The last home and away match for the 2014 season saw us travel out to Bruce Purser Reserves in Rouse Hill to take on the Hills Eagles in what would be their last match both for the year and in the competition as we again undergo a transformation of the NEAFL. The Hills Eagles are a proud club who have been the benchmark for Sydney football for a number of seasons, so we knew that we were going to be in for a hard fought contest.
The day got off to a shaky start, with a tyre change needed for one of the cars on the side of the M2 on the way out to Rouse Hill. Fortunately, one of the four in the car wasn’t a city slicker but a good country boy who had the tyre changed in five minutes flat, meaning we all arrived on time at the ground.
On arrival we were greeted with a very wet and slippery centre square, with a slippery and waterlogged outfield to match. These conditions were going to aid the contested style of football we knew would be coming.
We again started well with our young midfield getting the ball quickly to our forwards. Some of the early ball movement was as good as it has been all year for us, but our early pressure didn’t have the impact on the scoreboard that we would have liked, which saw us lead by only a goal at the first break.
Our opposition gained momentum in the second quarter. They played a high-possession brand of football and penalised us for giving them time and space. They made the most of their opportunities in front of goal kicking five goals to our three, giving them a small lead at the main break.
One of the big differences between under-18 football and senior football is the focus on the defensive aspects for all players all over the ground. Having a young side, including a large number of Academy boys, the defensive side of our game was the basis of the message at the long break. We implored the boys to work hard when we had the ball and to find a man when we didn’t.
We managed to wrestle back the momentum with a combination of defensive pressure and better ball use, kicking six goals to three in the third quarter, before running out the game strongly kicking another six to the opposition’s two.
The win meant that we finish the season in second position on the NEAFL table and have earned a rest for the first week of the finals before a home final the week after. The boys are excited about the prospect of playing finals football and look forward to the challenge that it brings.
Player Focus:
Each week, the Sydney Swans development coaches, Josh Francou, Jared Crouch and Nick Davis will highlight the performances of some of the Swans’ NEAFL players.
These players are those who contributed well on game day, made improvements or played a significant role for the Swans.
NEAFL Player of the Week – George Hewett
It was a standout performance from George this week. He was at his best in and around the stoppages with 12 clearances, showed composure with the ball, and tackled strongly. Although he didn’t hit the scoreboard this week, he was involved in numerous score assists to help set up the win.
Key Stats: 14 kicks, 25 handballs, six marks, 12 clearances
Daniel Robinson
Dan has been given tagging jobs in recent weeks, and this week he was left to play his own game. He was able to find the scoreboard with two goals this week and looked dangerous when playing forward. His work on-ball was good with five clearances and used it to advantage by hand and foot on most occasions.
Key Stats: 16 kicks, 10 handballs, five marks, two goals
Harry Marsh
It was another strong performance from Harry this week. He has been defending well since being moved to half-back and Sunday’s game was another step forward in his development as a defender. Offensively he was not as prominent this week, but was still able to manufacture a number of inside 50s.
Key stats: 11 kicks, 13 handballs, four marks
Zak Jones
Zak played mainly back but did spend some time in the middle during the second half. He defended well and helped with our ball movement out of the back half. He was strong in the contest and tackled well.
Key Stats: 13 kicks, eight handballs, four marks
Ryan O’Keefe
Pebbles played as a permanent forward this week and was instrumental in helping us get over the line. With a polished display up forward, where he kicked three last quarter goals, he was able to give instructional voice to the younger players and provide support when needed.
Key stats: 13 kicks, 7 handballs, three marks, six goals
Sam Naismith
Sam was the dominant ruckman on the ground with 44 hit outs and many to the advantage of our midfielders. His follow up work when on-ball was another feature of his game. He was able to take multiple contested marks when forward and in the ruck using his body to move his opponent out of the contest.
Key Stats: Six kicks, eight handballs, five marks, one goal
