Please note: due to ongoing weather conditions, all grounds and match details remain subject to change. Further updates and information will be communicated as they become available.
Written by Michael Shillito
Round 8 of 18 is upon us, the last weekend of autumn before the winter kicks in. Although the wet week we’ve just had makes it feel like winter is here already. After the earlier rounds were played in relatively dry conditions; at every ground except on the Gore Hill synthetic, this will be a week for the mudlarks. One of those weeks when anyone who finishes the game with a clean guernsey hasn’t been putting the effort in.
A full round in Men's Premier Division, with all ten teams in action. Top of the ladder is on the line as Pennant Hills and South-West Sydney face off at Mike Kenny; while North Shore and UTS’s battle will go a long way towards determining the fate of the top five. Sydney Uni completes the top five, with Manly a game behind. It’ll take something special for any of the bottom four teams to make the finals from here; there’s a lot of ground to make up.
Pennant Hills have the bye in Women's Premier Division this week. With only one goal so far this season, there’s plenty of work to be done to reset and become more competitive when they return to action. North Shore v UTS will be a key battle in the fight for ladder positions, while the other teams in the top five have games against bottom-four teams. With more than three games separating fifth from sixth, unless something truly out of the ordinary happens over the remainder of the season, we likely already have our final five.
It’s at times like this, when conditions are difficult, when seasons can be made or broken. Premiership points won on a heavy track go a long way towards deciding finals, and positions within the finals. It’s time to dig deep.
ROUND 8 PREVIEW
North Shore Bombers v UTS Bats
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 12:30pm
Bombers – 4th. Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, 252.21%. Streak – W1
Bats – 3rd. Played 7, Won 6, Lost 1, 164.76%. Streak – W1
The first Mens Premier Division game to get under way on Saturday sees third playing fourth, two teams jockeying for positions within the finals and looking to put themselves in the box seat for the finals double-chance. The Bats are a game ahead, the Bombers have a better percentage. And with the Demons and the Blues also playing each other on Saturday, the winner of this game will make their way up to second.
After two tight losses, North Shore returned to form with an emphatic 158-point win over the Magpies at Gore Hill last week. Nick Robinson and Matt Buskariol both landed five goals; while Nick Pavlou, Max Proud and Cooper Donald picked up myriad possessions around the ground. It was a return to form, a confidence booster; so far they have won all three of their home games by enormous margins. But there are tougher home games to come, starting with this one against a vastly improved UTS lineup.
The Bats won five games last season, they’ve already exceeded that total in 2026. Win number 6 came at Waverley last week, when the Bats got the early jump on East Coast and went on to record an impressive 82-point win. Ash Backlund booted four goals in a best-on-ground performance, while James Warton and Lachlan McNamara also impressed. The Bats have kept the wins coming, moving into the top three. But this week will show us how far they have improved in 2026.
It’s been an impressive start to the season for UTS, and after years when they hadn’t lived up to their hopes, there’s a real feeling that this may be the year they fulfil their potential. They’ve passed just about every test that’s come their way so far. But playing North Shore at Gore Hill is one of the toughest tests there is in our league. This will be their true test; and if they can get away with the points here, they’re set for a strong season. The Bombers are back in form after their hiccup before the Rep weekend, and on their home deck they won’t be making life easy for the Bats. They’ll have to earn the points in this one.
Inner West Magpies v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Picken Oval, Saturday 12:45pm
Magpies – 9th. Played 7, Won 0, Lost 7, 31.34%. Streak – L7
Wolves – 6th. Played 7, Won 4, Lost 3, 128.91%. Streak – W1
2026 has had its share of struggle for the Magpies. Winless after seven games, a poor percentage and coming off a heavy loss last week. But they’re back at Picken Oval for a date with a Manly team that, after a slow start to the season, is beginning to hit its straps and is waiting for the chance to re-enter the top five.
The draw wasn’t kind to the Magpies, and they’ve already had to play North Shore twice. The second time being at Gore Hill last week, when they were held to two goals and went down by 158 points. Sam Butler, Lachlan Tiziani and Dan O’Connell battled gamely, but the Magpies weren’t able to keep up with the Bombers. But, having got their North Shore games out of the way early, they’ve got another tough opponent this week. On their home turf, on what will be a heavy ground, the Magpies will need to do everything they can to stop the Wolves in their tracks.
Manly, Grand Finallists in the last two seasons, struggled to replicate that form in the early rounds of this season and sit outside the top five. Last week they trailed St George by seven points at the first change. But then the Wolves hit their straps and returned to form, wasting little time in taking the lead in the second term and going on to win by 71 points. Trent Dennis-Lane landed eight goals and Zac Youlten four; with Oliver Rojo and Kayden Harbour featuring prominently around the ground. To return to the top five they’ll need to bide their time and wait for the teams above them to fall over; but in the mean time it’s essential to keep winning.
On paper, Manly should get this done comfortably. But these conditions will be anything but comfortable. And the Magpies will come into this determined, desperate to prevent the Wolves from gathering easy possessions. The Magpies will want a hard, physical contest and to make the Wolves grind it out. Manly can’t expect an easy walk in the park here. If the Magpies can pile on the pressure and frustrate their visitors, this one could be a lot closer than a lot of people are expecting.
East Coast Eagles v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Bruce Purser Reserve, Saturday 1:40pm
Eagles – 10th. Played 7, Won 0, Lost 7, 27.77%. Streak – L7
Bulldogs – 7th. Played 7, Won 2, Lost 5, 104.17%. Streak – L1
The clash at Bruce Purser on Saturday puts together two teams who need a win. The Eagles, yet to sing the song this season, are looking to get off the bottom of the ladder. While the visiting UNSW-ES, Preliminary Finallists last year, are at serious risk of losing contact with the top five.
Seven losses on the trot to open the season wasn’t the start the Eagles were looking for. Their most recent start was a trip to Waverley Oval, where the Eagles were blown away early and found themselves 36 points behind at the first change. It never picked up for the Eagles, who would go on to lose to the Bats by 82 points, despite the determined resistance of Angus Edwards, Jacob Jones and Lyndon Hupfeld. They can get themselves off the bottom if they win here, and on their home deck against another team well outside the top five, this is their big chance.
The Bulldogs sit on a 2-5 record, their finals hopes slipping away unless they can string some wins together. Last week at Henson Park against top side South-West Sydney, the Bulldogs defended well to hold the Blues to seven goals; but only scored four themselves to go down by 27 points. Harrison Dyson, Jake Sutton and David Cheel battled tirelessly; but the Bulldogs’ difficulty in scoring goals was all too plain to see. There’s plenty of work to be done to get a winning score on the board this time.
Unless something resembling a miracle happens, the Eagles won’t be challenging for the finals this year. Seven losses in a row leaves them too much ground to make up. And already time is running out for the Bulldogs; three games plus percentage behind fifth. There’s no time for the Bulldogs to lose, and they need to get a winning streak going, starting here. Which may not be easy against an East Coast team looking for an opportunity to break their long losing run. This game will be a slog, with a slippery ball on a muddy track. But the reward at the end, singing in the song and basking in victory, will be all the incentive either team needs. In tricky conditions, this game probably won’t be high scoring; but the competition points on offer are massive.
St George Dragons v Sydney University Students
Kelso Oval, Saturday 2:30pm
Dragons – 8th. Played 7, Won 1, Lost 6, 38.39%. Streak – L1
Students – 5th. Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, 129.17%. Streak – L1
Two clubs that are looking to bounce back face off at Kelso Oval at St George play host to Sydney Uni. The Dragons have won just once this season and are looking for green shoots of improvement, to give them some re-assurance that better times ahead. While for the Students, the aim is more immediate; they need to win this one to stay in the top five.
The Dragons travelled to Weldon Oval last week and took it up to Manly early, holding a shock seven-point lead at quarter time. But the lead was to be short-lived as the Dragons couldn’t keep up with the Wolves for the rest of the game, going down by 71 points. Cave McKnight, Dom Soffa and Nathan McKenzie-Hicks battled hard; but once again the Dragons weren’t able to match it with a higher-ranked opponent. And this one will test them even harder. The Dragons will need to look within themselves and find something more this week.
Sydney Uni sit in fifth, one game clear of Manly with a similar percentage. But they’re in trouble if they drop this one. Last week they were only able to manage two goals in their 67-point loss to Pennant Hills. Wilson Beade, Beau Matthews and Oscar Bosnjakovic kept the work rate up, but the Students were well short of their best and never looked like troubling the Demons. A stronger effort around the ground is needed this week against a Dragons team that has high hopes of pulling off the upset.
It’s the second meeting between these clubs in 2026. They met at Mahoney Park in the opening round, with the Students pulling off an easy 90-point win. On their home deck in what will be slippery conditions, the Dragons need to get closer this time. To scrap and contest in the tricky conditions and hold the Students back. And the Students know they need to lift and hit back after last week. If they don’t, they risk falling out of the top five.
Pennant Hills Demons v South-West Sydney Blues
Mike Kenny Oval, Saturday 2:45pm
Demons – 2nd. Played 7, Won 6, Lost 1, 195.31%. Streak – W6
Blues – 1st. Played 7, Won 6, Lost 1, 204.53%. Streak – W3
Top of the table is up for grabs as the Demons host the Blues at Mike Kenny Oval. These are two clubs with impressive form in recent weeks; both have plenty of winning momentum behind them and will be looking to maintain that. With no shortage of quality players who have been in solid form in the last few weeks, this game has the ingredients of a cracker.
Pennant Hills have been impressive of late, winning their last six games and playing some good footy along the way. Last week at Sydney Uni No 1 the Demons got off to a flying start, five unanswered goals in the first term; and holding the Students to two goals for the day. Charles Allison, Angus Lee and Mitch Blow led the way in an imposing display that showed the Sydney footy world that the Demons mean business this year. They’re a hard team to score against, and the Blues’ forwards have plenty of work to do if they are to build a score big enough to trouble the Demons.
The Blues go into this game on top of the ladder, but had to dig deep to stay there in their last match, playing UNSW-ES at Henson Park. In a low-scoring game, the Blues defended resolutely to deny their opponents any easy shots. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but was certainly effective; with big contributions from Liam Burns, Edward Cole and Luke Parkinson. Only one loss, a percentage over 200; the Blues are doing a lot right. But this week won’t be easy.
These teams played off in round 1 at Bob Prenter Oval, with the Blues taking out a 21-point win. The Demons haven’t lost since. The Blues have only lost once, and that was by a kick. Both clubs would have identified this game as one they need to be at their best for. The winner moves to top, the loser in all probability drops to third. And with the form these teams have been in, there’d have to be a strong chance they’ll meet again in the finals. To win here would show everyone that they have what it takes to overcome one of the competition heavyweights. Plenty to look forward to in this contest.
North Shore Bombers v UTS Bats
Gore Hill Oval, Saturday 10:50am
Bombers – 5th. Played 7, Won 4, Lost 2, Drawn 1, 251.23%. Streak – W1
Bats – 3rd. Played 7, Won 5, Lost 2, 198.62%. Streak – W3
It’s a morning start at Gore Hill for this clash between North Shore and UTS at Gore Hill. These are the only teams yet to have a bye this season. Just half a game separates them on the ladder. A UTS win would tighten their grip on a top-three ladder position; while a North Shore win would see them move ahead of the Bats. Both these teams already look safe for the top five; but the battle for positions within the top five will continue for much of the remainder of the home and away season.
North Shore returned to the winners’ circle in style against Parramatta, comfortably taking out a 75-point win. The Goannas were unable to score until the dying minutes of the match, with the Bombers looking in control. Charli Tidemann, Georgina Maher and Sophie Kavanagh were standouts for the Bombers as they returned to winning form. They’re a much stronger looking lineup on their home deck at Gore Hill; and that’s where this match is being played.
The Bats sit in third place, having won their last three on the trot. Last week at Waverley Oval, they had few concerns in recording a 27-point win over East Coast; a margin that could easily have been more but for some inaccurate finishing up forward. This week the Bats can’t afford to waste their opportunities on the forward line and will look to make every post a winner. Taylah Canobie, Olivia Morris and Hannah Cerezo were exceptional last week,and the Bats will be looking to them to stand and deliver again in what is going to be a testing matchup for them.
It’s one thing to easily knock off teams outside the top five. Every team in the top five can expect to do that. But it’s games like this, when teams inside the top five play off, that can make of break a season. The stakes are high, and both clubs will rise to this occasion. The battle for be determined by games like this.
East Coast Eagles v UNSW-ES Bulldogs
Bruce Purser Reserve, Saturday 12:00pm
Eagles – 6th. Played 6, Won 1, Lost 5, 52.36%. Streak – L3
Bulldogs – 1st. Played 6, Won 6, Lost 0, 804.48%. Streak – W6
In recent years, East Coast have been a powerhouse club in this division. But this season has seen a changing of the guard as the Eagles have fallen out of the top five; while UNSW-ES have lifted themselves to the top. Can the Eagles, on their home deck, turn back the clock; or will it be the new order of 2026 that prevails?
The Eagles defended resolutely at Waverley last week to hold UTS to five goals; but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 27-point loss. Nellie McMillan, Renee Tomkins and Chloe Arndt fought hard all day, as they do every week; but the Eagles have struggled to maintain the form we’ve come to expect from them. Against an undefeated opponent, they will need to lift and find a way to produce more than they have.
It’s been a couple of weeks since our ladder leaders have taken the field. They had the bye after the Rep weekend; but the Bulldogs won’t let that break in their program stop their momentum. Their last start was a 92-point win over Parramatta; spearheaded by nine goals from Bec Privitelli and strong performances from Summah Joyce and Francesca Ryan. So far this season the Bulldogs have successfully dealt with every challenge that’s been thrown their way; and if they can maintain that momentum, there’s no reason why they can’t maintain their unbeaten status.
It will be a heavy track at Bruce Purser, with a slippery ball. This won’t be a game for the purists, and the aesthetics won’t always great. But this is a week when the tough battlers, those who are at the bottom of every contest and who apply the vigorous tackles and defensive plays will shine. The Bulldogs have them, they don’t get to the top without that relentless effort. But the Eagles need to find that as well to match it with the ladder leaders. Otherwise this game could be a one-sided affair.
St George Dragons v Sydney University Students
Kelso Oval, Saturday 12:40pm
Dragons – 7th. Played 6, Won 1, Lost 5, 22.80%. Streak – L1
Students – 4th. Played 6, Won 4, Lost 1, Drawn 1, 400.00%. Streak – W1
On the wide expanses of Kelso Oval, St George host Sydney Uni. The Dragons have saluted once this season, and sit in seventh place; but have shown some competitive moments in recent weeks. Against them is a Sydney Uni team that hasn’t done too much wrong so far this season, with one loss, one draw and a percentage of 400.
Any hopes the Dragons had of an upset win over Manly last week were blown away in the opening quarter when the Wolves landed six unanswered goals to see the Dragons 38 points down at quarter time. The Dragons played better after that, but the damage was done and they went on to go down by 70 points. Gabbie Waechter, Ash L’Estrange and Ruby O’Dwyer battled tirelessly; but the Dragons never looked a threat to one of the league’s top teams. It’s another challenging matchup this week, but the Dragons have lessons to learn from last week and they’ll be looking to apply this learning as they take on the Students this week.
Sydney Uni gave their percentage a massive boost when they were 158 points too good for Pennant Hills at the Campus last week. Molly Gibbs landed six goals and Lucy Gilfedder four; while Amanda Farrugia and Frances Walsh were unstoppable around the ground. This week they hit the road full of confidence, and although the Dragons will be a tougher opponent than the Demons were last week, the Students have the talent at their disposal to get the job done and should do it comfortably.
It’s the second meeting between these clubs in 2026. They played at Mahoney Park in the opening round, and it was no contest as the Students recorded a 94-point win and held the Dragons scoreless. On a bigger ground in muddy conditions, this should be closer. How much closer depends on how much the Dragons have improved as the season has progressed. It may not be enough to win, but a competitive performance by the Dragons will give them some reassurance that they can turn their fortunes around. There are easier games to come.
Parramatta Goannas v Manly-Warringah Wolves
Gipps Road Oval, Saturday 1:20pm
Goannas – 8th. Played 6, Won 1, Lost 5, 19.83%. Streak – L3
Wolves – 2nd. Played 6, Won 5, Lost 1, 398.04%. Streak – W5
Two teams in contrasting form lock horns at Gipps Road as the Goannas play host to the Wolves. The home team has saluted just once this season before suffering heavy losses in their last three matches; while the Wolves are flying high, having not lost since the opening round and with a percentage of nearly 400. On paper this looks like a mismatch; but footy games aren’t played on paper.
The Goannas were never able to handle North Shore at Gore Hill last week, scoreless until the dying minutes and going down by75 points. Kayla McGinty, Brea Trevitt and Caoimhe Hogan never dropped their heads, but the Goannas didn’t have the firepower to match it with the defending premiers. It’s another tough fixture for the Goannas this week, but with every passing week they need to find something to lift them, a way to rise above the adversity they face.
Manly hasn’t lost since the opening round of the season, and had few concerns getting past St George at Weldon Oval last week. Six unanswered goals in the first term set up an unassailable 38-point lead; and the Wolves went on to complete a 70-point win. Isabelle Rudolph delivered four goals; while Jayme Saggers, Bella Clarke and Hannah Woolf were superb. When they’re in that sort of form, the Wolves are hard to stop; and the Goannas will have their hands full to keep this star-studded lineup in check.
Conditions won’t be easy, and it won’t be easy to control the ball; and getting a big score on the board could be problematic. It’s hard to see any other result than a comfortable Manly win, it would be a dramatic reversal of form for any other result to come. But the Goannas need to fight and contest, deny the Wolves easy possessions and make life as hard as they can for their visitors. A competitive performance against one of this division’s powerhouse teams will lift the mood at Gipps Road considerably.