The North Shore Tigers have put an end to Waitakere’s seventeen match unbeaten run after a huge 14 goal victory during round 6 of the Auckland AFL. At Colin Maiden Park, University stopped the rot as they romped to a big victory over the Manurewa Raiders and in a shock upset, the Howick Hornets have notched their second win of the season after defeating the Mt Roskill Saints at Paparoa Domain.
Howick Hornets vs Mt Roskill Saints
14th October, 2.00pm, Paparoa Domain, Howick.
The last time these two sides met was back in Round 2 and the Hornets were keen to put that 77 point loss behind them and come out firing against the Mt Roskill Saints.
A dominant performance by the Hornets in the first quarter saw them kick five goals to two and enjoy a three goal lead heading into the first break.
In the second term, Mt Roskill gained their composure and got themselves back into the game through forward Dan Carman who finished the game with four goals. Saints midfielder Tristan Burnett worked hard for Mt Roskill and both sides went goal for goal with the only diffidence being Mt Roskill’s accuracy in front of goal which let them down.
Logan Kinnear provided the pivotal link on the wing between the forwards and backs linking well with Elliott Bennetts who worked hard in half forward flank in picking up loose ball on the ground and kicking a double.
Hornets rover Kevin Crowe stood out for his determination to always get first use of the football and took a number of contested marks.
With superior fitness, the Hornets kept their focus and a five goal final quarter secured them a famous 22 point victory
Forward Andrew Azzopardi had a field day in front of goal for the Hornets kicking 9 goals for the game while fullback Aidan Paterson worked hard on his vastly experienced opponent to spoil every potential mark.
Waitakere Magpies vs North Shore Tigers
15th October, 2.00pm, Parrs Park, Oratia.
The Waitakere Magpies impressive seventeen game unbeaten run (which dates back to 2015) has come to a sudden stop after the North Shore Tigers put on a masterclass to record a big 14 goal victory over the defending Premiers on Sunday afternoon.
A determined Tigers side turned up to Parrs Park hoping to make amends for their round 2 loss to the Magpies and with the squad bolstered by the experienced duo of Steve Howard and Andrew Crighton.
With the Tigers getting first use of the wind, Magpie key defenders Josh Copeland and Nico Donell-Brown had their work cut out for them but were able to hold off the Tiger forward line for until Josh Sedgwick opened the scoring for the Tigers and with late goals in the quarter, North Shore took a 4 goal lead into the first break.
Kicking into the wind in the second quarter, the Tigers showed how much they wanted to win this game as they lifted a gear and were able to pile on the points with Rob Mostert dominating in the forward line.
The goals continued in the second half with a disciplined Tigers side able to execute their game plan and put the game beyond reach of the Magpies. With regular ruckman Ty Smith unavailable for this week’s game the timely return of Tyler Paull was pleasing to see. This added to the Tigers control in the middle and once again provided the forwards with numerous opportunities which they were more than obliging in turning into goals.
Tigers Head Coach, Mitch Ryan, was pleased with how the team was able to stick to the game plan at the same time maintaining their discipline it what could only be described as an impassioned battle for the top spot.“Very happy with the team finally put together a full 4 quarters after some good moments earlier this year. Still having five players to come back in we just focused on the opportunity this game presents for us to send a statement that we are coming for the flag with a lot of that focused on our tackle pressure.”
Ben Hutton provided some good glimpses for the Magpies taking some big marks in the forward line on multiple occasions and without their experienced defenders, Josh Copeland stepped up and showed why he is one of the top defenders in the league.
“We always knew it was going to be a big game and North Shore definitely came out wanting the win. The final scoreline was a huge wake up for us but more than anything, this game gave us a positive outlook. We are not playing our best footy at the moment and still riding the wave of last season and the feeling from the team after the game is something we hadn’t experienced in a long time.” Magpies Captain Shane Leat.
University Blues vs Manurewa Raiders
15th October, 2.00pm, Colin Maiden Park, Glen Innes.
Manurewa travelled to Colin Maiden Park to take on University and while the Raiders were looking for their first win of the season, the Blues wanted to break their streak of three straight losses.
University gave themselves a strong start and Lachlan Salmon playing only his fifth game was hungry for the ball and showed great desire. He had a number of clear breaks out of the middle and found a ton of the ball all day.
Up forward, Liam Roberts in only his third game showed great promise and with his size and strength was hard to stop, kicking his first goal for the club.
The Blues were comfortable 63 point winners over the Raiders who are yet to register a victory in season 2017.
“A strong hit out for us today, good to get back in the winners circle and solidify our spot a little more in the top four. Some really strong passages from our younger players showing the bright future for the club. Overall a better result and one that gives us much to progress with heading into the week off.” Head Coach Chris Mundell was satisfied with his sides performance.
The ten goal victory keeps University in fourth position on the ladder and will come up against the Howick Hornets in two weeks time. The Hornets will be full of confidence and if they can topple the Blues, they will be in with a shot to make the finals.
The Auckland AFL takes a break next week for labour weekend and returns on Sunday the 29th of October.
Story –AAFL
