Photo: Keith McInnes/NEAFL
Brisbane Lions, Southport Sharks and Sydney Swans have taken control of the NEAFL ladder after six rounds of the 2019 competition.
The undefeated Lions head the competition on 24 points, with Southport (20) and the Swans (20) keeping tabs.
The intriguing competition rests on the next rung of the ladder where Sydney University, Gold Coast Suns, Giants and Canberra Demons are all on eight points with two wins each.
Sydney University opened the season in emphatic style with big wins over Aspley and Northern Territory Thunder, but after a third round bye they lost to Canberra by five points and Southport by 36 points before Saturday’s 22-point loss to the Swans at Henson Park.
They need a win over eighth-placed Redland when they meet at the same venue this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sydney University suffered their first loss of the season in the Sydney Premier Division when UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs prevailed 65-63 in a cliff-hanger at Henson Park on Saturday.
The visitors raced to a 26-points lead in the first quarter, restricting the hosts to one behind. They pushed the margin to 45-24 at the main break, and 59-38 at the end of the third quarter.
Sydney University restricted UNSW to one goal in the final term while kicking four of their own but just failed to snare a win. James Pascoe landed six goals for the winners, while Daniel Smith, William Stratford and Samuel Gilfedder each landed two for the hosts.
North Shore Bombers head the Premier Division on 20 points, with Sydney University (16), East Coast Eagles (16), UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs (16), Pennant Hills Demons (12) and Inner West Magpies (8) making up the top six after five rounds.
The Students will meet North Shore Bombers at Gore Hill Oval this Saturday.
Sydney University Bombers maintained their lead on the Sydney Women’s Premier League ladder with 24-point win over Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs at Sydney University Oval on Saturday.
Maryanne Harley (2), Rachael Stack (2) and Aoife McDonnell landed goals for the host in the 37-13 result.
The Students will host Inner West Magpies in a Round six clash on Saturday.
Scoreboard
NEAFL competition – Round 6
Sydney Swans 17.14: 116 (Daniel Menzel 3, James Bell 2, James Rowbottom 2, Benjamin Ronke 2, Samuel Gaden 2, Justin McInerney, Joel Amartey, James Rose, Zac Foot, Ryan Clarke, Johnny Pawle) defeated Sydney University 14.10: 94 (Tristan Davies 3, Sam Fong 2, Jake Veale 2, Jake Bartholomaeus 2, Harry Morrison 2, William Sierakowski 2, Montgomery Krochmal) at Henson Park on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney Swans: James Rowbottom, Harrison Reynolds, James Bell, Ryan Clarke, Samuel Wicks, James Rose.
Sydney University: Jake Bartholomaeus, Lewis Stevenson, William Sierakowski, Luke Robertson, Montgomery Krochmal, Lachlan Kilpatrick.
Sydney Men’s Premier Division – Round 5
Premier Grade: UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 10.5: 65 (James Pascoe 6, Jesse Aish 2, Isaac Bartholomaeus, Jack McAnespie) defeated Sydney University 9.9: 63 (Daniel Smith 2, William Stratford 2, Samuel Gilfedder 2, Cameron Williams, Tom Dunlop, Allister Clarke) at Henson Park on Saturday.
Best players
UNSW Eastern Suburbs: James Pascoe, Hayden Nichols, Ned Reinhard, Jarryd Wachman, Thomas Banuelos, Charlie Burgess-Hoar.
Sydney University: Cameron Williams, Aaron Day, Tom Ayton, Luke Vella, Ben Hawtin, Daniel Smith.
Reserve Grade: Sydney University 15.7: 97 (Braydon Pilot 4, Kyle Underwood 3, Hamish Lelliott 2, Daragh Mullen, Nathan Tang, Nik Dale, James Lees, Luke Freemantle, Adam Fiene) defeated UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 3.7: 25 (Thomas Chichester, Finnius Mergler, Luke Irvine) at Henson Park on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Bailey Scotney, Jacob Swarts, Braydon Pilot, Kyle Underwood, Nik Dale, Christopher Reichman.
UNSW Eastern Suburbs: Benjamin Eddy, Lachlan O’Callaghan, Andrew Goodieson, Thomas Staines, Fletcher Rowe, Thomas Chichester.
Division One: Pennant Hills Demons 8.5: 53 (Thomas Abbott 4, Nathan Smith 3, Harrison Gregor) defeated Sydney University 7.8: 50 (Matthew Vicic 4, Harrison Best 2, Xavier Nelson) at Sydney University Oval on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Tommy Doyle, Jason Cheah, Matthew Vicic, James Mason, Samuel Power, Michael Fogarty.
UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs: Thomas Abbott, Samuel Lloyd, Brandon Buyink , Evan Danilo, Harrison Gregor, Timothy Acheson.
Division Two: UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 6.9: 45 (Troy Luff 3, Jack McKinlay, Jonathan Rottcher-Dalton, Fraser Noack) defeated Sydney University 6.5: 41 (Kyall Homberg 2, Hamish Klemp 2, Gabriel Robbie, Paul Oscar) at Henson Park on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Chas Wilkinson, Josh Toyer, Ben Fitzpatrick, Jarryd Boyd, Jonathan Weir, Kyall Homberg.
UNSW Eastern Suburbs: Jonathan Rottcher-Dalton, Tate Meredith, Nathan Shapiro, Fraser Noack, Brady Noack, Finbarr Warren.
Division Three: Pennant Hills Demons 5.10: 40 (Michael Baglin 2, Joshua Crean, Nicholas Shiel, Zachariah Cuffe) defeated Sydney University 3.8: 26 (Tomas Edwards, Chester Travers, Jack Jensen) at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Gabriel Beech-Jones, Patrick Hunter, Krishan Maheepala, Amarpal Pannu, Peter Lloyd, Alex Antoniazi.
Pennant Hills Demons: Nicholas Donohoe, Darren Boulet, Joshua Crean, Nicholas Shiel, Alexander Huggins, Jack Thorncraft
Men’s Under 19 – Round 5
Division One: Sydney University 9.4: 58 (Joshua Lee 2, Luke Gallen 2, Ben Davis 2, Damien Dickson, Blake Byrne, Brendan Ford) defeated UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 3.6: (Ashley Backlund 3) at Henson Park on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Billy Chudleigh, Thomas Linfield-Kent, Nicholas Lees, Che Munro, Damien Dickson, Joshua Lee.
UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs: Sam Kofod, Thomas Tyson, Oscar Peter, Harry Whitaker, Kyle Chandler, A. Backlund.
Division Two: Sydney University 8.16: 64 (Dylan Smyth 2, Angus MacDougall, Benjamin Wrigley, Riley Holmes, Oscar Sachs, Angus Cutbill, Jonathan Hooper) defeated North Shore Bomers 2.2: 14 (Campbell Saddington, Jonah Faigen) at Gore Hill Oval on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Lewis Verrell, Luke Asnicar, Angus Cutbill, Dylan Smyth, Riley Holmes, Jordan Hill.
North Shore Bombers: Robert Worner, Jonah Faigen, Charles Lovegrove, Nicholas Parker, Campbell Saddington, Benjamin Greaves.
Sydney Women’s Premier Division – Round 5
Premier Grade: Sydney University Bombers 5.7: 37 (Maryanne Harley 2, Rachael Stack 2, Aoife McDonnell) defeated UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 2.1: 13 (Madeleine Kohlrusch, Sandra Janjetovic) at Sydney University Oval on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Kristen Hay, Maryanne Harley, Isadora McLeay, Aoife McDonnell, Franziska Klatt, Erin McKinnon
UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs: Sandra Janjetovic, Alison Parkin, Peri Maniakas, Rebecca Mount, Madeleine Kohlrusch, Shelby Koh.
Division Two: Sydney University Bombers 5.9: 39 (Stephanie Hickman, Erin Doyle, Katharine Christopher, Mikaeli Cuell, Chelsea Owensby) defeated UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs 0.2: 2 at Sydney University Oval on Saturday.
Best players
Sydney University: Katharine Christopher, Renae Pritchard, Tanika Robertson, Sarah Marschke, Erin Doyle, Mikaeli Cuell.
UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs: Nicole Woodcock, Aanna Pellen, Marcella Hager, Kristen Martinoski, Sophia Hardwick, Michelle Watts.