Round 7: Swans, Stunners and a Severe Talking To

So for Week 7 of the regular season I packed the equipment into the car and made the relatively short and well travelled journey to Motspur Park and the Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields. A bit of traffic on the road, and a sat-nav that decided on some weird way to get me to the ground meant I arrived twenty minutes before the first bounce, but still in time for an irate Richard Beal - to give me a stern telling off for recent comments. Don't think I will ever recover from the firmness of the handshake - consider me well told off.

It was three games between the Hawks and the increasingly powerful London Swans, and a first game between Women's Conference table topping North London Lions and the Swans.

The Lions lost last time out, to see their unbeaten run come to an abrupt end, but they were in no mood to let that set back get them down, and they set about their Swan opponents from the off.

Kicking into a slight breeze the Lions were soon on the board, Zali Brunner picking out Georgina Oliver who took the mark and converted to put the north Londoners ahead. The Swans though responded positively and were soon level, through Maylis Chapelier.

The Lions were quickly back into their stride and Rosie Kahl picked out Brunner for the first of her five. Distance between the sides was increased on the stroke of quarter time when an effort from distance by Ellie Alcock took a favourable bounce and sent the Lions into the first quarter break with a 3.0.18 to 1.0.6 lead.

The Lions increased their lead early in the second quarter after a tremendous mark out wide by Oliver saw the ball across the face of goal gathered by Brunner who fired home from close range and Brunner was again on target from close range as the Lions went into the big break 5.2.32 to 1.0.6 ahead.

The Swans were not going down without a fight though and led by the excellent Saskia Taylor-Doyle and Chelsea Fisher they made a good fist of things early in the third quarter and were rewarded with an early goal through Lauren Nielsen. Gradually though the Lions got back on the front foot and after a spell of pressure, Lucy Banks played the ball into the goal square where Kerryn Musson outmuscled the defender and poked the ball home. Just before the break and Banks got on the scoresheet herself latching onto a half clearance and firing home to give the Lions a 7.4.46 to 2.1.13 lead.

The Lions had much the better of things in the final period, and had the Swans on the back foot. An early goal Musson made it number eight, before a quickfire double from the impressive Brunner moved the lead beyond forty points. The first coming from close range followed by capitalising on a Lucy Newell shot and scoring from close range. Lions goalscoring was completed by Lucinda Lloyd Jones.

The last goal of the game though was a fabulous effort by Taylor-Doyle, a tremendous pick up and goal on the run giving Swans something to cheer about.

The siren sounded with the Lions 11.6.72 to 3.4.22 victors.

The first of the Hawks/Swans clash took place in the Men's Social division, where the Swans recorded a win, in conjunction with other results, that took them top of the table, whilst leaving their opponents rooted to the foot.

It was the Hawks who made a bright start to the game, and they hit the front early on when Kyle Taylor picked out Eoghan Curain, and the debutant - who first saw an AFL ball the previous Thursday converted to give the hosts the lead. The Swans though are an excellent side and had quickly established a lead.

First up and calm work in the middle of the park by Josh Olver saw him pick out Darcy Johnston who marked and converted to level things up. Declan Hicks then picked out Callum Jepp and after something was said out of turn the Swan was marched forward 50 and left with a simple finish to put the Swans ahead. Tackling was becoming increasingly feisty with both sides laying their bodies on the line, and it was the Swans who stretched further away. Hawks Jake Henley pulled off a fantastic tackle to prevent Oisín O'Flaherty from scoring, but from the clearance Hicks took a mark and scored. Tyson Wyett then found himself marched forward and again fired between the uprights and give the Swans a 4.2.26 to 1.0.6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter and a shot by O'Flaherty was touched on its way towards goal and well gathered by Jepp who converted from a tight angle. Jepp was at it again minutes later when a ball into the Hawks 50 took a wicked bounce and took out the Hawks defence, leaving Jepp with a relatively simple finish. The prolific Swan sealed a quickfire triple almost immediately, marking a ball into the 50 and converting.

The Hawks were still battling away but only had a couple of behinds to show for their efforts, and it was the Swans who completed the scoring in the half. Dominic Bowes fired into the 50, Johnston marked and converted from close range to send the Swans into the big break 8.3.51 to 1.2.8 ahead.

The Hawks were still giving it their all, but with two players in Ben Jones and Bobby Fitzsimmons playing their first games since 2013 they were always going to be lacking a bit in the leg department. Johnston notched his third from wide right for the Swans and Josh Olver fired home from close range.

The ever dangerous Nic Dazeley fired a set shot through the uprights, before Olver notched his second of the quarter and Ian Ash added another to send the Swans into the break 13.6.84 to 1.3.9 ahead.

For the final quarter the Hawks introduced last season Women's coach Paul Dutton for his first (and last) game for the side, having last played AFL in 1992 (will a 34 year gap ever be beaten?). The Swans were in no mood to take their foot of the gas, and Liam Cudmore swooped on the ball and converted on the run, before the Hawks notched another behind. Jepp then pick out Cudmore who marked and converted for a swift second. Scoring was completed when Olver fired home a set shot to seal the win.

The siren sounded with the Swans 16.8.104 to 1.4.10 winners

The runaway league leaders in the Men's Conference were in town, and made it four wins from four and topped the century mark for the third time as they eased to victory.

The Swans dominated the early stages with the giant Marcus Gardner winning everything in the air, and they soon made their dominance pay. A flowing move ended with the ball in the hands of Reed Jepson, and well, I don't need to say what happens next. Jepson was soon notching his second, this time great work by Thomas Buffin and Jake Peachey combined to set him up.

The Billy's then combined to get the Hawks on the board, as Billy Glasgow launched a ball forward, and after a wayward shot goalwards, Billy O'Loughlin gathered out wide and he converted his set shot. Riley Hunt stretched the Swans lead, and they ended the quarter with a fizzed Kobi Howes ball finding Josh Kemp who converted to give the Swans a 4.4.28 to 1.0.6 first quarter lead.

A deeper lying Fergus Lappin launched the ball forward early in the second quarter and eventually it was collected by Jepson who notched his third, and shortly after a low ball into the 50 was picked up off his toes by Hunt who converted for another Swans goal.

The Hawks got on board in the quarter with a sublime outside of the boot right foot volley by Oli Hobin - honestly if Kylian Mbappe did it the press would be all over it for years - found Brandon Moldrich who took the mark and converted. This merely served to spur the Swans on and after a contest in the middle of the park was won by Gardner, Kemp converted.

The Hawks were not going away quietly but after a spell of pressure was repelled by the Swans, the visitors broke quickly and Blake Goodwin was on hand to convert a set shot. Scoring was completed in the half when Lappin found Buffin and the Swans went into the half time break 9.4.58 to 2.1.13 up

The third quarter was relatively quiet, Hunt scored again for the Swans, but it the Hawks who had the better of things, and after a long ball forward was taken and converted by Sam LeCocq, a few behinds actually saw the Hawks win the quarter by a point - albeit trailing going into the last period by 44 points, 10.6.66 to 3.4.22

This was clearly an unwise move on the Hawks behalf as the merely poked the bear, so to speak (yes, I know it's the Swans, but poking the Swan doesn't have the same gravitas), and the visitors went on an eight goal blitz in the final period.

Max Whalley set up Goodwin for the first, before Charlie Whalley added a second. Jepson added the third and fourth, with Hunt the fifth, M.Whalley the sixth, and Hunt the seventh, before O'Loughlin kept up the Hawks goal a quarter record.

The final say, naturally went to Jepson who notched his sixth of the game, and 22nd of the season after good work by Howes, to give a final score of 18.9.117 to 4.4.28 in favour of the Swans.

It's hard to see anyone stopping the Swans this season, if Jepson doesn't get you, Hunt will, if Hunt doesn't Lappin will, and even if you stop all of them, they are still only averaging 23 points conceded per game.

The final game of the day was in the Women's Premiership. Way back in Round 2 the Swans had hammered an admittedly Hogg-less Hawks by 115 points, so all eyes were on the progress of the Hawks over the last few weeks. For the Swans, its a three way battle at the top of the pile, so they could afford no slip ups.

What we got was a tight battle with the game in the balance until a blistering start to the fourth quarter by the Swans which took the game away from the Hawks.

The Swans started brightly, and after a spell of pressure, the elusive Saskia Taylor-Doyle collected the ball wide on the left and fired the Swans ahead. The sides traded behind but late in the quarter the Swans took a big advantage when Lola Perrin marked and converted to give them a 2.2.14 to 0.2.2 lead

The Swans increased their lead early in the second quarter with a remarkable goal by Jaimee Wittervan, picking the ball up midway in her half and bouncing and weaving her way to 30 yards from goal and firing home. The Hawks responded instantly through Sophia White and a spell of pressure saw numerous behind and the Hawks cut the lead to eight points. The Swan going into the big break 3.2.20 to 1.6.12 ahead.

The third quarter was a real war of attrition with neither side seriously troubling the scoreboard and it was a lone behind for the Swans that saw them take a nine point lead into the final quarter 3.3.21 to 1.6.12 ahead, but still very much all to play for.

A lightning start to the final period saw Taylor-Doyle collect off the ruck and find Chelsea Fisher, and a strike from distance added to the Swans goals, and almost immediately a ball out wide was well dealt with by Alexis Smith, and the fizzed ball across the face of goal was gathered by Wittervan who fired home. Scoring was completed when Maggie Minchin picked up a loose ball, advanced on goal and fired home.

The siren sounded with the Swans 6.4.40 to 1.6.12 winners and maintain their minor Premiership push. For the Hawks it was a mark of how far they have come since that Round 2 defeat.

Elsewhere, there were three games in Chiswick and one in Sussex.

We start our round up with the triple header, and in the Mens Socials the unbeaten league leaders the Ealing Emus were put to the sword by a strong Wandsworth Demons side. The Dees leapt out to a big first quarter lead, going in 3.3.21 to 0.0.0 to the good, and maintained their 21 point advantage after a tight second quarter, the Dees leading 4.4.28 to 1.1.7 at the big break.

Another goal, whilst holding the Emus scoreless saw the Dees increase their lead to 5.6.36 to 1.1.7 at three quarter time, and three more fourth quarter goals sealed a memorable win for the Demons, 8.6.54 to 2.3.15.

On target for the Demons were Pat Hurley with two, and one each for Fiachra Griffin, Damien Holland, Dominic Oday, McKenzie Ryan, Ed Smith and Justin Woodcock.

It was a tight affair in the Women's Conference, with the Dees sneaking the win in a low scoring game, with just two goals scored.

The Dees on the back of an Annie Genest goal took a 1.4.10 to 0.0.0 lead into the first break, and with just one Demon behind in the second period we went into the big break with the Dees 1.5.11 to 0.0.0 ahead.

Stephanie Stockman goaled for the Wildcats in the third quarter as they cut the lead to seven points, as the Dees notched a couple of behinds, but that was it for the scoring and the Dees ended up with a 1.7.13 to 1.0.6 victory.

Finally, in the Women's Premiership the age of the Wildcat is on the wane, as they slipped to an unheard of second defeat of the season, going down by twenty two points to the Demons, after a final quarter collapse.

The visitors edged a tight first quarter, going in with a 1.2.8 to 1.0.6 lead at the first break, but two goals from the Cats in quarter two saw them turn a two point deficit into a two point advantage as they took a 3.0.18 to 2.4.16 lead into the half time break.

Another goal, and holding the Dees to just one point looked to have set the Wildcats on their way to victory as they took a ten point advantage into the final period leading 4.3.27 to 2.5.17.

What happened in the final quarter was unheard of from a usually defensively dominant Wildcats, and they were hit for five goals by the Demons, whilst being held scoreless themselves, and at the final siren it was the Dees with a 7.7.49 to 4.3.27 win.

On target for the Demons were Adele Arnup with four, Caitlin Crook with a double and one for Brigitte Morgan; replying for the Wildcats were Hayley Fitzgerald, Alexandre Sonnefeld, Isabella Tuttle and Emma van Dorssen.

For our final game of the weekend we headed off to Waterhall for what, after the Emus defeat, was the last unbeaten record in the Men's Social division and a strong looking Sussex Swans side.

Come the final siren, there were no unbeaten sides in the division. The Lions were strong from the start and took a 2.4.16 to 1.0.6 lead into the first quarter break. Another goal from the Swans saw them reduce the arrears to just six points, with the Lions holding a 2.6.18 to 2.0.12 lead.

The Lions - presumably with the wind - stretched away during the third quarter with two more goals and four behinds whilst holding the Swans scoreless and a big 4.10.34 to 2.0.12 lead. It was behinds all the way in the final quarter, with the Lions holding on to record a 4.11.35 to 2.3.15 win.

On target for the Lions were Daniel Leggett with two, and one each for Ben Kanka and Ryan Smith; Joe Moore and Harry Unwin replied for the Swans.

That's it for last weekend, this coming weekend I will be on the Common for five Demons games, come and say hello if you are around.