JUST two games remain in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division season, with Manly Warringah Wolves having booked their spot in the grand final and now await the winner of tomorrow’s preliminary final. The champions against the fresh faces; back-to-back reigning premier East Coast Eagles host Sydney University in what promises to be a fascinating game of football.

EAST COAST EAGLES vs. SYDNEY UNIVERSITY
Saturday, September 14 @ 1:20pm
Kanebridge Oval

For the first time in a few years, the onus has been put back on East Coast Eagles to find out what resilience the champion team has in store for 2024. After winning back-to-back flags, the minor premiers had a shock loss to Manly Warringah Wolves where they were completely stifled and it took for a change of plans – removing the containment behind the ball and bringing the most experienced players on-ball – to roar to life late in the game.

Thus, the Eagles have to face a new challenge against the young Sydney Uni side who has come from fifth on the ladder and will face an uphill battle to win. But, that youthful determination has played against the odds the past few weeks, and now the Students face their biggest test yet.

The first key area to watch is young ruck Kendra Blattman who has always been a stellar junior, but her form and confidence against top flight women has simply been a revelation over the second half of the season, and the Eagles must not let her influence the game. But the Eagles will be Blattman’s biggest test, and East Coast have as many as four rotation options who could work her over, starting with Caitlin Reid.

The biggest determining factor for the match is whether the supporting cast around Blattman can step up such as Jasmine Smith who has shown she can have an impact in getting the ball forward.

The second biggest determining factor will be Sydney Uni’s immense tackling pressure. For years now, the Eagles midfield has had some elite and agile players who have had little trouble extracting the ball, linking by hand and running the lines. Thus, the likes of Renee Tomkins and Abbey Martin could comfortably sit behind the play and provide an intercepting defensive wall.

Last week they were brought completely back to earth in that area, and in fact the only player who was constantly evading their first oncoming defender was Brooke Bailey who is arguably the best at it in the league. Every other player had pressure on them – perceived or real – or a Manly player hanging off their backs when attempting a play on the ball. There was little room to take it cleanly or be able to get an easy disposal away.

Another exacerbating factor was that the Wolves players – Ash Carter and all the defenders right across the board would hurriedly play on and burst run past or around the player on the mark at every opportunity, driving the ball downfield before the Eagles were set or over the defenders’ heads. The resultant space and opportunities it created for Lauren Bourgeois in the third quarter was a huge factor in Manly’s win.

The other separating factor in the match will be the offensive form of Tomkins. There are times when teams need to put the best and most experienced player around the ball in order to make something happen. When she went on the ball towards the latter part of last week’s match, she was able to bring the margin back to two points with the last goal of the game. Her footwork and roving at the back o the anticipated contest – and her straight line running – that allowed her to snap the goal was excellent. That is one reason why positioning and in-game positional switching from the Eagles will be crucial to watch as the match unfolds.

For Sydney Uni, the sole focus should be ensuring the Students do not go into their shells and become defensive with the hope that tackling alone will help them win. They need to come at it from a mindset to enjoy themselves and embrace every offensive opportunity presented to test themselves against the best team in recent years.

Last week Sydney Uni was defensively excellent with the repeat efforts on the ball carrier and secondary offensive player. That has been the case the past fortnight with the opposition given no space to move and was the main reason the Students got the wins on the board. While doing that against the Eagles is a start, they will need to get more offensive too.

East Coast has too many experienced players who deal with the extra pressure better and will be looking for redemption this week. The Eagles will have one eye on seeking revenge on Manly in the grand final, but still need to get the job done, though being at home on Kanebridge Oval will help even further. If Sydney Uni is not able to impact offensively, then the Eagles will breakthrough and find ways to score.

Some key matchups to watch includes Bailey up against Emma Juneja who are a couple of young stars who have impacted through the middle and around the ground, growing in confidence when it comes to running and breaking lines.

Another huge matchup is between Ashley Dribbus and Caitlin Davidson, with the latter being one of the best all-round kicks in the league as well as being able to nail long-range goals. Capable of clearing opposition defensive zones, Davidson poses a huge problem for the Students, and Dribbus could be the one to try and quell her reading the play so well behind the ball.

Finally, the battle between Smith and Tomkins will also be a huge one. Two dominant players this season, it will be a fascinating watch to see if they go head-to-head in the Student half-forward line.

Sydney Uni will find the clash a difficult task, but come in with nothing to lose and as the heavy underdogs. The ruck battle will be key between Reid and Blattman, and if the former gets on top then the Eagles will go a long way to winning. While East Coast should win the game as the more experienced side, the Students have shown in the finals series that they are capable of anything.