Sunburn, Set Shots & Surprises - AFL London Heats Up!

Week 7 saw me take a trip to Wimbledon Park, temporary home of the Wimbledon Hawks, for four fixtures involving the Hawks, West London Wildcats, Sussex Swans and the South East London Giants. Now, for a pasty Brit, soaring temperatures are not my idea of fun, so it was with some trepidation that I headed into the ground. However bedecked in sunhat and lashings of factor 50 I made the decision to struggle through.

Arriving at the ground and the Hawks were frantically rushing around for some missing goalposts, and whilst cable ties were being added to plastic posts a white knight rode in with a full sized goalpost - I say white knight, it was more a groundsman with pole attached to his cart looking for all the world like he was appearing in a medieval joust.

Post inserted and we were under way in Game 1, where the Hawks Aubergine Machine took on the high flying Sussex Swans. With Big Show David Smith in the Hawks squad, and league Women's Development Office Laurie Diiorio in his final game in the Swans squad, there was a lot of AFL London royalty for those in attendance to get excited about.

The Swans set their store out early on, and had the Hawks pinned back in the initial stages of the game, and were rewarded with the opening goal of the game when Luke Cowling launched a ball forward and Louis Jamart marked just off the goal line, and converted to put the visitors ahead, and they increased their lead midway through the quarter, Isaac Zamora marked in the 50 and although his effort was off target Thomas Irps marked and then converted from a tight angle. The quarter ended with the Swans 2.5.17 to 0.0.0 ahead.

Cowling increased the Swans lead early in the second quarter from close range, and after a clearance by Hawks Jack Spicer was intercepted by Henry Marshall, the Swans looked poised to score again. Marshall was off target with his effort but Cowling marked and scored to give a half time score of Swans 4.9.33 to 0.0.0.

Early in the third quarter and a great mark and swerving run by Steven Welton gave the Swans their first goal of the quarter, and despite the best efforts of the Hawks, it was the Swans who further stretched their lead, again courtesy of the boot of Welton, who snuck his effort in just before the hooter. This gave us a score heading into the final quarter of Swans 6.14.50 to 0.1.1

The Aubergine Machine had the Swans flapping early in the fourth quarter as they enjoyed their best spell of possession and territory of the day. The Swans though are made of stern stuff and after withstanding the pressure, they struck through James Sutton to increase their lead, and scoring was completed late on, Sutton taking a great mark on the edge of the 50, and was then marched forward to the goal square, where he converted with ease to give a full time score of Swans 8.16.62 to 0.2.2 and put the visitors top of the league, albeit from more games played.

The second game of the day was also in the Men's Socials, where the Ealing Emus hosted the South East London Giants (with Chiswick unavailable, and three Wildcats sides at Wimbledon Park it made sense to move the Emus to there for their game). Both sides were looking for wins to keep their play off hopes alive.

After a cagey start, the Emus started to dominate and pulled clear late on in the first quarter, with goals from Jeremy Costa from a set shot; Joshua White from a tight angle and Carmelo Citrigno as they leapt out to a 3.1.19 to 0.1.1 first quarter lead. The Giants had the Emus on the back foot early in the second quarter but only had a couple of behinds to show for their efforts, and it was the Emus who struck next with a neat finish by Albert Rasheed. Chris McDougall increased the Emus lead from a set shot, before Costa added another and the Emus took a 6.2.38 to 0.3.3 lead into the big break.

Stephen Clarke added another from distance during the third quarter and a tidy finish from the in-form Costa further stretched the Emus lead, and come the end of the third quarter it was 8.4.52 to 0.4.4 to the Emus. The Giants responded positively at the start of the fourth quarter with a neat finish by Geoff Mackay, but it was the Emus who had the final say with a goal by Ben Wood rounding off an outstanding effort by them. Full time came with the Emus running out 9.8.62 to 1.6.12 winners

The win brings the Emus level on points with the Giants, and it looks as though they are locked in a battle - along with the North London Lions for the final play off place (assuming both Swans and the Demons are likely to be there).

Game 3 saw the unbeaten and seemingly unstoppable Wimbledon Hawks women take on the West London Wildcats 2's in the Women's Conference. The Wildcats were still looking for their first win of the season, and knew they had a tough task ahead of them, but their efforts in the first and second quarter will give cause for optimism.

With the temperatures soaring, even with the cloud cover and occasional much needed rain shower, the Wildcats turned in a sterling first quarter, restricting the free scoring Hawks to just four behinds, and the hosts went in with a 0.4.4 to 0.0.0 lead. The much anticipated opening goal for the Hawks came early in the second quarter when a ball into the 50 found Abbey L'Estrange who converted to give the title favourites some much needed breathing space, and at the end of the quarter the Hawks took a 1.5.11 to 0.0.0 lead into the big break.

The Wildcats were proving tough opponents to breakdown, but the Hawks were getting stronger and stronger and in the third quarter a three goals saw them pull clear. First up a decent shot on the turn by Melanie Hogg ended a spell of Hawks pressure and that was followed by a set shot from L'Estrange to stretch the lead. L'Estrange ended the quarter with a superb mark off a Hannah Scholar ball into the 50, which allowed her to convert from close range. At the end of the quarter the Hawks led 4.8.32 to 0.0.0.

Hogg extended the Hawks lead early in the final period with a neat finish after a mazy run, and it was left to Molly Sheehan, on the turn to round off a good days work for the Hawks. Massive credit to the Wildcats who never gave up, and battled to the very end. The Hawks did give up a point, but have still to concede a goal after four games. At the full time siren, it was a comfortable 6.9.45 to 0.0.1 in favour of the Hawks, and they sit in second spot, just behind the North London Lions both sides being unbeaten.

The final game of the day, as the heat started to ramp up again, saw the Hawks take on the Shepherd Bush Raiders in the Men's Conference. The Hawks were out of the blocks like a rocket and after only 20 seconds Mitchell Bloomfield converted after a flowing move to give them the lead, and shortly after Hamish Coulton increased their lead. The game settled down and became a tough hard fought battle, with no let up in intensity. Final action of the quarter saw Hawks skipper Billy O'Loughlin convert from a set shot to take them into the quarter break with a 3.0.18 to 0.2.2 lead.

The second and third quarters were tense affairs, with solid defending the order of the day. The second quarter saw just three behind troubling the scorecard and the Hawks extending their lead by one, as they went in with a 3.2.20 to 0.3.3 lead.

The third quarter saw wayward finishing and a few more behinds added to both sides tallies, the Raiders edging the quarter with four behind to three for the Hawks, and we went into the final period with the game up for grabs, the Hawks leading 3.5.23 to 0.7.7. If the second and third quarters were tight tense affairs, it was relatively speaking a goal frenzy in the final quarter. The Hawks stretched their lead early on after some great interplay between Jeremy Dobson and Billy Glasgow eventually led to a mark by Jarryd Cussen, who converted with a set shot. The Raiders responded instantly with an excellent shot on the turn from Kyle Hayes.

The Hawks scored again through Dobson eliciting the biggest cheer of the day from the Hawkettes on the side-line, and there was a brief introduction into the game by the Hawks of the legend that is the Big Show, before scoring was completed by the Raiders Patrick Riley and the Hawks secured a hard-fought 5.6.36 to 2.7.19 win.

Elsewhere there was a triple header at Bounds Green where the North London Lions hosted the Wandsworth Demons.

The opening game of the day saw the Women's Conference, and it was the powerful, table topping Lions who downed the Demons with a 5.9.39 to 0.1.1 win, to keep them ahead of the Hawks, albeit from a game more. Week 9 sees the two unbeaten sides met, in what could very easily be a precursor to the Grand Final.

Following that was the Men's Social

Finally, and it was a titanic tussle in the Men's Premiership where the Lions handed the Demons their first defeat of the season, and move level on points with both sides having 12. In an epic encounter the Lions came through 8.14.62 to 8.6.54

Not far away at Hackney Marshes and it was a double header, this time with the London Swans hosting the Demons.

The day opened with a clash in the Men's Conference and the Swans maintained their position at the top of the table courtesy of a thumping 16.10.106 to 4.1.25 win. The Demons slip to third following the defeat and the Hawks win, but they do have a game in hand.

It was a top of the table clash in the Women's Premiership, and the Swans outlasted the Demons 2.4.16 to 1.1.7 in a close one to stay top of the pile.

A tough weekend for the Demons but they have been pretty much unstoppable across the board this year, and every one has a bad day from time to time. They will no doubt come roaring back in the coming weeks.

Another fantastic day of footy in sweltering heat. Hats off to all the players, it couldn't have been easy.