Ten years ago, the Baulkham Hills Football Club formed their alliance with West Coast and became the East Coast Eagles in the AFL Sydney competition. The relationship has blossomed over those years to become a very beneficial and secure partnership for both organisations. 

On Friday night the East Coast Chairman Gus Seebeck welcomed West Coast CEO Trevor Nisbett and his Perth colleagues to a special celebratory function prior to the round three match against Sydney Uni. Unfortunately, whilst the pre-match event was a success, it was to be the only winner for the Eagles on the night.

Under the immense lights of the new AFL stadium at Blacktown Olympic Park, and in front of the Fox Sports cameras, East Coast floundered against a better drilled team on the night. Although the final margin was only seven points, Uni were clearly the superior outfit as the Eagles struggled to show any sign of their premiership form. Mistakes and turnovers galore littered the stats pages and the Eagles were but a shadow of the side they can be.

On the other hand the Students were on top of their game and delighted their supporters with hard running and energetic football. Damien Charleston was head and shoulders above his Eagle teammates to easily take both awards of Players’ Player and the match committee’s best. Key forwards Jamie Vlatko and Peter Dugmore were well held by a constructive Sydney Uni defensive set up, but each managed three goals apiece under significant pressure.

Round four now beckons and apart from being mindful of the blunders of round three, the Eagles should now only look ahead to next Saturday’s match at Drummoyne against the Balmain Dockers in the first of two eastern derbies for the season.                 

East Coast Eagles 3.3 7.4 9.5 10.8 (68)
Sydney Uni  4.3 5.6 9.15 10.15(75)

Goal kickers: Peter Dugmore 3, Jamie Vlatko 3, Damien Charleston 2, Ben Rogers, Mark Maher
Best players: Damien Charleston, Ben Physick, Rowan Bilkey, Eugene Kruger, Mike Beardsley, Shane Ryan