had not tried to keep hitting the goal post.
O’Brien is looking for his side to be competitive until they can get their full strength side back, and he knows that a fit Wests is a good side:
“They gave us a bit of a touch up in the first round, but this year is all about education.” His young side faces a good test this week, and if Matthew Johnston gets to play on Lee Campbell it should prove to be a riveting match of the round.
First round result: Western Suburbs 15.20 (110) d St George 9.10 (64)
Prediction: Western Suburbs by twelve points
Campbelltown v East Coast Eagles
Monarch Oval, Saturday June 29
Campbelltown have learnt to put scores on the board again after some lean weeks, but this week they come up against side that shares the Panthers’ experience of big grounds.
For East Coast Eagles’ coach Gus Seebeck the job will be to rebuild the confidence of his young side following two of their poorer performances this year.
The Panthers would have to fancy themselves running into a side with East Coast’s recent form, but changes this week by the Eagles may turn things around.
Gavin Walsh returns for the Eagles, a player Seebeck describes as ‘a bit of a general for us’.
Seebeck, whose personal form has been good since his return from injury, recognises that this is a rebuilding year for the Eagles.
“For us it’s back to basics and focus on the simple things that are costing us in the clinch. We’ll be playing one-on-one football and, when we get the ball, free up a few players and create things with it.”
The Eagles had six new faces from their previous side last week, and they will continue to rotate and monitor the progress of their younger players this year.
Campbelltown, also in a rebuilding phase, will be looking to continue their improvement. The Panthers haven’t had a lot of luck and coming up against the Redbacks during the Swans week off wasn’t the easiest of tasks. The young side is learning all the time and if they click they have the ability to knock over any side on their day.
First Round Result; Campbelltown 12.15 (87) d East Coast Eagles 11.13 (79)
Prediction: Campbelltown by fourteen points
Sydney Redbacks v North Shore
SCG, Sunday June 30 11.30am
The Redbacks will not have the personnel they had last week, or even when these two sides met back in April. This week they come up against a resurgent Bombers side that emerged from a mid-season form slump in fine style before their bye last week.
“This will really test us out.” Said Redbacks’ coach Brett Allison. “It should be an interesting game.”
The Redbacks return to the SCG, where they have played some of their best footy, for the first time in six weeks.
“It’ll be nice to play at the SCG. When you play the Redbacks it’s a game you expect to win.” Said North Shore coach Simon Wilson, who was enthusiastic about his side’s return to form. “We had a good chat about things. There was a bit more enthusiasm, we had twenty contributors instead of two or three.”
Despite having a few players on the injury list Ben Sheidow is expected to return for the Bombers and Wilson still believes that North Shore’s year is still on track:
“I’m very confident we’ll be there at the end of the year.”
Allison was concerned that many of the Redbacks regulars took their foot off the pedal last week when the AFL split-round saw many Swans listed players available. He will be looking for those players to bounce back.
North Shore seem to play their better football on bigger grounds, like the SCG, and if they can keep the form they had against East Coast they may prove too strong for the Swans developmental side this week.
First Round Result: North Shore 14.15 (99) v Sydney Redbacks 10.5 (65)
Prediction: North Shore by forty points
Phil Doyle