Finals Week 3 —10th & 11th September This weekend we have a cracking weekend of football ahead of us as we welcome as the Women’s Premier Division, Division Two and Division Three Grand Finals a ahead of us. What a great year it has been for the Sydney University Bombers and the UNSW ES Stingrays as they look to take out the flag this Saturday. For the Sydney Uni girls it is their sixth grand final in a row, which is a huge achievement! For the UNSW ES Stingrays they look to upset the Bombers by playing the kind of football that saw them defeat the Sydney Uni Bombers 2 weeks ago. This will be a great game that may go either way. The Camden Cats and the North Shore Bombers will do battle this Saturday in the Division Two Grand Final. Camden and North Shore have been two of the best teams all season and it is only fitting that the two sides will face off this weekend. We expect this game to do won to the wire and look forward to seeing which way the game falls. And in Division Three the Pennant Hills Demons fresh off a week off will face the Wollondilly Knights after they won their Preliminary Final comfortably against the Nor-West Jets. Good luck to all Grand Finalists this weekend! www.sydneyafl.com.au 1 Finals Week — 10th & 11th September PARENTS & SUPPORTERS • Remember that you are there for the participants to enjoy the game. • Encourage participation, but don’t force it. • Teach that enjoyment is more important than winning. • Never ridicule mistakes or losses. Supporters are there to support not down- grade. • Lead by example and respect all players, coaches, umpires, administrators and spectators. Physical or verbal abuse will not be tolerated. • Recognise all volunteers who give up their valuable time. • Never publicly criticise umpires, rather raise personal concerns with club officials in private. • Do not use remarks based on race, religion, gender or ability as many such comments are politically incorrect and it is your coach, team-mates, Club and family that are let down with such remarks. • Respect the facilities and equipment of your own and opposing Clubs. • Do not engage in physical and/or verbal intimidation, abuse or conduct toward any player, official, umpire or supporter. Such actions are totally unacceptable. • Condemn the use of violence in any form, whether it is by spectators, coaches, officials or players. • Abusive language is unacceptable. • Do not use information technology to make or post inappropriate comments against players, clubs, club officials, match officials or the League which is dis- criminatory or offensive. Information technology includes, but is not limited to, email, instant messaging, text messages, phone messages, digital images, web- site postings (including social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs). Postal Address Suite 3.03, 10 Tilley Lane Frenchs Forest NSW 2086 Phone Number 02 9453 3034 Fax Number 02 9453 3428 Email Address [email protected] www.sydneyafl.com.au 2 Finals Week 3 —10th & 11th September AUBURN GIANTS Amna K-Hassan 0415 282 855 [email protected] BALMAIN TIGERS John Little 0421 259 563 [email protected] CAMDEN CATS Greg McGuiness 0413 257 516 [email protected] CAMPBELLTOWN BLUES Keiran Buckley 0418 611 472 [email protected] EAST COAST EAGLES Peter Physick 0419 264 159 [email protected] HOLROYD PARRAMATTA Justin Cunneen 0433 990 079 [email protected] MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY Logan Mead 0422 486 005 [email protected] MANLY WARRINGAH Geoff Pridgeon 0409 255 586 [email protected] SOUTH WEST SYDNEY Mark Coles 0424 249 078 [email protected] NEWTOWN BREAKAWAYS Anna Rutt [email protected] NOR WEST JETS Dom Shipley 0413 358 131 [email protected] NORTH SHORE BOMBERS Steve Watters 0419 875 708 [email protected] PENNANT HILLS Phil Hare 0409 205 213 [email protected] PENRITH Greg Corless 0412 579 061 [email protected] RANDWICK CITY Jeremy Grant 0414 673 210 [email protected] SOUTH COAST THUNDER Grant Wilson 0408 267 909 [email protected] SOUTHERN POWER Cam Roe 0412 771 574 [email protected] ST GEORGE Brendan Donohue 0419 405 546 [email protected] SYDNEY UNIVERSITY Tristan Liles 0402 447 966 [email protected] SYDNEY UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S Liv Warren 0406 703 664 [email protected] UNSW/ES Mark McDonald 0438 386 416 [email protected] UNSW WOMEN’S Karen Hutchison 0414 267 703 [email protected] UTS Matt Rivett 0411 085 826 [email protected] UTS SHAMROCKS Simone Faulkner 0431 400 196 [email protected] WESTERN SUBURBS Nick Miller 0438 304 233 [email protected] WESTERN WOLVES Yvette Andrews 0408 281 810 [email protected] WOLLONDILLY KNIGHTS Chris Underwood 0438 294 867 [email protected] WOLLONGONG SAINTS Casey Moane 0431 087 092 [email protected] WESTERN MAGIC Fabian McLeod 0431 748 751 [email protected] www.sydneyafl.com.au 3 Finals Week — 10th & 11th September FIXTURES — 10th & 11th September FIXTURES — 17th September Premier Division NEAFL Saturday, 17th September Sunday, 11th September Grand Final —East Coast Eagles vs TBA @ Grand Final—Sydney Swans v GIANTS @ BISP @ 3.15pm BISP @ 1.30pm Division One Premier Division Saturday, 17th September Sunday, 11th September Grand Final —UTS Bats vs TBA @ BISP @ Preliminary Final— St George Dragons vs 12.15pm North Shore Bombers @ BISP @ 4.30pm U19 Division One Division One Saturday, 17th September Sunday, 11th September Grand Final —North Shore Bombers vs TBA Preliminary Final— St George Dragons vs @ BISP @ 9.45am Western Magic @ BISP @ 11.05am Division Two Saturday, 10th September Grand Final—Camden Cats vs North Shore Bombers @ BISP @ 12.30pm Division Three Saturday, 10th September Grand Final—Pennant Hills Demons vs Wollondilly Knights @ BISP @ 10am U19 Division One Sunday, 11th September Preliminary Final— UNSW ES vs Pennant Hills Demons @ BISP @ 9.00am Women's Premier Division Saturday, 10th September Grand Final—UNSWES vs Sydney Universi- ty Bombers @ BISP @ 3.15pm www.sydneyafl.com.au 4 Finals Week 3 —10th & 11th September AFL SYDNEY WEBSITE Visit www.sydneyafl.com.au for Latest News Results 2016 Fixtures Ladders Photo Gallery Sydney AFL Forms and more AFL Sydney @aflsydney A F L Sy d n e y @ afl s yd n e y www.sydneyafl.com.au 5 Finals Week — 10th & 11th September SYDNEY AFL FINALS WEEK 2 2016 — Article by Michael Shillito We’re into September, and the finals action is heating up. A big weekend of finals footy saw East Coast Eagles become the first team to qualify for this year’s Grand Final. St George and North Shore will fight out for the other spot. Saturday was fine but windy, but despite some rain during the week Blacktown International Sports park was in good condition. There’s already been plenty of action with two NEAFL semi-finals played before the evening saw the Second Semi-Final, with East Coast Eagles taking on St George. The Eagles had enjoyed a stellar season, despite a shock loss to North Shore in the last round of the home and away season. Finishing minor premiers for the second year in a row had given them last week off. St George had also enjoyed a highly successful regular season, dropping only three games to finish sec- ond on the ladder. A comfortable Qualifying Final win against UTS had taken them to the Second Semi. And with a place in the Grand Final on the line, it was always going to be a toughly-contested game. The first quarter was tight, with easy possessions hard to come by. The stakes were high, and both teams were determined to deny the other any advantage they could. And the flukey, inconsistent wind wasn’t helping, with frustration setting in as both sides were forced into turnovers. But around the ground, alt- hough there wasn’t much in it, the Eagles looked to have the edge. With three goals to one, the Eagles led by 12 points at the first change. The lights had taken over by the time the second quarter had got under way. It would be a more open quarter of footy, as the two sides tried to build a winning score. The Dragons attempted to get back to- wards the lead, only for the Eagles to find the answering goals. And when the Eagles attempted to pull away, the Dragons had the replies to keep themselves in the contest. Three goals apiece for the quarter saw the Eagles leading by 13 points at the long break; but the contest was far from over. But the third quarter is often known as the premiership quarter, and this is where the title contenders can pull away from their rivals to build a winning lead. That’s what happened this time, as the Eagles emerged from the rooms after the half time break having lifted a gear; and the increased intensity and speed was too much for the Dragons to counter. The scoreboard would tell the tale, as the Eagles added four goals to one to extend the lead to 31 points at the last change. Ruthlessly efficient and getting the job done when it mattered, the Eagles had a scent of a Grand Final in their nostrils and weren’t letting go. The game was safely won by the last quarter, and the Eagles already knew they would get next week off to prepare for their assault on the title. But to the Dragons’ credit, they weren’t giving up; and St George would win the last quarter.