UTS BATS vs. ST GEORGE DRAGONS
Saturday, August 10 @ 12:30pm
Trumper Oval

A must-win game for the fifth placed Bats with UTS coming off a very good win over Manly last week. Their exceptional tackle pressure turned the tide against Manly’s superior athletes, and started intercept marking them out of the game.

On the other hand, St George will be pleaased with the improvements shown last round, tidying up a lot of areas around the contest. The Dragons have had a week off and will need to be fresh and come in with some fresh individual and team strategies to give the Bats a contest.

Last time they met, UTS did as it pleased on the large expanses of Olds Park, though the tighter surrounds of Trumper Oval might give the Dragons a better chance at pressuring the opposition ball carriers. One the smaller field, more direct football can be played, and if they give UTS the one-possession exits from the centre going forward then Jessica Quade will have a big day out.

Aoife Berry needs to watched in the centre, and either Madeleine Quinn or Chaye Hartwell going deep forward will cause problems for the Dragons if the Bats gain momentum. For the Dragons, to put a score on the board, they will need to continue working on methods to minimise the pressure they are under when approaching, gaining or using the football.

UTS should be too strong and get up by between five to six goals.

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY vs. PENNANT HILLS DEMONS
Saturday, August 10 @ 1:15pm
Sydney Uni

Much like for UTS playing a bottom two side, Sydney University must simply beat Pennant Hills if the Students are serious about playing finals. The Demons will not make it easy for them, but Sydney Uni found it difficult to get the ball forward last week, or really any clean posssession from the inside.

They were repeatedly forced backwards and it was not working for the Students. It is a similar story for Pennant Hills who have been plagued by those elements the last few seasons and have found it more difficult while aiming to blood new players.

It is shaping as a closer battle than the ladder might suggest, with Pennant Hills’ defence good enough to keep Sydney Uni’s score low. Expect the Students to have the edge in the middle, with Jasmine Smith and Maryanne Harley in there, while Pennant Hills has the defensive edge.

Whichever area of the two can get more on top of its opposition will help lead the respective side to a win, however the challenge must be set to both teams to remove the defensive mindset and play more offensive football as both a team and individuals as well. The side that can open up and get scoring opportunities will gain a huge advantage.

Expect the match to be tight for long periods of the game, with each defence to force the opposition wide and therefore create lots of behinds and boundary throw ins. Sydney University has more on the line, and should get up in a nail-biter.

UNSW-ES BULLDOGS vs. NORTH SHORE BOMBERS
Saturday, August 10 @ 1:40pm
Henson Park

These two sides are evenly matched, however North Shore has recently begun to realise that when they can get their extraction handballs right, opposition sides struggle to counteract the play with a focus on positional marking. The speed the Bombers create on the ball upsets the defensive structures of the opposition and forces everyone to turn around as they surge the football forward.

UNSW has been applying itself really well recently and the Bulldogs’ rotations through the midfield in the second halves of matches such as Ahlani Eddy, could trouble the Bombers. To have any chance in the match, UNSW must disrupt the initial ball carrier, and then have players honing in and hunting the ball as it is fired out from congestion. If the Bulldogs can do that, then they will keep it close for a long period of time.

However if the Bulldogs are too reactive, North Shore has the ability to punish them with repeat inside 50 entries. Emily-Summer Hawes is in good form of late, and will look to take control of the ruck stoppages, while Stephanie Kraull has been a lynchpin for North Shore’s recent run of form is not named for the clash. However Sydney Swans Academy top-ager Lucy Yates will take the field and be one to watch.

North Shore to win in a thrilling game, perhaps by a single point.

MANLY WARRINGAH WOLVES vs. PARRAMATTA GOANNAS
Saturday, August 10 @ 3:10pm
Weldon Oval

In what could potentially be the home and away season game of the year, a double chance awaits the winner of the top three battle between Manly and Parramatta at Weldon Oval. There is no reason why the game will not be close from start to finish given the quality on both sides.

For Parramatta, expect to see the midfielders getting involved in everything, lead by Caitlin Fletcher, but the Goannas will not be able to get away with just running off opponents like last round. If the Goannas play Kiera Yerbury off half-back again, it is unlikely she will be afforded the space she was in last week’s win.

Manly is the number one team in the competition for shutting down the ball carrier’s space, so the Goannas will need to create their own space and opportunities, and how well they do that will be the major determining factor in their performance.

Unfortunately for the Wolves, they have played well below expectations the last two rounds, and question marks have begun to arise whether or not the recent form is a small aberration, or if the young, talented group is getting tired.

Offensively there are concepts that are not inbuilt yet, and the Wolves could be more proactive in getting the football and then making decisions quickly as a secondary priority. When they do get it, they are not able to create space for themselves and do not seem to have a deliberate plan of action once they win it.

However, Manly’s outstanding athleticism is enough to win the flag, so if the Wolves can find their rhythm and reduce the turnovers going inside 50, then they will be hard to stop. At their best, the Wolves should win, but if not and the Goannas pull out their best, then Parramatta is likely to continue its form.