The Under 18s missed a golden opportunity to consolidate their position in the four on Sunday when they came up against a stronger than expected Pennant Hills side.
Taking on the bottom of the table Pennant Hills - who they had only narrowly beaten earlier in the season - was a real danger game for the young Rams, and so it proved.
Unlike many games this season, the side made a solid start, providing a sound platform for the rest of the game.
However, from there on an apparently `strengthened` home side was able to assert its dominance, running out 23 point winners.
Final scores were: Pennant Hills 10.7 (67) d Penrith 6.8 (44).
A match report from Greg Corless follows:
The Rams headed off early on Sunday Morning to Ern Holmes Oval to play Pennant Hills Demons Challenge Cup team, a team that was languishing at the bottom of the ladder without a win all season. The boys only needed to play to part of their potential to regain fourth spot on the ladder. In fact, when the match was finished, the young Rams had played one of their best games of the season despite losing a thrilling match which saw them behind on the scoreboard by twenty three points.
Unfortunately for the integrity of Sydney AFL Under 18’s footy, the Rams encountered a different team to the one they were scheduled to play with a side littered with Premier Cup players from the second placed Demons who had played and won the previous day.
The Demons have, of course, done nothing illegal in taking advantage of their matches being scheduled on different days. They have done nothing improper in playing their “stars” in the lower division and leaving their Challenge Cup players on the bench for most of the match. It is just one of the inequalities of Sydney AFL football that has not been rectified and it could possibly encourage other clubs to do the same when they have the luxury of two 18’s teams.
The match started well for the Rams with intensity not seen for a long time in the first quarter which resulted in the boys having a seven point lead at the first break. The Demons, however, came back strongly in the second and booted four majors to the visitors one by the time both teams went to the sheds. The second half saw some very physical footy by both sides but it was the Premier Cup boys who proved a little bit stronger as the match went on. Two fifty metre penalties (and a rare seventy metre one) proved costly for the Rams and resulted in 3 easy goals for the Demons, which probably decided the match.
Despite the result, it was a great effort by all of the team who went in hard all day and proved that they are not far away from Premier Cup football. With a few of the “bigger names” out of the match due to injury and personal reasons, it has been rewarding to watch some of the younger brigade really come of age with immense improvement. Under 16’s players Matt Payne (Emu Plains/Glenmore Park Lions) again had a sensational match whilst new Collingwood Scholarship inductee, Michael Hartley (Penrith Swans) at just fifteen years of age showed maturity and skills beyond his years in his 18’s debut and only his first year of AFL football. The future in Sydney West is very bright looking at the talent coming through the junior ranks.
Thanks to all the support staff on the day. Jason Bradley (Club Umpire), Max Jaworski , Phil Lane (Penrith 16’s coach) and Nick “Hurry Back” Perry (Runners) and our goal and boundary umpires for their great work.
It is back to GreyGums on Saturday when the boys will need to claim victory over the Southern Sharks to regain that all important 4th spot on the ladder. The match commences at 10 am.
Goal Kickers: Hamish Mulligan 2, Kirk Perkins, Michael Morgan, Mitch Reinhard, Alex Henry
Best Players: Kirk Perkins, Mitch Reinhard, Tayt Corless, Tim Conallin, Cameron Jaworski, Ben Robinson
Last Modified on 30/05/2010 12:33