The Waitakere Magpies are still flying in the Auckland AFL as they remain the only undefeated team in the 2016 competition.
With the teams not having played any footy in over two weeks due to washouts and the AFL Grand Final weekend break, the six sides were itching to get back into it with Manurewa hosting Waitakere, Pakuranga playing off against North Shore and the match of the round between the University Blues and the Mt Roskill Saints.
Manurewa Raiders vs Waitakere Magpies
9th October, 2.00pm, War Memorial Park.
This match between the two sides was a competitive one with Manurewa coming out of the blocks quickly winning the first quarter thanks to Full Forward Joseph Ligaliga who ended up with four goals for the game.
But it was Waitakere with the perfect response as they came back strong in the second quarter, with Captain Shane Leat leading the way with his glossy ball movement around the ground.
The Magpies held the Raiders scoreless in the 3rd quarter with first gamer Dan Tuitama on debut and didn’t look out of place in the back line with help from Chris Gawn who wound back the years with a solid performance.
The experience shone through in the final quarter with Waitakere winning the game by 45 points.
Raiders Centre Half forward Josh Allen was on debut and also had a Best on Ground Performance along with Zeon McNabb in the Ruck and Justin Andrews who played well in the backline.
Young Youth player Declan Crann continues to impress for the Magpies as his fast running provides an outlet form the half back line and midfielder Joel Griffiths added real grit in the centre of the park with great tackle pressure on defence and fantastic handball movement on attack.
Pakuranga Panthers vs North Shore Tigers
9th October, 12.00pm, Colin Maiden Park.
Due to ground closures, Pakuranga and North Shore relocated their game to Colin Maiden Park.
The Tigers were strong all over the park once again with their defensive line not conceding a point in the opening quarter.
The North Shore On ballers dominated in the centre of the park which was helped immensely by Tyler Paul’s efforts in the ruck.
Chris Wong had a stand out game for the Tigers where he played in multiple positions. His positional play and effective disposals proved the first year player is one to watch for.
Full Forward Tyler Rakich kicked six goals for the Tigers in an 80 point victory to move them to third on the ladder.
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University Blues vs Mt Roskill Saints
9th October, 2.00pm, Colin Maiden Park.
The match of the round lived up to its name as the Mt Roskill Saints travelled to Colin Maiden Park to take on a University side who have come off two losses in a row and looking to get back on the winners list.
It was a tight tussle in the first quarter between the two teams with Mt Roskill applying good defensive pressure. Playing his first game for the Saints, Jake Taylor was a rock in the back line and linked up well with wingers Matt Palmer and Anthony D’Aloisio who returned to the side after a bout of illness.
In the centre of the park, big Will Dickinson joined midfielder Matt Kemp as the duo were both strong and aggressive around the ball and threw themselves at every tackle.
Mt Roskill jumped out to a healthy lead but University clawed their way back into the contest through Full Forward Stephen Parton who provided a good target up front with his strong marking ability.
Captain Sam Mckenzie provided his side with two goals for the game with one late in the piece to seal a 14-point win for the Saints and hand the Blues their third loss in a row.
Team: Played: Won: Lost: Draw: %: Points: 1 
10 9 0 1 197 38 2 
10 6 3 1 192 26 3 
10 6 3 1 178 26 4 
10 5 4 1 126 22 5 
10 2 8 42 8 6 
10 0 10 19 0
Story – AAFL
