{"id":218881,"date":"2026-07-17T08:17:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T22:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=218881"},"modified":"2026-07-17T08:17:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T22:17:42","slug":"preview-top-end-matchups-headline-massive-round-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2026\/07\/17\/preview-top-end-matchups-headline-massive-round-13\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Top end matchups headline massive Round 13"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>THE action continues across the northern states this weekend as Round 13 arrives. In the AFL Sydney Women&#8217;s Premier Division, the match of the round sees heavyweights North Shore and UNSW-ES go head-to-head in a blockbuster clash, while the QAFLW features a full five-game fixture with massive implications for the top five. Some Queensland and Allies Under 18s representatives are beginning to filter back into their respective clubs following the national championships, though not all will be available as some recover from a hectic representative calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-afl-sydney-women-s-premier-division\">AFL Sydney Women&#8217;s Premier Division<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ROUND 13 FIXTURE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>East Coast Eagles vs. Manly Warringah Wolves | Saturday July 18, 12:00pm @ Bruce Purser Reserve Sydney University vs. UTS Bats | Saturday July 18, 12:50pm @ Sydney Uni No. 1 Oval<br>North Shore Bombers vs. UNSW-ES Bulldogs | Saturday July 18, 1:00pm @ Gore Hill Oval<br>Pennant Hills Demons vs. Parramatta Goannas | Saturday July 18, 4:30pm @ Mike Kenny Oval<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bye:<\/strong> St George Dragons<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clear match of the round takes place at Gore Hill Oval, where the North Shore Bombers host the UNSW-ES Bulldogs. It is another top-end matchup with both teams not at full strength, but they remain very evenly matched. Tactics have played a huge role in the clashes between these two sides over the last few seasons, and expect solid, specific efforts all day to expose each other&#8217;s weaknesses. Thus, do not expect a super high-scoring affair. If it does open up, the Bombers will likely win. Bombers in a tight one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Bruce Purser Reserve, the East Coast Eagles host the Manly Warringah Wolves. This oval does not typically suit Manly, and they have hardly ever put a big score on the board here, making this their best chance to buck that trend. Expect to see too many releases from the contest to the outside, and the dam wall to burst at some point for the Eagles. Manly should be too strong and win by around 45 points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sydney University will welcome the UTS Bats to Sydney Uni in what shapes as a fascinatingly even game. While the ladder position might suggest otherwise, player-for-player positional matchups make this a compelling contest. The Bats are constantly looking to rise to the next level of competitiveness, and this will be a big challenge. They will need to utilise their strengths in creating space over the back towards goal for their forwards. Otherwise, they might run into a lot of trouble trying to transition the ball, which could be the differentiating factor on the scoreboard. Students by a goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Closing out the round at Mike Kenny Oval, the Pennant Hills Demons take on the Parramatta Goannas. These sides have struggled against the rest of the competition bar St George, but Parramatta carries the experience and inbuilt offensive weaponry edge into this contest. Pennant Hills has struggled to score against any opposition this season, and while the Demons should make a tighter game of it, the Goannas should still win comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">QAFL Women&#8217;s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ROUND 13 FIXTURE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Morningside vs. Aspley | Saturday July 18, 2:00pm @ Jack Esplen Oval<br>Maroochydore vs. Coorparoo | Saturday July 18, 4:45pm @ Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex<br>Broadbeach vs. Moreton Bay | Saturday July 18, 4:45pm @ Kombumerri Park<br>Bond University vs. Southport | Saturday July 18, 4:45pm @ Bond University Oval<br>Wilston Grange vs. University of Queensland | Saturday July 18, 4:45pm @ Hickey Park<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A massive weekend of QAFLW action features a blockbuster clash at Bond University Oval, where Bond University hosts ladder leaders Southport. The Sharks have been the benchmark team this season, but the Bull Sharks have the firepower to challenge them. This game promises to be a high-quality encounter with genuine finals intensity. Southport&#8217;s depth and experience make them slight favourites, but Bond University at home will be a formidable opponent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Jack Esplen Oval, Morningside takes on Aspley. The Panthers will be eager to secure a vital win to keep their top-five spot secure, while the Hornets will be looking to build momentum. The midfield battle will be crucial, and Morningside&#8217;s home-ground advantage should give them the edge in a tight contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maroochydore welcomes Coorparoo to the Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex. The Kings are flying high and will be heavily favoured against the Roos. Maroochydore faces a significant challenge to contain Coorparoo&#8217;s attacking waves and will need to produce their best defensive effort of the season. Kings to win comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Broadbeach hosts Moreton Bay at Kombumerri Park. The Lions are searching for their second win of the season and face a tough assignment against a Cats outfit keen to add another victory to their inaugural season tally. Broadbeach&#8217;s consistency and experience should see them put a substantial score on the board against the developing Lions side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The round concludes at Hickey Park, where Wilston Grange takes on the University of Queensland. The Gorillas will be looking to cement their spot in the top four, while UQ will be desperate to bounce back and secure a much-needed win. Wilston Grange&#8217;s homeground advantage and consistent form make the Gorillas favourites in this clash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-dc-block-dc-mention _dc_mention\"><div class=\"section-heading_wrap\"><span class=\"section-heading is-small\">Mentions<\/span><span class=\"hor-border\"><\/span><\/div><ul class=\"js-overflow-list overflow-list\"><li class=\"js-dropdown dropdown overflowed\"><button class=\"btn btn-icon-only\"><span class=\"icon btn-icon\">\n                    <!-- icon - plus circle - 20px-->\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\">\n                        <path d=\"M15,9.28h-4.3V5h0A.72.72,0,1,0,9.28,5h0V9.28H5a.72.72,0,0,0,0,1.43H9.28V15a.72.72,0,0,0,1.43,0h0V10.71H15a.72.72,0,0,0,0-1.43Z\"\/>\n                        <path d=\"M10,0A10,10,0,1,0,20,10,10,10,0,0,0,10,0Zm0,18.57A8.57,8.57,0,0,1,10,1.43h0a8.57,8.57,0,0,1,0,17.14Z\"\/>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/span><\/button><div class=\"popover\"><div class=\"popover-content\"><ul class=\"popover-menu\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE action continues across the northern states this weekend as Round 13 arrives. In the AFL Sydney Women&#8217;s Premier Division, the match of the round sees heavyweights North Shore and UNSW-ES go head-to-head in a blockbuster clash, while the QAFLW features a full five-game fixture with massive implications for the top five. Some Queensland and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":218883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22177,3129,18085,3132,18231,15,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afl-sydney-womens","category-nsw-act","category-qaflw","category-queensland","category-round-preview","category-state-leagues","category-womens"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218881"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218885,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218881\/revisions\/218885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}