AFL NSW/ACT RSS

NEAFL Round 10 Preview

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:05:00 +1000

By Matt Rossleigh

UWS GIANTS vs Gold Coast Suns � Blacktown International Sports Park 10.00am Saturday 25 May

The GIANTS are back at Blacktown again following last week�s 88-point loss to Brisbane Lions at the venue. Despite the heavy loss there were some positives for the GIANTS who were able to match it with the Lions in the opening quarter before a seven goal blitz from Brisbane in the second. Both clubs kicked three goals each in the third quarter before the Lions ran away with the match in the final quarter. The GIANTS will play AFL opposition again, with Gold Coast heading south looking to improve on their current position of 6th in the Northern Conference. Last weekend Gold Coast had a 79-point win over Morningside, with Timmy Summer kicking five goals which was his best return from his three games so far this season. While it was a heavy defeat for the GIANTS last weekend against last year�s NEAFL Premiers Brisbane, the club in the previous week were competitive against the Sydney Swans so anything is possible against the Suns.

Belconnen vs Broadbeach � Kippax Oval 11.45am Saturday 25 May

Belconnen has moved up to 2nd in the Eastern Conference after last weekend�s 53-point win against Hills Eagles. The club now sits on five wins and two losses from the opening seven matches and face a Broadbeach team which is coming off a 27-point loss to NT Thunder last weekend. With just two wins so far for the Northern Conference club, the Magpies can keep the pressure on the first placed Swans with another victory. In the win over Hills Eagles last weekend Christopher York kicked eight goals for Belconnen, which was 19th goal in the last month.

Ainslie vs Sydney Swans � Ainslie Football Park 2.00pm Saturday 25 May

The Swans consolidated their position on top of the Eastern Conference last week with a big win over Queanbeyan in the top of the table clash at the SCG. Jesse White kicked 10 goals as the Swans reserves ran away with a 113-point victory on Saturday afternoon. It was the first time the two club's met since last season's Eastern Conference Grand Final and the Swans looked impressive in front of goal despite the absence of Walsh, Morton, Everitt and Membrey who are the club's four leading goalkickers. Ainslie come into the match on the back of a disappointing loss to Sydney University last week, but with results elsewhere going the club�s way they still sit in 4th position on the ladder. It was Ainslie�s first loss in a month, and if the club is to get back to winning ways they�ll be relying on Josh Bennett who has already kicked 36 goals this season.

Tuggeranong vs Hills Eagles � Greenway Oval 2.00pm Saturday 25 May

The two bottom clubs meet on Saturday afternoon with the loser to sit alone at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Tuggeranong is averaging less than 60 points per match this season which will need to be improved if they are any chance to add to their tally of two wins so far this season. Hills Eagles is without a win since the end of April when they defeated Sydney University, which has seen the club slide down the ladder. The Eagles will be looking to Jamie Vlatko for inspiration again, who bagged another four goals on the weekend to add to his tally of 26 so far this season.

Eastlake vs Sydney University � Star Track Oval 2.00pm Saturday 25 May

Fresh from last week�s bye, Eastlake take on a Sydney University side on a high after two straight victories which has seen the club rocket from last place up to 7th in a fortnight. A win for Sydney Uni would see their rapid rise continue as they would leapfrog Eastlake on the table into 6th and possibly even 5th depending on the result in the UWS GIANTS and Gold Coast Suns match. Thomas Elkington has been the star for Sydney Uni in the past two weeks, kicking 10 goals altogether which includes a six goal haul bagged against Ainslie last weekend. Eastlake is yet to record back to back victories this season and will be looking to achieve that for the first time following their 25-point victory over Hills Eagles in their last match.

Tamworth pair reunite at Ladies Lunch

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:45:00 +1000

This article first appeared in the Northern Daily Leader

Channel 7�s Kylie Gillies, a former Tamworth lass, received an extra treat at the recent Swans Ladies Lunch in Sydney.

Former Gunnedah Bulldog, Sam Naismith, now with the Swans in Sydney, was also there with his mother and made a beeline for Kylie.

"The Swans Ladies Lunch is an annual event attended by hundreds of influential women who love AFL and love the Swans," Kylie told The Leader.

"I was there in my capacity as a Sydney Swans ambassador and NSW AUSKICK ambassador," she said."

"It was such a thrill to meet Sam. He approached the table with his mum. They thought it was important the Gunnedah connection meet their Tamworth "countrycousin".

"She (Sam�s mum) thought Sam should meet the wife of the man whose medal he won. Sam was awarded the "Gillies Medal" in 2009 for the Best and Fairest in the Tamworth AFL. But the honour was mine. I love to see country kids doing well and Sam�s rise to the top of the AFL tree has been nothing short of amazing.

"He didn�t even play as a junior. He was head-hunted by Paul Roos while at University in Armidale. Of course I rang Tony (former NDL journo and Aussie Rules tragic) immediately, who was very proud the Naismith�s had made the connection.

"We had a lovely chat. It turns out Sam attended the same high-school as my cousin in Gunnedah (St Mary�s). It was wonderful to chat with Sam�s mum, who is thrilled with the way Sam has settled into city life under the guiding and watchful eye of the Sydney Swans.

"They look after their young men and Sam is adjusting well. I can�t wait to see him take to the field when he recovers from his injury. First the Gillies Medal. Who knows? One day it could well be the Brownlow."

NSW/ACT Player of the Week: Jarrod Witts

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:30:00 +1000

Jarrod Witts is a born-and-bred Sydneysider. He�s from Normanhurst, attended Barker College on the North Shore and played for the St Ives Aussie Rules Club.

But after just two games of AFL, at the age of just 15, Witts was signed to the AFL�s highest profile club as a NSW scholarship player.

Almost five years on and after years of painstaking training and hard work, the now 20-year-old Witts made his AFL debut for Collingwood against St Kilda in Round 6.

�Bucks (Nathan Buckley) called me in this morning ... I thought I was actually an emergency, but he called me in and said I got a game,� Witts told collingwoodfc.com.au�s The Club.

�I couldn�t really get the smile off my face to be honest; I was really excited, just happy to tell the family and my close friends.

Witts is a rare commodity, 209cm tall and 113kg, who began playing AFL to keep fit for Rugby.

�When I first saw Jarrod play he was a 15-year-old I think, from memory it would have been his second game of AFL football,� said Collingwood�s National Recruiting Manager Derek Hine.

�He was a bit of a hybrid player in that he would play basketball or cricket or Union on the Saturday and then, as with a lot of the NSW boys, they�d play football on the Sunday.

�It was at Glebe Oval and I think we signed him on the Tuesday or Thursday of the following week.�

Witts was signed to Collingwood while still at school and playing local club football, and with no promises of a spot on the Magpies� list, he trained extra sessions at Macquarie University in the hopes of one day making it in the AFL.

Grandfather Graeme took Witts to the SCG as a kid to watch the Swans play, and was a big part of his journey to the top.

�I was very keen for him to play AFL because my grandfather was an AFL player many, many years ago so I encouraged Jarrod and I used to take him to training,� he said.

�When he got his scholarship with Collingwood and had to do his scholarship training at Macquarie Uni and other places, I�d take him because Peter and Karen (Witts� parents) have got two other boys that they have to take to their sports, so I filled the gap until he was old enough to get his license and drive himself.�

Witts joined Sydney University AFC in 2009 and 2010, playing in the Under-18s side and captaining them to the 2009 Under-18s Premiership.

He completed pre-season at Sydney Uni in 2011 before representing NSW as an over-age player at the Under-18s National Championships, winning his state's MVP for an outstanding performance at the carnival.

Three years after being linked with Collingwood, Witts headed to Melbourne, playing three VFL matches towards the end of the season before he was placed on the Collingwood senior list as a pre-listed NSW scholarship holder at the 2011 draft.

Injuries restricted Witts in his first season last year but he worked hard, had a huge pre-season and was pushing for selection when the 2013 season came around.

�It�s been about a five-year project now because when he first came into the program he was obviously foreign to the game,� Hine said.

�Quite often I would have these conversations with Jarrod; I said �You really are an Irishman because you really hadn�t played the game�.

�Jarrod comes from a state that�s heavily dominated by League and Union and he had no real understanding of the game prior to coming down so he�s basically started from ground zero so it�s a credit to Jarrod and his persistence to be able to learn the game and develop his body as well.�

Fellow Magpies ruckman and mentor Darren Jolly presented Witts with his senior Guernsey before he ran onto the MCG on May 3.

�It�s fantastic, the way you�ve gone about pre-season, the way you�ve attacked this year,� Jolly told Witts.

�Clearly you�re hungry for a game and it shows. Dominating reserves, exactly what�s been asked of you and exactly what we want, so enjoy the night.�

The entire Witts family, including his two younger brothers and 19 other family members, flew from Sydney to watch him make his debut.

Witts had five hit-outs and took four marks in the Friday-night clash before being subbed out for fellow-debutant Ben Kennedy.

�I really enjoyed my time out on the field, the guys were really good to me and directing me where to go and giving me support when I did certain things during the game and stuff like that,� Witts said.

�To get the win is a great feeling and to get in the middle of that circle pouring Powerade on you, as much as it was freeing, it was a great thing to be a part of.

�Playing just gives me that hunger, I�ve had a taste for it now and now I just want to build on it, get more and more games in and really push for a spot each week.�

NSW/ACT Club of the Week: Gosford AFL

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:15:00 +1000

Originally established in 1971, the Gosford Tigers were the first AFL club on the Central Coast. The Tigers originally competed in the NAFL, known today as the Black Diamond AFL or BDAFL. The club won their first Premiership in 1977, then further Premierships in 1980, 1983 and 1984.

Early in the club�s tenure, the Tigers had over 100 registered players and in 1975, under the leadership of the committee, split the club into five teams (Terrigal, Gosford, Narara/Wyoming, Wyong and Woy Woy) to form the Central Coast Australian Football Association.

The Gosford Junior Football Club was formed in 1996 and played as the Gosford Bulldogs. It wasn't until 1999 that they followed the Senior Club and changed their name and colours to become the Gosford Tigers.

Today Gosford consists of the Tigers, playing in the Central Coast League, and the Gosford Wildcats who are the senior side, playing in Division 3 in the AFL Sydney competition. The club has approximately 100 juniors and 40 seniors.

In 2012 the Tigers changed their playing days to Sundays to give players from other codes the opportunity to play. In 2013, a further change from even year age groups to odd age groups took place. A girls-only Youth League was also introduced with Gosford one of the founding clubs for the Youth Girls competition which includes the Killarney Vale Bombers, The Entrance Bateau Bay Blues and Peninsula Swans.

The club continues to build to new heights with Under-9s, Under-11s, Under-13s, Under-15s, Under-17s and Youth Girls age groups in 2013.

Basil Czerwaniw is President of the Junior Club, with his son�s involvement beginning a love for the game.

�As with most parents, my AFL experience commenced when my son started Auskick back in 2006,� Czerwaniw said.

�I was asked to join the Committee by someone I knew outside of the Club and became Secretary. Eventually with years of experience I stepped into the role of President.

�Junior Footy Club Presidents don't get to host pre-game President dinners, although we have our turn on the BBQ. We are usually first at the ground, busily setting up the ground for the day�s games, welcoming the opposition as they arrive and then, in my case, coaching the Under-9s or slipping into the Ground Managers jacket.

�Although I get joy from watching the talented players perform, I probably get more enjoyment out of watching the players that are not skilled enough to be considered for the Academy or representative teams.

�They play their hearts out for the love of the game, their team mates and demonstrate incredible fearless courage. They help form a champion team and at Gosford, we have many champion teams.�

If you would like your club to be featured for Club of the Week, get in touch with us at info@aflnswact.com.au or 02 8333 8000.

Sydney Women�s AFL Rising Star

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:10:00 +1000

By James Matthey

For most people, it takes years of hard work and practice to perfect how to run, kick, handball and tackle with the skill of an elite AFL footballer.

However, for Sydney University�s Steph Walker, she has managed to do just that in only her second season of playing the sport, resulting in her being the Sydney Women�s AFL Round 5 Rising Star nominee.

The Riverina product spent just one season playing for Drummoyne in the Youth Girls competition before progressing to the senior ranks, but her introduction to the sport wasn�t as conventional as most.

�I played my first game because the team was short a player and needed someone to fill in,� said Walker.

�Me and a mate just decided we wanted to play, and I�ve loved it since then.�

A gifted all-round sportswoman, Walker said that AFL was unique because it combined lots of different elements from a range of other sports.

�It�s not like other sports, I really like the fact that it incorporates bits from other sports and it has lots of little things you need to learn.

�I played soccer for a long time, rugby league, oztag and touch footy at high school, and AFL is a bit of a combination of all those sports so I really enjoy it.�

Walker�s sporting prowess has transferred seamlessly onto the AFL field, where she kicked three goals and was voted the players� player in her debut match against the Newtown Breakaways.

Her athleticism, ability to read the game and fearless attack on the ball ensures that she is one of the players to watch out for during the rest of the 2013 season.

Walker is also heavily involved in the sport off the field, where, as a trainee development officer for AFL NSW/ACT, she is passionate about growing the game amongst young people, especially girls.

�We really try to push the idea that the women�s game is growing, it�s getting bigger, and the girls playing now need to realize that, while it�s good to play for fun, it�s really going somewhere,� said Walker.

�There�s lots more participation now, particularly at Drummoyne because we won the premiership last year, it always helps when you�re winning.

�The National Women�s Draft which was held last week is a big step in the right direction.

�The Youth Girls National Championships that were held in Shepparton recently were good because the NSW/ACT side were competitive, which is a good sign for the future.

As for her own goals, Walker has some representative ambitions set firmly in her sights, but values team success above any individual honours.

�I�d really like to play in the NSW/ACT side, I think they play every two years though, so hopefully next year I can make it.

�I just want to keep playing and see how far I can go, but most importantly I just want to help the team keep winning.�

Longmire�s life membership

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:40:00 +1000

This article first appeared on sydneyswans.com.au

The 300-game milestone, which will see Longmire qualify for AFL life membership, has been achieved over a career spanning more than two decades.

Longmire made his playing debut for North Melbourne in 1988 and played 200 premiership matches (including finals) and 25 pre-season matches with the Kangaroos and five state matches for New South Wales and Victoria. He has since coached the Swans in 57 matches and 12 pre-season matches.

A long-time friend of Longmire, Swans assistant coach John Blakey - who played 359 games in his own AFL playing career for North Melbourne and Fitzroy - said it is a terrific achievement for his former Kangaroos team mate to reach AFL life membership.

�It�s always great to see when someone was struck down by injury, which cost John a lot of his playing time, even though he still played a lot of football to play 200 games, to now join the 300 club,� Blakey told sydneyswans.com.au.

�He�s obviously fantastic to work with and was a great team mate and was a great friend as a team mate.

�We have a great working relationship now and our families are friendly and have known one another for many years, so it�s good to have that sort of working relationship with a good friend.

�I think it�s a fantastic achievement for a very, very good player and he continues that on with his coaching.�

Longmire achieved plenty of success throughout his playing career, including North Melbourne�s leading goal kicker for five consecutive years from 1990 � the year he also won the Coleman Medal -and achieved his dream of becoming a premiership player in his final game with the Kangaroos in 1999.

Since joining the Swans as the forward and ruck coach in 2002, Longmire enjoyed success as an assistant coach in the club�s 2005 premiership year before taking over the top job from Paul Roos in 2011, and tasted the ultimate success in just his second season at the helm, guiding the club to the 2012 premiership.

�John has achieved great success both as a player and as a coach,� Blakey said about Longmire�s career in the AFL.

�I guess as a coach you�re not the one who is out there doing it, but certainly you�re setting structures and team game plans and things like that, and John does that very well.

�I certainly think he enjoyed successful times as both a player and coach, there is no doubt about that, but I bet if you ask John what he preferred he�d still say he probably prefer being out there kicking a few goals if he still could!�

With AFL life membership now under both their belts, Blakey said he and Longmire can also enjoy some of the perks that come with it.

�We do have a bit of a joke running with the other coaches,� Blakey said.

�We actually rubbed the other coaches nose in the fact that we�ll be up behind the glass come Grand Final day having a nice cocktail and beverage while they are out there having their meat pie.

�(AFL life membership) certainly does have a few perks and I�m sure John and I will certainly enjoy some of them together.�

Magpies recover to rise from the ashes

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:08:00 +1000

By James Matthey

It would have been easy for those at the Wyong Lakes Football Club to feel sorry for themselves after their clubhouse was wiped out by a suspicious fire last week.

However, in a tremendous show of what the AFL community is capable of when people come together, the Magpies went ahead with an enormously successful fundraiser the next day.

On an occasion where Wyong Lakes could have been forgiven for thinking only of their own problems, Pink Day was held to raise money for breast cancer sufferers.

Despite the damage to the clubhouse, the day was filled with positive stories, including club legend Billy Denniss celebrating his 600th game for the Magpies in the Black Diamond Division 1 game against Cardiff.

Garry Burkinshaw presented the club with a signed Sydney Swans jersey to be raffled off, with all the proceeds going towards the rebuilding of a new clubhouse, while AFL NSW/ACT has also committed to contributing towards a new clubhouse.

Such was the support within the Wyong Lakes community that the club was also able to recruit six new junior players and five new senior players.

Breust to play 50th game

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:08:00 +1000

By James Matthey

Luke Breust is set to add a milestone to what has so far been a promising start to his career, with the Hawk almost certain to notch his 50^th cap during this weekend�s Indigenous Round.

Temora - born Breust was selected by Hawthorn at pick number 47 in the 2009 Rookie Draft, but was forced to wait until 2011 to make his debut after spending 2010 honing his skills with Box Hill in the VFL.

After serving a lengthy apprenticeship, one which included being dropped for the 2011 semi-final, 2012 proved to be a breakout year for the small forward after cementing his place in Hawthorn�s best 22.

He was the club�s second-leading goal kicker behind Lance Franklin, finished fourth in the club�s best and fairest and won the Most Promising Player Award on Peter Crimmins Medal night.

His outstanding 2012 performances and recent good form at the beginning of this season saw Breust ink a new deal in April that will keep him at the club for a further two years.

High praise for Indigenous icon Goodes

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:59:00 +1000

By James Matthey

Despite a CV reading dual Brownlow Medallist, two-time premiership winner and four-time All Australian, some of Adam Goodes� best work occurs off the field.

The Swans stalwart drew high praise from teammate Dan Hannebery, who could not speak highly enough of Goodes� contribution to the Sydney club.

�Adam Goodes, you only have to say his name and you realise the impact he�s had on the footy club,� said Hannebery.

�He�s been here for a number of years and he�s a real leader in the team, but he also helps the young guys coming through and makes sure they�re all doing the right things, and if they�ve got any issues or problems on or off the field he�s always there to help.

�It�s not just what he does on the field with the way he goes about his footy and what he�s done, which has been unbelievable, but it�s more about how he goes about it off the field and how he sets the tone for the culture of the footy club.

�He�s just a great example of what hard work and persistence does and hopefully he can stay around for another couple of years.�

It is fitting that Hannebery highlighted Goodes� importance and standing within the game ahead of a round that celebrates the nation�s Indigenous culture and the role of Indigenous Australians in shaping AFL.

There is no person more worthy of celebrating than Goodes, who has been an excellent role model through his extensive work within Indigenous communities.

In 2009, he formed the Goodes O�Loughlin Foundation with former Swans legend Michael O�Loughlin, which advocates for better access to education in the hope of providing future career paths for Indigenous Australians.

Goodes is also the chairman of the Indigenous Player Advisory Board, which is currently developing a formal set of guidelines to help AFL clubs deal with Indigenous players within their ranks.

Hannebery said Goodes� attitude and performance is an inspiration to all of the Swans players.

�He�s running as well as he ever has and I think it�s a real credit to him, he�s worked really hard in the pre-season to get his knee right.

�He�s running on top of the ground, and it gives us confidence as other midfielders to see him doing that.

�When you see him setting the tone you want to jump on board so let�s hope he can keep going the way he has been over the last couple of weeks.�

The Swans will be part of opening the festivities of the Indigenous Round when they do battle with Collingwood in the first match of the weekend at 7:50pm at the MCG on Friday May 24.

NSW/ACT Notebook: Round 9 preview

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:38:00 +1000

By Michael DiFabrizio

Collingwood vs. Sydney Swans - Friday 7.50pm (MCG)

Collingwood (5-3, 8th) and the Sydney Swans (5-2-1, 4th) are set to do battle in a Friday night blockbuster.

The Pies are coming off a win against the previously-undefeated Geelong, while the Swans have had to rue their drew with Fremantle and a loss to Hawthorn the week before. If Sydney fans are feeling nervous, they can be reassured by the fact the last time they went three games without a win was in the middle of 2011.

While the Pies impressed last week, they've been a tad below expectations thus far in 2013. If you re-arranged the ladder on percentage, Collingwood would be 13th. But the Cats game showed they are still capable and they'll be hoping it's the turn of a corner (they'd lost three of their last five before last week).

The issues for Collingwood are defensively and inside the forward 50. They have conceded the fifth-most points in the comp and only 47.6 per cent of their scoring shots are goals (compared to 55.6 for the Swans).

The last time these teams met was the preliminary final last year, where the Swans advanced to the Grand Final with a 96-70 win at ANZ Stadium.

GWS GIANTS vs. West Coast Eagles - Saturday 2.10pm (Skoda Stadium)

The GWS GIANTS (0-8, 18th) face the West Coast Eagles (4-4, 11th) hoping to put an end to their winless start.

Despite the final margin, there were positive signs against Hawthorn last week, including the lifting of their tackle count from 35 two weeks ago against the Crows to 82 against the Hawks.

West Coast's last game is sure to be remembered by their fans for a while. Nic Naitanui rose from the back of a massive pack to take a mark that would set up an after-the-siren win for the Eagles against North Melbourne last Friday. They'll be buzzing from that win, one that could ultimately shape their season.

The Eagles have not started as well as they would've liked, particularly in the midfield. They are one of five sides to average less contested possessions and inside 50s than their opponents. They've stayed above water due to pressure defensively (ranking second for tackles) and a super efficient forward line (ranking first for points per inside 50).

Needless to say, the GIANTS' back line (who rank last for points allowed per inside 50 allowed) will have their work cut out for them.

Last time, in Round 3 last year at Blacktown, the Eagles were victorious by 81 points.

NSW/ACT Notes

Sydney Swans coach John Longmire (Corowa-Rutherglen) qualifies for AFL life membership this week with his 300th official game since his debut for North Melbourne back in 1988. In that time he's been in 200 premiership matches for North as a player, 25 preseason games as a player, five state matches for NSW and Victoria, 57 premiership matches as coach of the Swans and 12 preseason matches as a coach.

Luke Breust (Temora) is set to play his 50th game this week as his top-of-the-ladder Hawthorn meet the Gold Coast Suns.

The suspension of Justin Koschitzke (Brocklesby) is over and he's now free to return to the St Kilda line-up. Lenny Hayes (Pennant Hills) is listed as 1-2 weeks away with his calf injury, Adam Schneider (Osborne) is 2-3 due to a hamstring and Sam Gilbert (St George) is considered 7-10 weeks away with his knee injury.

Foxtel Cup (Match 2)

Werribee vs. Queanbeyan - Tuesday 8.35pm (Etihad Stadium)

NEAFL (Round 10)

USW GIANTS vs. Gold Coast Suns - Saturday 10.00am (Blacktown)
Belconnen vs. Broadbeach - Saturday 11.45am (Kippax)
Ainslie vs. Sydney Swans - Saturday 2.00pm (Ainslie)
Tuggeranong vs. Hills Eagles - Saturday 2.00pm (Greenway)
Eastlake vs. Sydney Uni - Saturday 2.00pm (Star Track Oval)
Queanbeyan - See Foxtel Cup