Coffs Swans 14.16 (100)
North Coffs 9.6 (61)
Coffs Swans
Goal Kickers: E. Duryea 6, S. Adams 2, N. Millard 2, J. Burow, Z. Bullivant, P. Chadwick, B. Ford
Best Players: E. Duryea, B. Ford, Z. Bullivant, J. Burow, P. Chadwick, S. Adams
North Coffs
Goal Kickers: S. Dawes 4, D. Funston 3, M. Glaetzer, A. Delves
Best Players: S. Dawes, M. Glaetzer, J. Drum, G. Connolly, D. Funston, A. Delves
Umpires: L Turner, R Macpherson
A strong finish by the young Coffs Swans outfit helped them defeat the Kangaroos in soggy conditions at Fitzroy Oval.
The Swans can largely thank Evan Duryea for their success, as the mercurial midfielder was in everything and his attacking play was well represented in his contribution on the scoresheet, especially in the last quarter where he kicked a couple of telling long goals to stave off any hopes of a North Coffs fightback.
It was the Swans who jumped out of the blocks early on with the 'Roos having no answer to the Swans attacking brand of football. North Coffs to their credit though made a healthy challenge and won both the second and third quarters to get within 8 points of the home side at three-quarter time before they lost their legs.
Sam Dawes was easily the Kangaroos best, with the well-built recruit most impressive in winning the contested ball and gave the away side a lot of drive with his penetration in both attack and defence. Mick Glaetzer showed glimpses of his talent in his first game on the North Coffs and should be one to watch as the season progresses. Graeme Connolly dominated in the ruck hit-outs whilst Josh Drum tried hard in the midfield but lacked support.
The Swans will be glowing from the performances of their young brigade. Blake Ford was influential on the contest, applying a lot of pressure and gaining numerous possessions. Zac Bullivant played his role to perfection, nullifying the role of the Kangaroos main target, Darren Funston. Fighting in another weight division, Bullivant stuck to Funston with distinction and won the duel at the end of the day.
Any doubters of the Swans will have been put in their place after today's performance. It was a calm and calculated display from such a young side. The Kangaroos will need to find more targets in front of goal to reduce the reliance on Dawes and Funston who again contributed the weight of the scoring in this match.
Port Macquarie 23.16 (154)
Grafton 14.9 (93)
Grafton
Goal Kickers: S. Purton 7, B. Kurtsman 2, A. Batty, L. Hayman
Best Players: L. Hayman, S. Purton, B Kurtzmann
Port Macquarie
Goal Kickers: Scott Abercrombie 8; John Bain 5; Matt Newton 4; Dean Nankivell 3; Matt Lill 1; Jesse Schmidt 1; Ray Grimson 1.
Best Players: Dean Nankivell; Jesse Schmidt; Matt Newton; Scott Abercrombie; Luke Gemmill
Umpires: D Thomas, S Bellamy
The Port Macquarie bandwagon continues to roll on after they posted a comfortable 61 point win over an improving Tigers outfit at Ellem Oval.
It was a solid team performance from the Magpies who again demonstrated their strength across the ground to run away with the match in the second half.
The match was well and truly in the balance leading into half time with the Grafton side only trailing by 10 points but a six goal third quarter helped the Magpies to gain a bit of breathing space before booting seven goals to three in the final quarter to maintain their perfect record in recent times.
Dean Nankervill was among the best for the Magpies, providing a presence over the ground, with his long kick giving him the opportunity to romp forward and boot 3 goals on the short ground. Power forwards, Scott Abercrombie and John Bain were most prominent on the scoresheet, whilst Matt Newton again led from the front with another consistent performance.
The Tigers again were well served by Sean Purton who raced to the lead in the AFL North Coast goalkicking tally with a lone performance up forward. The tall forward booted 7 goals but lacked support ultimately as the Tigers found the going a lot harder this week compared to their midfield dominance.
For Port is was a good lead-in to the Grand Final replay away to the Saints, whilst the coming weeks for the Tigers will prove whether they are a legitimate competitor, especially away from home.
Last Modified on 20/04/2008 19:17