Graham Croker
Sydney University maintained their lead at the top of the Sydney Premier Division AFL ladder on Saturday when they posted a 57-point win over North Shore at Henson Park.
The win – the ninth on the trot for the Students – relegated the Bombers to fourth on the ladder, which has University on 44, East Coast Eagles (40), Western Suburbs (40), North Shore (36), Pennant Hills (32) and Campbelltown (20) making up the top six.
The Students had nine players landing majors, headed by Mark Egan and Alexander Lee with four each, and Jesse Martin, Tyson Roberts and Anton Turco, who bagged three apiece.
Wet weather forced the game to be transferred from Gore Hill to Henson Park and from the opening bounce when Martin pounced on a loose ball to score for the Students, the game was a free-flowing affair.
The teams went goal for goal during an entertaining first quarter which ended with Sydney University holding a five-point advantage.
The second term provided a similar opening before the Students struck with a run of goals to establish a 30-point break at half-time.
The Bombers hit back early in the third term to reduce the deficit to three goals before the bloodied Mark Egan crumbed from a marking contest and snapped a six-pointer. It was the start of a Student rout with Adam McConnochie and Clint Wells bagging two apiece in a 10-minute rally to put the game out of the Bombers’ reach, despite the efforts of Nick Egan, who kicked five goals for the match.
With five rounds of the competition proper to play, the Students will host Pennant Hills in a night game at No.1 Oval on July 17, and UNSW-Eastern Suburbs the following week. They then travel to Wollongong, host Campbelltown, and travel to St George to round out the competition.
Scoreboard
Sydney Premier Division – Round 13
Premier Division: Sydney University 24.10: 154 (Mark Egan 4, Alexander Lee 4, Jesse Martin 3, Tyson Roberts 3, Anton Turco 3, Adam McConnochie 2, Clinton Wells 2, Andrew Kraefft 2, Tim Barton) d North Shore 14.10: 97 (Nick Egan 5, Tom Hill 2, Damien Casey 2, Patrick Brackin 2, Lachlan Pryor, Jason Harry, Evan Davis) at Henson Park.
Best players: Sydney University: Alexander Lee, Richard Burrows, Adam McConnochie, Clinton Wells, David Mitchell, Sam Sloane.
North Shore: Nick Egan, Jeremy Stiller, Patrick Brackin, Ben Clarke, Ryan Meldrum, Tom Hill.
Division One: North Shore 10.9: 69 (Matthew Carpenter 3, Adam Ziino 2, Max Carter 2, Teddy Strudwick , Ashley Naylor , James Costi) d Sydney University 6.12: 48 (Todd Considine 2, Christopher Kendrick , Michael Killicoat , Chas Wilkinson , Roland Wood).
Division Two: Sydney University 18.13: 121 (Stuart Wright 6, Cade Turland 5, Brendan Rankine 2, Joseph La Posta 2, Paul McWhirter, Rohan MacPherson) d UNSW-Eastern Suburbs 4.3: 27 (Peter Graham 2, Brad Humphry, Michael Paxman) at St Paul’s College Oval.
Division Three: Sydney University 17.21: 123 (Christopher Perkins 5, Doug Alley 3, Tony Ly 2, Jack Walker 2, Blair McFarlane 2, Hayden Conroy 2, Luke Taylor , Karl Chesterman) d Pennant Hills 6.8: 48 (Tim Young 3, William McGlone , John Rakic).
Division Four: Saints AFC 22.13: 145 (Brett Somerville 7, Jason. King 6, Peter Conduit 2, Brian Yates 2, David Coakley 2, Simon Graham 2, Andrew. Wise) d Sydney University 1.3: 9 (James Hunt) at Pioneers Park.
Under 18 Premier Cup: Sydney University bye.