Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum! Giants Stomp, Demons Run, Hawks Fly High and Swans Stun

Having missed Week 3, I gave it my best Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum this weekend and headed off to the Land of the Giants, Peckham Rye Common, for two games as the South East London Giants entertained the Wimbledon Hawks in Women's Conference and the Men's Socials.

Going into round four the Giants, reigning champions in the Men's Socials were still looking for their first win, whilst the reformed Hawks "Aubergine Machine" had just the one win to their name. What followed was a tight encounter, effectively decided in the Giants favour thanks to a second quarter blitz.

Early on in the piece, the experienced Geoff Mackay put the Giants ahead and a behind stretched that lead, Jaff Cussen pulled the Hawks back into the contest, and the visitors struck again through Billy Glasgow, to put them into the lead for the first time. The Giants were not done though and a Louis De Cloedt goal put them ahead. Come the end of an exciting quarter the scores were level at 2.2.14 a piece.

With the heat rising, the Giants turned up the temperature on the pitch with a near faultless second quarter. Three unanswered goals, some huge marks with seemingly everything sticking and they were able to pull away - in what turned out to be a game defining period.

The excellent Brett Boyle pushed them ahead early on in the quarter, and Mackay added his second of the afternoon, before a flowing move ended in the hands of Joe Arthur and his superb strike on the run moved them clear. The Hawks were limited to a couple of behinds, and we went into the big break with the Giants 5.4.34 to 2.4.16 ahead.

An early goal from Fabe Barratt increased the Giants lead before the expected Hawks fightback. Sam Sells looked for all the world as though he would reduced the deficit, only to be denied by a stunning goal saving block by Pat Godfrey. However they didn't have too long to wait as Cussen struck again. The Hawks were dominating territorially, but the Giants mids were all over them like a cheap suit, denying them space and time to play and it was the Giants who struck next through Bradley Kent. Jack Spicer gave the Hawks some hope with a late goal, but come three quarter time the Giants had stretched their lead and went in 7.6.48 to 4.5.29 ahead.

Kent struck again early in the fourth quarter before the Hawks mounted a late charge to try and get something out of the game, and goals from Ceejay Inglis and James Seymour threatened a recovery, but the Giants held on for a well deserved win, running out 8.6.54 to 6.9.45 victors. Both sides have one win and two defeats this season.

In the Women's Conference, the Giants, runners up last season had a one win one defeat record, whilst their opponents were playing their first game of the campaign. The Giants were in something of a rebuilding process with a few players moving on. Obviously that is the nature of the beast at AFL London but it is normally Australians returning home, rather than Brits moving to Australia. Key positions have gone with Freya Hibberd (Essendon VFLW), who was nigh on untouchable in the ruck, and the outstanding driving force that was Lucy Massie (Maroochydore Roos - QAFLW) now playing at high levels in Australia.

The Hawks women always look to be a strong side, and with the recent signing of last seasons Women's Premiership Best and Fairest Hannah Scholar they look nailed on for a place in the final (big call after one game...).

It was a dominant performance throughout by the Hawks, first quarter goals through Molly Sheehan and Abbey L'Estrange saw them take a 2.2.14 to 0.0.0 lead into quarter time. It was a similar story in the second quarter, with the Hawks pinning back a gallant but ultimately outgunned Giants team. Goals from L'Estrange and Mel Hogg stretched the lead into the big break to 4.7.31 to 0.0.0

Scholar and Sheehan added further goals in the third quarter to move the Hawks 6.10.46 to 0.0.0 ahead. One thing you can say about the Giants is they have masses of team spirit, with everybody putting a shift in, and never throwing in the towel. The final goal of the game came through Emily Want to give the final result of 7.12.54 to 0.0.0

So what happened elsewhere. Well over at Clapham Common it was the Demons against the Wildcats, and the Dees took the spoils in all five games - I wonder when the last time the Cats lost all their games on a given weekend, twice in a season.

The first game of the day saw the Demons take on Ealing Emus in the Mens Socials - and the Dees ran out comfortable 11.7.73 to 4.1.25 winners. The result sees the Dees sit top of the ladder with a full house of 12 points from their three games. The Emus are in sixth spot with one win from their three games.

Next up was the Women's Conference, and the Demons recorded the first nil of the day, when a dominant performance saw them ease to a 10.17.77 to 0.0.0 win over their Wildcat counterparts. The Dees win moves them up to second spot in the ladder with 8 points from two games, whilst the Cats are still on the hunt for that elusive first win.

We then move onto the Men's Conference, and a tight tense affair saw the Demons run out 5.6.36 to 1.9.15 winners over the Shepherds Bush Raiders, in what was one of the tighter encounters on the Common. The Demons top the ladder, being unbeaten after two games, whilst the Raiders are another still searching for that first win, having lost all three encounters this season.

The Women's Premiership was the penultimate contest of the day, and having been on the wrong end of the result three times last season, the Dees put down a huge marker, with a massive 7.8.50 to 1.5.11 win. The Demons sit in second spot in the ladder with 12 points from four games, whilst the Cats find themselves with a 2 and 2 record.

Finally, and in a contest that was hard fought, as expected and probably a bit closer than the overall score line would imply, the Men's Premiership saw the Demons run out 18.9.117 to 4.7.31 winners, and lay down a marker that they are the team to beat this season. They sit top of the ladder and have scored an impressive 270 points in their three games. The Cats are still searching for that first win.

Lastly we were off to the south coast, where the Sussex Swans hosted two games.

The opening game of the day saw another busking, as Sussex hosted their London namesakes in the Women's Premiership. As with the first game it was London who proved the stronger, running out 6.11.47 to 0.6.6 winners, to maintain their position at the top of the ladder, with Sussex still searching for their first win.

The second game of the day was a low scoring thriller, as the Sussex Swans handed the North London Lions their first defeat of the campaign, and moved themselves into second spot in the ladder courtesy of a 5.4.34 to 3.5.23 win.

Another fantastic weekend of AFL London footy - eyes now turn to Week 5, which again promises to be a cracker over at King's Meadow, Reading.