DEFENCE, defence and defence – with a healthy dose of wind – defined a see-sawing weekend of AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division semi-final football at Blacktown International Sportspark, with reigning premiers North Shore Bombers needing extra time to see off Manly Warringah Wolves, before Sydney University snatched a one-point classic over UNSW-ES Bulldogs a day later.

The results send the Bombers straight through to the grand final, while the Wolves and Students will now meet in next week’s preliminary final – a repeat of 2025’s fixture – for the right to join them.

North Shore Bombers 3.7 (25) def. Manly Warringah Wolves 2.7 (19)

Billed pre-game as the contest of the season and tipped by many to finish level, the second semi-final delivered on both fronts in an arm-wrestle that needed extra time to separate two sides that could not be split across four quarters.

North Shore controlled the opening exchanges, building a nine-point lead at the last change after outscoring the Wolves by two goals to nil across the middle two terms, but Manly refused to fold. A grandstand final quarter hauled the margin all the way back, the sides finishing locked together at 19-19 at the end of four quarters to send the match into extra time.

The closing minutes were pure theatre – shots sprayed out of bounds at both ends, one attempt at goal that would have levelled the scores drifted for a point, then missed everything, and another effort from point-blank range cannoned into the post to keep the door ajar. It was Lucy Yates who finally settled it, snapping truly in the second half of extra time to hand the Bombers a six-point win and a direct passage to the Grand Final. Yates finished with two goals from 20 disposals, six clearances and five inside 50s in an enormous effort.

The most fascinating sub-plot played out at both ends of the ground, where the two full-backs were the best players afield. Chloe Davis for Manly and Kara Selvarajah for North Shore both but completely nullified the influence of the competition’s two premier forwards, with Isabella Rudolph and Adrienne Keeffe both held goalless – Davis and Selvarajah using their reads and rebound to set up damaging counter-attacks of their own rather than simply defend.

Manly’s other telling contribution came from Lauren Bull, whose chase-down tackle deep in the contest was as good as any seen all season and arrived at the most crucial of times, only for North Shore to produce an equally desperate tackle of its own later in the piece.

Manly actually won the disposal count comfortably (249-215) and the hitout battle through Abbie Hayes (18) and Jayme Saggers (19), but were undone by a lack of polish going the other way, repeatedly kicking the ball out of bounds on the far side of the ground and stunting their own fluency. North Shore made the Wolves pay at the coalface instead, winning the clearances (31-27) and the tackle count (70-62) to complement a superior conversion rate in front of goal.

Ashleigh Carter was Manly’s best afield alongside Davis, involved in everything with 20 disposals, five uncontested marks and four tackles, while Holly Wickham (19 disposals, six inside 50s) provided drive off half-back. Kenya Fahey (12 disposals, three marks, two clearances) and Ava Barraclough (11 disposals, four tackles) were also named among the best, while Bella Clarke (16 disposals, one goal) and Brooke Bailey (10 disposals, six tackles, one goal) shared the Wolves’ scoring.

For North Shore, Sophie Kavanagh continued her outstanding finals form with a team-high 23 disposals, five uncontested marks and five inside 50s, while Heidi de Saxe was again immense at the coalface with 18 disposals, five clearances and 10 tackles. Zoe Clubb was influential with crucial pressure acts and clean hands under it, finishing with 12 disposals, 10 tackles, six inside 50s and a goal, while Elizabeth Yates (10 disposals, three clearances) tried hard all day and Lucinda Watson (15 disposals) did some nice things. Lily Sullivan (15 disposals) provided run, and Abbey Martin held her own in the ruck battle against Manly’s taller pairing.

Sydney University 7.3 (45) def. UNSW-ES Bulldogs 7.2 (44)

The first semi-final was a genuinely difficult contest to assess cleanly – an ebb-and-flow classic littered with dozens of hit-the-deck contests, particularly through a scrappy opening 15 minutes before the game settled into cleaner patterns around the eight-minute mark of the second term.

UNSW-ES surged clear early, leading by seven points at quarter time before Sydney University piled on four of the next five goals – three to Lucy Gilfedder – to take the lead and go up by 12 points. The Dogs pegged them back with the next four goals of the game over the space of 30 mninutes to lead by as much as 12 points during the fourth term. Incredibly, the Students kept coming and two late goals – to Hayley Kenzler and Molly Gibbs – nudged the fourth placed side ahead and were able to hold on. The Students eventually got home by the barest of margins – a single point – to book their place in next week’s preliminary final against Manly.

Gilfedder was the difference for the Students, kicking four goals to go with 19 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s and four goals – opposition sides may rue not paying her closer attention given her impact in front of goal. Amanda Farrugia was on another level around the contest, racking up 23 disposals, seven clearances and a colossal 14 tackles, while Saskia Johnson (21 disposals, seven tackles) covered enormous ground and Frances Walsh (15 disposals, three inside 50s) grew into the contest as it wore on, still hunting the ball on the outside.

Evie Bowie (14 disposals, five clearances, six tackles) was typically influential, and the ruck combination of Molly Cameron (30 hit-outs) and Allie Smith (18) gave the Students first use through the middle. Gibbs and Jessica Robertson each chipped in a goal.

UNSW-ES could point to the disposal count (237-229) and a heavy edge in uncontested marks (43-27) and inside 50s (37-24) as signs of a side that dominated field position without quite converting it into a winning score. Rebecca Privitelli was arguably the best player on the ground regardless of the result, doing damage at both ends with two goals, 21 disposals and seven marks – two of them contested – on top of her judgement overhead.

Aimee Whelan (24 disposals, six clearances) and Francesca Ryan (19 disposals, 10 tackles, six inside 50s) drove the Bulldogs around the contest, while Hayley Stanford (16 disposals, six clearances, seven tackles) battled hard throughout and Ashleigh Barlow (21 disposals) was strong behind the ball, especially late. Shelby Koh provided similar rebound off half-back, Rani Sossai (17 disposals, four clearances) had a strong game through the middle, and Bec Newman (36 hit-outs) shaded a fascinating ruck duel that could easily have been called a draw. Taylor Smith and Senna Gulden each kicked two goals to fuel the Bulldogs’ fast start.

PRELIMINARY FINAL FIXTURE:

Manly Warringah Wolves vs. Sydney University | Saturday, September 12, 1:10pm @ Bruce Purser Reserve