The kid sat silently in his car within the Bruce Purser car park, staring out through the front window at the oval and watched as the covers were being removed from the pitch area. The rain had certainly come down hard in the last week, but remarkably the ground appeared to be in great condition and he wondered if it would be a dry weather match. After all, he was making his senior debut in the biggest game of the season for the Eagles so far.
He summoned up some courage, left the car and made his way past the visitor’s dressing room where he saw players who he recognised from his days watching the Swans at the SCG when he was just a youngster. He nervously entered the home rooms and immediately noticed the intensity on the faces of his new team mates. They were deep in concentration, preparing mentally for the game just about to confront them. Win it and they would take top spot from today’s opponents, the Balmain Dockers.
He was allocated a spot next to Jack Dimery, a dual Premiership player at East Coast. Jack made him welcome and the just turned 17-year-old suddenly realised that Dimery was only 18 years of age himself. “If he can do it, then so can I,” he thought. The next thing he heard was Glen Garner’s voice telling him that he was starting and would be taking the first centre bounce. After all the kid was 6’4” and still growing.
Tension mounted inside him as he tried to take in everything around him, but it was all a blur. He followed Ben Physick out through the door as he figured Fizza would know where to go, having done it 155 times before. The boys in purple were already out there, the crowd was bigger than he had ever played in front of before and he was ready to play his part in victory.
And so started the AFL Sydney Premier Division career of Leif Stuart. He wasn’t among best on ground, he didn’t kick a goal, but the maturity, determination and composure displayed by this young man on debut was a thrill for all Eagles’ supporters to witness. He was up against hugely experienced Dockers in the ruck and matched them all day. His work around the ground and adaptation to the East Coast game plan all contributed to the best display of footy this season by a team that is now prominently positioned to once again go deep into September.
The Eagles were magnificent from the first bounce. Kicking into a strong wind, they jumped Balmain right from the start and went into the first break four points clear. Garner urged them to keep the application going and the results would flow on the scoreboard. Aided by the wind, the Eagles kicked three rapid majors and the Dockers quickly went into ultra defensive mode, flooding the backline with players. This meant they weren’t going to score for the quarter, but they needed to stop the onslaught. By half-time the Eagles had kicked two more and headed into the rooms 34 points in front.
The second half was more of the same with the Eagles winning every quarter, not easily, because it wasn’t easy out there. They did it with intense pressure which simply didn’t allow the Dockers a look in at any time. The skipper Jon Vlatko was instrumental in leading his team to victory and the “golden fist” Damien Charleston completely shut down Jason Saddington at centre half back. The three pronged forward attack of Jamie Vlatko, Doyle and O’Connor kicked nine between them and Mark Maher chipped in with another two.
Played in front of the Digital Sports cameras you can relive the match again on Foxtel’s Main Event channel 518 this Friday night at 6.30pm.
Please also note that last week’s Foxtel match of the round was meant to be the drawn game between East Coast and Sydney Uni. Unfortunately owing to a Foxtel slip up, it was not shown. However this tied match will now be broadcast on Main Event next Saturday, July 30 prior to (at 6pm) and again immediately after the Geelong v St Kilda match.
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After rain forced all but the Premier Division matches to be postponed, next week sees a return to regular scheduling. Premier Division and Division One head to Waverley Oval for the first ever time to play UTS, while Bruce Purser gets one game when the U/18 Premier Cup plays St Ignatius Riverview. Division Three are at Pioneers Park in Malabar and the Challenge Cup boys are at Mac Uni.
For all scores and details on every game, please visit www.sydneyafl.com.au.
East Coast Eagles: 2.2 7.3 10.4 14.6 (90)
Balmain Dockers: 1.4 1.5 3.7 5.8 (38)
Goal kickers: Jamie Vlatko 4, Steve Doyle 3, Steve O’Connor 2, Mark Maher 2, Ben Physick, Jon Vlatko, Jack Dimery.
Best players: Jon Vlatko, Damien Charleston, Steve O’Connor, Jack Dimery, Kieran McRedmond, Ben Bourke.
Extravaganza
Premier Division
Best: Damien Charleston owned by Mark Goodey Synd. $200
First free: Rowan Bilkey owned by Maree Gawley $50
Next week’s games: Saturday, July 30
Waverley Oval
2.10pm Premier Division v UTS
12pm Division One v UTS
Pioneers Park
2.10pm Division Three v Saints
Bruce Purser Reserve
10am U/18 Premier Cup v St Ignatius Riverview
University Oval
10am U/18 Challenge Cup v Macquarie Uni Kookas
