Final Round Fireworks: Dees Dominate as AFL London Finals Loom

Well that's just typical of the British weather. Week 9 at Sussex, blowing a gale and driving rain - fast forward seven days to the last week of the regular season at Clapham Common and you have scorching temperature and a photographer wilting in the heat. Welcome to the land of the Demons. This weekend it the Dees "Big Freeze at the C" with all monies raised going to Fight MND - there were plenty of goodies on sale (yep, I ended up with the socks, although in hindsight I should have gone for the beanie), and plenty of baked goods - kudos to whoever made the Mars Bar slice - very tasty.

But I was there for the footy and not just there to stuff my face with many many unhealthy things!

The opening game of the day saw the Hawks in town for the Men's Conference clash, and what a belter of a game it was too. The Hawks started brightly and pinned the Dees back in the opening minutes, but the Dees soon settled and after great pressure saw two superb smothers in the Hawks defence, they were able to strike first through Andrew McCallum from just inside the 50. Shortly after a great mark and set shot by Lewis Radford stretched the lead for the hosts. The Hawks though were back in it just before the end of the first quarter, great work by skipper Billy O'Loughlin led to a contest inside the Dees 50 and although Hamish Coulton couldn't mark he recovered quickly to soccer the Hawks back into the game, and took us in at the break with the Dees 2.0.12 to 1.1.7 ahead.

Coulton struck early in the second quarter to put the Hawks ahead but a flowing three or four man move by the Demons led to a neat finish on the run by Michael Fraser, and the Dees stretched their lead when Luke Daniel put his miss of a straight shot out of his mind with a tremendous finish on the angle. The Hawks though were not going away quietly and a quickfire Coulton double took us into the big breaks with the scores lock at 4.2.26 each.

The third quarter was to prove decisive for the Dees. A mix up in the heart of the Hawks defence saw Andrew McCallum find Lewis Radford with a quick handpass and he converted from close range, before Alexander Blunt picked out Daniel, who again converted with a set shot. Ceejay Ingles gave the Hawks some hope with the last kick of the half but the Dees lead 6.3.39 to 5.2.32.

The final quarter was a gritty affair with big collisions and great defensive work from both sides, and with no further goals, the Dees ran out 6.5.41 to 5.3.33 winners securing them runners up spot in the ladder behind the London Swans.

Game 2 saw the Demons host the outstanding team in the Women's Conference, the Wimbledon Hawks with the visitors looking to go unbeaten in the regular season. The Demons for their part knew that barring miracles they were play off bound but a good showing would take them into an Elimination Play Off full of confidence.

As you would expect, the Hawks dominated much of the first quarter but wayward finishing saw them rack up just five behinds, until late in the piece a bit of a scramble inside the Dees 50 ended with the ball dropping to Gabrielle O'Connor and she neatly finished to send the Hawks into the break with a 1.6.12 to 0.0.0 lead.

Early in the second quarter the impressive Laila Lappin stretched the Hawks lead as they looked to seal the game but the Dees are made of stern stuff and responded positively and for once the virtually impenetrable Hawks defence went walkabout leaving the Dees three on one with Emily Maguire. A quick pass later and Jessica Chamberlain was on hand to score and bring the Demons back into things, and we went into the half time break with the Hawks 2.6.18 to 1.0.6 ahead.

Emily Want struck early in the third quarter to stretch the visitors, as normal service was resumed in the Hawks defence and they kept the hosts blank to go in 3.7.25 to 1.0.6.

The Dees battled hard in the final quarter but were unable to find a way back into the game, and it was left to Lappin to seal the win, claiming a mark under pressure and converting on the run, to give a final result of 4.9.33 to 1.0.6 to the Hawks. Both sides are play off bound.

Moving on to Game 3, and it was a top v bottom clash in the Men's Socials as the Dees hosted the Reading Kangaroos knowing a good win would see them secure first place in the division and a Qualifying Final against the London Swans.

The Demons were out of the blocks like lightning and soon had the Roos pinned back in their defensive third, but it took a bit of a freaky goal to give them the lead. A shanked effort by Riccardo Leumann was claimed by Jack Dunn who converted from a set shot. Shortly after and a more conventional goal, this time Leumann picked out James Noske who converted with another set shot. The Dees rounded off a positive quarter with a third goal, this time a great mark and shot on the turn by Mitch Wilkinson and the hosts went in 3.2.20 to 0.0.0

The Roos were architects of their own downfall in the second quarter when Chris Carolan, lost his bearing and launched the ball forwards, or rather backwards as it turned out with the ball being collected by Dunn, he quickly found Lachie McKenzie who in turn found Fintan McGrath who handpassed to Ned Miller who scored. The Dees continued to dominate and Wilkinson was marched forward 50 to give him a simple set shot and send them in at the half time break with a 5.4.34 to 0.0.0 lead.

Credit to the Roos who never threw in the towel, but they were ultimately outgunned by a strong Demons, who will go into the play offs as favourites for the title. Lachie Shep took a superb mark and finished on the run in the third quarter, and a fabulous finish by Noske from a set shot wide on the touchline took the Dees into the third quarter break with a 7.7.49 to 0.0.0 lead.

Would the Dees ease off in the final quarter, not a bit of it. Noske did superbly to shrug off challenges and find Wilkinson, who in turn released Danny Radis who finished with aplomb, and goalscoring was completed after good work by Ed Evans saw him find Noske who caused chaos in the Roos defence before setting up Harrison Pearce who put the icing on the cake. The Dees running out 9.10.64 to 0.0.0 win

The Premiership game saw a statement of intent on the part of the hosts, as the Demons blew away an admittedly below par Lions with a powerful display full of great attacking intent, superb finishing and an all round complete performance, which sees them head off to the Grand Final, where they await the winners of the Lions and Wildcats Preliminary final.

In the land of the giant (no, not you South East London), the diminuitive man is king. Surrounded by men towering above him, the movement, speed of thought and evasiveness of the Demons Lincoln Wong rendered him nigh on unplayable to anyone in a Lions shirt.

The Dees struck early converting from close range, and increased their lead through Wong. A ball in from Jonathan Newton-Jacobs was gathered by Wong but having initially seemed to make a mess of the chance he recovered quickly to score. Wong was to score again shorter after, a great pick up led to a worm burner from Wong to stretch the Dees lead. Mairtin Gustavo Lopez ogormain gathered a loose ball and scored again for the Dees, who rounded off a blistering first half, with another goal. This time a great ball down the line by Tobias Lawler was gathered by Charlie Burgess-Hoar who converted from wide on the touchline, and the Dees ended the first quarter with a thumping 5.2.32 to 0.2.2 lead.

There was no let up in the second quarter, Brydon Barnett scored from a set shot early on, then a neat gather and shot on the run to further stretched the D's lead. The Lions were still giving it a go, but with playmaker Judah Edmunds being kept quiet by the Dees midfield they were unable to get any momentum going forward. Lawler marked wide on the left, as the Dees attacked the A3 end, and converted the set shot, before a mix up in the Lions attacking third saw a quick through the hands break by the Dees, and a close range finish from Cian O'Mahony. The big break saw the D's lead 9.4.58 to 0.4.4

The third quarter saw the Lions finally score a goal but again it was all the Dees who knocked in a half dozen. The Lions did start the quarter brightly, but Brayden Irving scored from close range for the Dees, and repeated the feat minutes later off a mark and set shot. Wong then linked up with Nicholas de Gorter, who in turn found Irving, who recorded a quickfire triple, and the Dees were cutting the Lions apart at will. O'Mahoney finished neatly from out wide and Barnett knocked home a set shot from the 50, before the Lions got on the board through Fraser Allen, who took a great mark off a Frank Murphy ball into the 50, and converted. The Dees though led 15.4.94 to 1.6.12

One quarter left, and could the Lions mount the most remarkable comeback in AFL London history. No, no they couldn't and the Dees continued on their scoring ways, with Lawler+ from out wide before a stunning mark by Lewis White saw him get another six points for the Lions.

So a couple of apologies, I know Nicholas De Gorter (1), and Isaac Conway (2) also found the target for the Dees, and there was a second for Mairtin Gustavo Lopez ogormain, but not sure where.

The final siren came with the Dees romping to a 17.6.108 to 2.8.20 win.

We end this final round up of the regular season with a trip to Hackney Marshes where the annual Battle of the Bridge, between the London Swans and South East London Giants took place.

The opening game in the Women's Conference saw the hosts sitting in 5th spot in the ladder, but knowing a hefty win could see them leapfrog their opponents into 4th spot and snatch a last gasp play off position, and to their credit they gave it a go.

A tight first half saw the Swans go in at the end of the first quarter with a 1.1.7 to 0.1.1 lead, and they maintained that advantage in a low-scoring second quarter with both sides adding just a behind to the scoreboard. At the big break the Swans led 1.2.8 to 0.2.2 and with work to do to qualify for the top 4.

A goal in the third quarter and a double in the final period saw them stretch their lead, as the Giants were maintained their one behind a quarter average for the game, and in the end it was a 4.2.26 to 0.4.4 win for the Swans, but it wasn't enough to take them through and the Giants met the Wandsworth Demons in the Elimination play-off on Sunday.

On target for the Swans were Eleanor Meegan with three, and Ella Boyd with one.

The final game of the regular season at the Marsh saw a clash in the Men's Socials. Going into the game the Swans were already assured of a place in the top 2, whilst for the reigning champions, the Giants, the defence of their title was coming to an end as they missed out on the top four.

The Swans got out to a bright start and notched the only goal of the first quarter, to go in at the break with a 1.2.8 to 0.2.2 lead, however the champions were not going to go down without a fight and came roaring back in the second period, restricting the Swans to just three behinds, whilst find the big target twice themselves, and at the big break it was the Giants who had a slender lead 2.3.15 to 1.5.11.

Whatever was in the Swans half time oranges seemed to have the desired effect as a third quarter blitz saw them run riot against the Giants, whilst simultaneously shutting their opponents out, and as we entered the final quarter the Swans had a 5.9.39 to 2.3.15. The Giants gave it a go in the final quarter but despite keeping the Swans off the board, the damage had already been done, and their one goal merely dented the final score line. As the siren went, the Swans ran out 5.9.39 to 3.6.24 winners.

On target for the Swans were Nic Dazeley, Richard Doyle, Zach Hancock Cameron McKie and Tyson Wyett, whilst for the Giants it was Beau Edwards, Rhys Dale and Joe Arthur.

Those results meant the Swans pick up the Battle of the Bridge shield with a 9.11.65 to 3.10.28 aggregate win.

Photos courtesy of South East London Giants @southeastlondongiants