Round 9: Lemony Snicket Meets AFL London

So for a brief period on Saturday I turned into Lemony Snicket, where one decision threw the whole trip to Waterhall into chaos. The mishaps meant I arrived shortly after the opening ball up, and when I got there goals from Tom Connolly and Jonathon Rhodes had put the Ealing Emus in the driving seat and they took a comfortable 2.3.15 to 0.1.1 advantage into the first quarter break.

The Swans were positive out of the blocks in quarter 2 and a forced numerous behinds without hitting the big points and it was the Emus who stretched their lead when Noah Boundy struck from distance.

The Swans were still having the better of things territorially but just needed that spark to get them back into the game and midway through the half it came. A spell of pressure forced the Wildcats into a mistake and as the ball was half cleared Swans Cameron Jones collected and scored from just inside the 50. Travis Jackman then struck from distance and it was game on once again

Half time came with the Emus still leading 3.3.21 to 2.4.16 but the Swans were roaring (I know Swans can’t roar but these were - it’s editorial licence…ahem).

Now, in the past, for all the delights of the South Downs backdrop I have been a little critical of the wind, but today the Swans had obviously had a word with someone and there was just a gentle breeze.

Early in the third quarter and Pat Wilson put down his camera for a few minutes, took a fantastic mark and was then marched forward 50 for a simple conversion and when Luke Cowling launched the ball forward clearing the backline of the Emus and allowing James Sutton from the Swans to race onto the ball and fire home and the Swans led 4.5.29 to 3.4.22 going into the final quarter.

The Emus had a fair amount of pressure in the final quarter but were wayward with their shooting and it was behinds all the way and the Swans sealed the win after fantastic work off the ruck by Joe Moore saw him win possession and find Jack Hart and his right footed finish as the angle narrowed was superb clinched the points.

Swans running out 5.5.35 to 3.8.26 winners

Despite defeat the Emus will make the play off, and will no doubt be hoping Jesse Rosomacki is available as they look a different proposition with him in the side. For the Swans a win against the Wimbledon Hawks on the final day of the regular season will put them through.

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If the Men's Socials was a tight tense affair, the Women's Premiership took was on another level, with the game in the balance right until the final siren, and the Sussex Swans had kept their finals hopes alive.

It was the Swans who made the brighter start, notching a number of behinds and after good work by Lorna Scott the ball reached Isabella Marino who fired the opening Swans goal. Attacking the rugby club end, the Cats were soon back in it, a ball into the Swans 50 was only half cleared and the mark was taken and converted by Sarah Vague to get the visitors on the board.

The Cats looked to have weathered the storm and having got on the board they pushed on and a quickfire double from Brie Thomas and Vague fired them ahead. With Maisy Johnston sweeping things up at the back for the Cats things were looking bleak for the Swans.

However led by the inspirational Andjelika Opacak and Ruth Moore, and on the back of some impressive goal-kicking by Katie O'Dea they were soon back in the contest. A half tapped clearance by the Cats was gathered in by O'Dea who fired home from just inside the 50 and when O'Dea fired home from a tight angle, the Swans had a quarter time lead, going in 3.5.23 to 3.0.18 lead

With a light breeze at their backs the Cats held the initiative in the early stages of the second quarter and after a couple of behinds, a set shot from Jamie Symons pushed the visitors ahead. Once again though the Swans responded and a long ball forward by Elizabeth Thoms was gathered by O'Dea, who else who scored, and when Opacak launched one from outside the 50 over the heads of the Cats defence and between the sticks it was the Swans who took a lead into the big break, 5.7.37 to 4.1.25

It was another tight affair in the third quarter and another long range effort, this time from Isabella Tuttle for the Cats, where a wicked bounce took out the Swans defence and pulled the Cats back to within a goal of the Swans. Once again though Swans nerves were settled by O'Dea, who latched onto a knock down from a ball up to hook home from wide left, and we went into the final period with the Swans 6.8.44 to 5.4.34 ahead.

In a tense final period the Cats had the Swans pinned back for long periods and after several behinds they had closed the gap and once Maddie Grimes had picked out Deanna McAvoy (yes, it was picked out, not a truly awful shot at goal...) the scores were level. The Swans though were to have the final scoring say, and a behind took them ahead, and they dug in for all their lives to pick up the win that keeps their finals hopes alive.

The siren went with the Swans 6.9.45 to 6.8.44 winners.

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And breathe...

So what else was going on at the weekend?

There were three games at the Oliver Tambo where the Lions faced three different opponents, and three on the Marshes with the London Swans taking on the Demons, whilst finally there was one at at Reading with the Roos up against the Demons in the Men's Social.

Opening the day in north London it was the Lions against the South East London Giants in the Women's Conference in a clash between the top two sides in the division. The Lions were playing their final regular season game, and they duly made it seven wins from eight games and avenged their defeat against the Giants in Round 6.

The Lions made a bright start and took a 1.1.7 to 0.0.0 lead into the first quarter break, and stretched the lead to nine points at the big break going in 2.3.15 to 1.0.6.

The Giants narrowed the gap to three points at the end of the third quarter, having kept the Lions scoreless, but that was as close as it got, and the Lions stretched aways in the fourth to record a 3.5.23 to 2.0.12 win.

On target for the Lions were 
Ellie Allcock, Emma Baker and Stephanie Daws ; Ruby Leonard and Lexi Spokes with the Giants response.

Next up was the Men'

s Premiership and having lost a high scoring encounter the previous week, the Lions were out for revenge against the Wandsworth Demons.

Unfortunately for the hosts, it was not to be and the Demons moved eight points clear at the top of the table, in a relatively low-scoring contest. Two first quarter goals for the Dees saw them take a 2.3.15 to 1.1.7 lead into the quarter time break, but the Lions came roaring back in the second period and two goals for themselves, whilst restricting the Demons to a couple of behinds saw the Lions lead 3.1.19 to 2.5.17 at the big break.

It was behinds all the way in the third quarter and six from the Dees saw them take the advantage heading into the last period, leading 2.11.23 to 3.3.21. The final period was all Demons as four more goals and another four behinds saw them blow a tight game wide open and record a 6.15.51 to 4.4.28 win.

On target for the Dees were Isaac Conway with four, with one each for Oliver Lawson and Zac Rollason, whilst replying for the Lions were Judah Edmunds and Fergus Hotchkiss, plus two others - although finding them appears to be a needle in a haystack job at the minute.

Finally it was the Men's Socials, and the Lions knew only a big win against the currently winless Aubergine Machine from the Wimbledon Hawks would keep their finals hopes alive. Win they did but with the Sussex Swans upsetting the apple cart by defeating the Ealing Emus they are now relying on the Hawks beating the Swans in their final game of the season.

The Lions were out of the blocks quickly, and three goals saw them take a 3.2.20 to 0.1.1 lead at quarter time. The Hawks fought back in the second quarter and reduced the arrears to 18 points - both sides having a goal apiece, and the Hawks with one more behind - and we went into the big break with the Lions 4.3.27 to 1.3.9 to the good.

The third quarter was all Lions, who blew the game apart with six goals, whilst restricting the Hawks to just the one behind, and the charge for a big percentage boost was on. However the Hawks rallied in the final period, and outscored the Lions by 13 points to 3, and gave us a full time score of 10.7.67 to 3.5.23 in favour of the Lions.

The Lions now have to wait until the final round of the regular season to find out their fate.

Moving on to Hackney Marshes and first up was the Women's Conference, where the Demons took a huge step to securing a finals place with a hard fought win over the Swans.

The Swans led into the first quarter break 1.0.6 to 0.1.1 before the Dees came fighting back in the second quarter, and by half time the visitors were ahead 1.3.9 to 1.0.6. Another Dees goal in the third quarter stretched the lead out to seven points, and a strong finish saw them record a 3.7.25 to 2.2.14 win.

Goals for the Demons came from Jayden Cooney with 2 and Charley Daniel; with Laurene Colin and Tiahn Ollerenshaw on target for the Swannies.

In the Women's Premiership a huge encounter between the top 2 saw the Swans move back to the top of the table, fairly narrowly on percentage, thanks to a hard fought win over the Demons.

Safe to say, the game swung this way and that in favour of both teams. The Dees started positively and bar a couple of behinds shut down the free flowing London Swans, and come the end of the first quarter, they held a 1.5.11 to 0.2.2 advantage.

The Swans fired back in the second quarter, and two goals and six behinds put them ahead at the big break, going in 2.8.20 to 2.6.18. The third quarter was a tight tense affair, with just a sole goal for the Demons to trouble the scorers, and the Dees took a sneaky 3.6.24 to 2.8.20 lead into the final period.

Two goals from the Swans in the final period, compared to one for the Demons saw the Swans pick up the win 4.8.32 to 4.6.30 (so the two Women's Premiership games were won by a grand total of three points).

The Dees are done for the regular season, and barring the Swans suffering a heavy defeat in their last game, they will be runners up and head into the Qualifying Final.

It was a triple for Hannah Moss and one for Alexis Smith for the Swans; with a Lol Viska double and one for Adele Arnup and Brigitte Morgan for the Dees.

Finally it was the Men's Conference, and the unbeaten Swans looked to guarantee top spot in the table, and they duly did it with a hard-fought victory over the Demons, who will likely bar some strange results finish in second spot.

It was a high scoring first quarter, which saw the Swans go into the break with a ten point advantage, 4.1.25 to 2.3.15 and they increased that slightly at the big break, going in with a 6.1.37 to 3.6.24 lead

The Swans struck the decisive blows in the third quarter, with four goals to the Demons one, and going into the final period they had a 34 point lead, 10.5.65 to 4.7.31. The Demons remained positive and actually won the final quarter, by a couple of points, giving us a full time score of 12.6.78 to 6.10.46 in favour of the hosts.

Goalscorers for the Swans were Josh Kemp with four, Reed Jepson with three, Matthew Caddeo with two, and one each for Dylan Belo, Jesse Dench and Marcus Gardner, whilst responding for the Demons were Nick Barker with four and one each for Liam Dove and Jack Gleeson.

Finally over to Kings Meadow and the Reading Roos against the Demons in the Mens Social. The Roos have been much more competitive this season, but against a Demons side who were looking for top spot it was always a tough ask.

As it turned out, the Dees were victorious, but in a relatively close game which saw them move above the Ealing Emus on percentage but remain below the table topping London Swans.

We could be left with the scenario, should they Sussex Swans win their last game, that the top four would all have 20 points, and only be separated by percentage.

So, how did the game in Reading pan out, well the Roos started brightly and quickly got themselves ahead and took a 2.2.14 to 0.3.3 lead into the first break. However the Demons burst into life in the second quarter five unanswered goals saw them leap out to a 5.4.34 to 2.3.15 lead and they were never to look back.

Another goal, whilst restricting the Roos to just a behind saw the Dees 6.8.44 to 2.4.16 ahead at the three quarter break and although the Roos found the target twice in the last period, three more Demon goals saw them ease to a 9.11.65 to 4.6.30 win.

On target for the Demons were Danny Radis with three, Alex Forbes and Rowhen McBride with two and one each for Ciaran O'Duffy and McKenzie Ryan; replying for the Roos were Jason Bethune with three and Alex Toogood.