Sydney University’s wonderful season in the North East AFL competition came to an end in the preliminary final in Darwin at the weekend but the club still has three teams contesting grand finals in the men’s and women’s Sydney Premier Division competitions.
The strong Northern Territory Thunder side accounted for Sydney University 128-58 in their NEAFL clash at TIO Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Thunder kicked 19 goals in a telling display, with Darren Ewing bagging six and Gibson Turner kicking four. Jacob Derickz and Damien Bonney each landed two goals for the University.
Derickz ended the season with 38 goals from 20 matches, backing up his 2014 tally of 37 goals.
Despite the loss, it was Sydney University’s best result since the North East Australian Football League was formed in 2011 as an elite second-tier competition for reserve sides from AFL clubs. It was the first time Sydney University has made it to the finals and they went within a game of reaching the Grand Final.
Scoreboard
North East AFL – Preliminary Final
Northern Territory Thunder 19.14: 128 (Darren Ewing 6, Gibson Turner 4, Cameron Ilett 2, Liam Patrick 2, Neil Vea Vea, Jonathon Peris, Shannon Rioli, Michael Hagan, Julian Lockwood) defeated Sydney University 8.10: 58 (Jacob Derickx 2, Damien Bonney 2, Tom Ayton, Nicholas Winmar, Max Wilson, Tom Young) at TIO Stadium, Darwin, on Saturday.
Best players
Northern Territory Thunder: Cameron Ilett, Richard Tambling, Darren Ewing, Gibson Turner, Matthew Rosier, Ryan Nyhuis.
Sydney University: Timothy Barton, Matthew Rawlinson, Matthew O’Dwyer, Jed Turner, Gabriel Orr, William Sierakowski.
Preliminary Final 2: Aspley 25.8: 158 defeated UWS Giants 9.15: 69.
Grand Final: Northern Territory Thunder versus Aspley at TIO Stadium, Darwin, on Saturday.
Sydney Men’s Premier Division – Semi-Finals
Division One: Sydney University 6.12: 48 (Nik Dale 2, Gary Burch, Samuel Clark, Christopher Browne, Michael Carey) defeated UTS Bats 5.13: 43 (Edward Williams 2, Trevor Piner, Jacob Prince, Nicholas Morling) at Henson Park on Sunday.
Best players
Sydney University: Christopher Kendrick, Ben Fitzpatrick, Michael Higgins, Ryan Kennedy, Sam Ryan, Nik Dale.
UTS Bats: Harrison Callahan, Duncan Brown, Harry Whiting, Edward Williams, Peter Kilroy, Daniel Crouch.
Semi-Final 2: Pennant Hills Demons 15.7: 97 defeated Balmain Tigers 8.8: 56.
Division Three – Final: Sydney University 17.13: 115 defeated Western Suburbs Magpies 7.7: 49 at Blacktown International Sports Park on Sunday.
Sydney Women’s Premier Division – Grand Final
Division One: Sydney University Bombers versus Newtown Breakaways at Blacktown International Sports Park at 1.30pm on Saturday.
