A-League: Perth Glory 5-0 Wellington Phoenix
So as advertisements for pre-finals knockouts go, it wasn’t a corker. 1st v 6th should be a little closer than this, but the Nix will argue it was a second string side that made the long trip west. Perth were clinical in their execution, and that execution was as emphatic as a late-night invitation to Stalin’s place. The Phoenix now have to bounce back on Friday when they travel to Melbourne to face the Victory, but what a way to seal the premiership season at home for the Glory.
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A-League - goal! Perth Glory 4-0 Wellington Phoenix (Ikonimidis, 65’)
It’s getting ugly for the visitors - barring a miracle, they’re locked into sixth spot, but no sense from the home side that they’re in the mood for charity. Not that you’d expect any side coached by Tony Popovic to offer any. Two to Keogh, and goals to Diego Castro and now Chris Ikonimidis. What a front three that is, by the by.
Premier League: And for our international football fans, we’ve got the first of our EPL showdowns just about to begin, as Leicester host Arsenal. Ben Fisher is your eyes at the ground:
There’s also a pretty tasty showdown in the Championship as Leeds United host Aston Villa with promotion spots on the line. Daniel Harris the man with the lightning fingers for that one:
A-League - half-time: Perth Glory 2-0 Wellington Phoenix
It’s a brace to Andy Keogh that separates the two sides, and on balance of play you’d say a fair scoreline. Nix’s young striker Waine with one or two gilt-edged chances, but apart from that the Glory looking very comfortable, with Neil Kilkenny dictating play in midfield.
So, as it stands, it’s the Nix that will be finishing sixth overall and therefore heading on the road for week one of the finals to Melbourne to take on the Victory, with Adelaide hosting Melbourne City in the other elimination final.
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Intermission: I’m off for a cheeky dinner break - in the interim I’ll leave you in the more than capable hands of Jimmy Barnes. Otherwise feel free to just talk among yourselves.
Topic suggestions: would you ever call your son “Gryan” - yay/nay.
AFL: Geelong 15.14 (104) defeat West Coast 7.4 (46)
Eaaasy, eaaasy. They led for nearly four minutes, the Eagles but from there this one has just drifted steadily away from them as the Cats ground through the gears and ratcheted up the pressure like a sadist with a mediaeval torture device.
Patrick Dangerfield finishing with game-high touches (30) and my boy Gryan has kicked two. Lovely.
A-League: So we’re just about ready for kick-off in the West, where the Nix have handed a debut start to a 17-year-old striker, Ben Waine, resting a host of players with skipper Andrew Durante also handing over the armband to Steven Taylor. With a week’s rest next week for the premiers, it’s unsurprisingly a full-strength line up for Perth.
AFL - three-quarter-time: Geelong 12.11 (83) lead West Coast 5.3 (33)
Outside of ruckman Tom Hickey and the hardworking Shannon Hurn and Andrew Gaff, gee, there’s not been much to rave about for the Eagles today. Did they all have three-day old seafood bisque on the flight over?
Tom Hawkins kicking 3.3 for the Cats, with the old master Gary Ablett chiming in with 2.1 as well. They’re looking every bit a side top of the ladder, Geelong.
Super Netball: And a stat I’ve just seen from that earlier remarkable Thunderbirds win - it snapped a 27-game winless run dating back to the very first round of Super Netball’s inaugural season.
And the team they beat that day? West Coast Fever.
A little slice of history repeating it seems - let’s hope they don’t end up 1-13 like they did in 2017 though. With Folau (née Tuta’ia) among their ranks you can’t imagine that happening again. Surely.
Fever captain Courtney Bruce did succumb to a nasty wrist injury early on, and sharp-shooter Fowler did go off late with an ankle injury. A slice of fortune favouring the Thunderbirds perhaps, but one they’re no doubt due in ending this horror run of results.
A-League: We’ve got one game remaining in the 2018/19 regulation season, and while the Wellington Phoenix can’t go higher than 5th tonight as they travel to the home of the premiers, Perth Glory, a loss of more than a goal could see them slip to 6th - which would have ramifications for the finals series starting next weekend.
As it currently stands 3rd v 6th in the knockout stages would see a Melbourne derby between Victory and City, and 4th v 5th would see the Nix travel to Adelaide. If the Nix slip up though, they’ll be on the road to Melbourne, and City will be heading to Adelaide instead. Got it?
AFL - half-time: Geelong 8.6 (54) lead West Coast 3.3 (21)
A low-scorer in the second quarter, but I remember saying that in the Hawks-Blues match, and what a humdinger that turned into. Mind you, we’d need to see something pretty soon from the Eagles, they’ve been second best in almost all statistical categories - c.250 disposals plays 170, 38-23 inside 50s, and the big one 99-73 contested possessions all favouring the Cats.
If they don’t want to go 3-3, the reigning champs, they’ll need to lift, and lift fast, against a side that can pull away from seven clubs on 4-2, and go four points clear at the top.
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AFL: Hawthorn 13.15 (93) defeats Carlton 13.10 (88)
What. A. Game. They say it’s a game of margins, and you don’t get slimmer than less than a second - that’s the difference between the final siren sounding and Harry McKay claiming a late mark for the Blues. If it gets paid he lines up for a set shot, and if that goes over - it’s a miraculous one-point win for the Blues. But the umps said too late, and it wasn’t to be!
A pulsating last quarter, in which the Hawks even pulled out to a game high (for them) lead of 17, only to almost see it snatched near the end! A Jekyll-and-Hyde showing, in which Carlton bossed most of the first half, and then saw the Hawks tear them to shreds in the second.
Liam Shiels finishing with three goals, 26 touches, seven marks and nine tackles, but the Blues will be distraught to watch the tape back on this one.
It’s another heroic loss for Carlton - but you don’t get points for those.
NRL: Newcastle 28-14 Parramatta
What a difference a week makes. Having played their first game at their spectacular new stadium in Parramatta in front of 29,000+ and put 51 on the Tigers, the Eels have finished it getting turned over by the team on the bottom of the table. Footy, eh?
Credit to the Knights, who completed at 84% and didn’t wobble when Parramatta cut the margin back to six with just over 20 to play. A well-deserved second win of the season, and you’d warrant there will be more to come, if they play like this again, the Knights.
AFL - final quarter, 15 gone: My, my - this is a belter of a match! They forced two behinds inside the first minute of the final quarter, the Hawks, before Chad Wingard fired his second of the day to keep the momentum building for the Hawks. But two goals in as many minutes to O’Brien and Curnow put the Blues back in front - only for Cousins and then Shiels to nose Hawthorn ahead once more!
They led for about 85 minutes straight, the Blues, and now we’ve had three lead changes in this quarter already. Surely, there aren’t more twists in this one?
AFL - three-quarter-time: Hawthorn 8.7 (57) trail Carlton 9.8 (62)
Ay, ay, ay. They led by 36 at one stage, Carlton, and I can happily say I’ve 100% put the mockers on the Blues (like they need any help on that front) - it’s a five-goal third quarter from the Hawks, and all of a sudden, they’re right back in this!
Jaeger O’Meara an absolute man possessed out there - 35 disposals already, eight marks and a goal - he’s almost single-handed dragging the Hawks back into this one. They had nine consecutive scoring efforts at one stage - the Blues perhaps lucky at times the shooting wasn’t quite as accurate as it could have been. Game. On.
AFL - quarter-time: Geelong 7.1 (43) lead West Coast 2.1 (13)
Yikes. I almost made this my feature match of the evening - was pretty keen on having a close look at both these sides, but on the basis of this, I’m a relieved man. They’ve gone Carlton+1 in that opening quarter, kicking seven, the Cats. And to think the Eagles got the first!
Three first-quarter goals to Gary Rowan, and my boy Gryan Miers has helped himself to one as well. Pack it up and head home. What’s going on with the Eagles??! (Send your reponses, self-addressed envelope etc)
NRL - half-time: Newcastle 20-8 Parramatta
With the Raiders going down to the Sea Eagles, fourth place is wide open for the Eels - but up against the bottom-of-the-table Knights, it’s not gone exactly to plan!
They’ve lost five on the spin, the home side, but you wouldn’t know it from that first forty. It’s the Pearce and Ponga show - and when the 21-year-old prodigy is in this kind of form, who can stop him?
Check out the jets from Kalyn Ponga to back up and score this try - terrific stuff.
Ponga supports an incredible run by Danny Levi and puts @NRLKnights on the board 🤘#NRLKnightsEels pic.twitter.com/OJ8f6Q4wzu
— NRL (@NRL) April 28, 2019
Super Netball: Adelaide 61-60 West Coast
Wow! And what a finish we’ve just had in the second Super Netball clash. A pulsating last three minutes, with the Fever storming home, creating five consecutive scoring chances after trailing 61-57. They could only land three of them however, and the much-maligned Thunderbirds have recorded a morale-boosting opening round win!
Jhaniele Fowler with a flawless 51/51 for the Fever, with both Sasha Glasgow 37/47 and Maria Folau 24/31 a little less accurate. 17 of those coming from outside 3m though, so the rest of the competition will be put on notice by the Thunderbirds’ long-range bombs. Shamera Sterling was also immense at the back, with 10 gains and five intercepts.
What a cracker!
NRL: Manly 24-20 Canberra
And a belter from Brookvale in the early NRL kickoff - they may have started the season slowly, but Dessie’s Dogs Sea Eagles have landed a decent prey here. It’s come at the cost of captain Daly Cherry-Evans limping off with an ankle injury, but the unfancied halves duo of Lachlan Croker and Curtis Sironen got it done from there, with the Sea Eagles trailing 14-12 at the time.
Croker with two tries, and how’s the hands and razzle-dazzle in the lead up to this one. Lovely stuff, Manly - their fans will go home contented.
Lachlan Croker is having a game to remember! #NRLManlyRaiders#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/d1zOvxY2Vq
— NRL (@NRL) April 28, 2019
AFL - half-time: Hawthorn 3.3 (21) trail Carlton 8.4 (52)
What starts with a six goal opening quarter: no, it’s not a joke, it’s just not often that it’s Carlton either. Mitch McGovern and Harry McKay getting it started with a brace each, before defences were on top in a low-scoring second stanza. I know they’ve not started the campaign like the Hawks of the last decade or so, but this smells of a capital R RESULT, coming through. Craig Little wrote a little while back that it’s a topsy-turvy season - but with a percentage swing, the Blues could even go above the Hawks if they hang on to this one. Imagine that.
Super Netball: Giants 56-63 Swifts
And if you missed the earlier fixture, a big statement of intent issued in the opening round of the Super Netball, with the Sydney Swifts throwing down a huge performance against their cross-town rivals, winning just their second Sydney derby, and without a few key imports to boot.
Paige Hadley running the court with 25 goal assists, with Trinidad and Tobagoan sharp-shooter Sam Wallace raining down 46/49 inside the circle.
“We took it upon ourselves and knew that we needed to step up our intensity this season and today was a pretty good start on that,” said Hadley.
“We had a couple of girls out today and we are mainly worried about the process and know each game is going to be tough for us.”
Meanwhile, at the other end it was a bit of rusty old start from star recruit Caitlin “C-Bass” Bassett for the Giants, who managed 28/36 on her return from injury.
Full credit to the Swifts thought - uuuuge result!
As always on Sportwatch, your feedback is welcome - nay - encouraged, so do please fire an email or tweet at the addresses listed above.
First question for the day: what is the spelling of the word kibbetz, if indeed that even is a word? As in that person who tells the spoilers in the movies about 30 seconds before they happen? Is this a perfectly cromulent word? Do we still use it in 2019? Send your entries, self-addressed envelope, etc etc.
Around the grounds: We’re approaching half-time in the AFL down in Launceston, where I’ve been known to kibbetz “boilover” in the past, but just quietly I think the Blues could be in the middle of something special against the Hawks. TBC, of course.
We’re about 15 minutes played in Newcastle in the NRL where the home side are making a much better fist of things then we’ve seen recently against the Eels, out to a flying 14-0 start.
And in the Super Netball, we’re in the third quarter over in Adelaide between the Thunderbirds and the Fever, where home fans are getting their first look at Maria Folau, and it certainly is looking so far, so good. It’s neck-and-neck there, just a few goals in it. We’ll bring you more, shortly.
Hi all! I trust this finds you hearty, hale and all holiday-ed out. If you go in for that kind of thing that is, in the modern deconstructed 9-5, flexible labour force environment etc.
Let’s start with a quick round the grounds of live action, before recapping some of the early fixtures.
Preamble
After a glut of midweek sporting fixtures and with the holidays over there’s a back to school/work feeling to sport around Australia today. Except for the A-League, which has decided to fly in the face of reason with the ever-popular 7pm Sunday kickoff - a strategy it will roll out again for the first time during it’s forthcoming finals series.
We’ve still got Super Netball, AFL, NRL and one late A-League kickoff to plough through, though, so without out further ado, let’s crack on!
