Leitch Oval hosts wet and wild AFLNW round one matches

AFL North West’s 2022 campaign got underway on Saturday when Narrabri hosted two matches in cold and wet conditions at Leitch Oval.

On a rainy day at the ‘Eagles’ Nest’, as the ground is nicknamed, Moree Suns’ women’s team and the Narrabri Eagles Moree Suns joint venture side in the men’s competition welcomed the Tamworth Kangaroos to town.

The visitors returned home with the four points in both divisions.

The Tamworth club outscored the Moree Suns 5.5 (35) to 3.13 (31) in the women’s game, before NEMS was convincingly beaten 21.12 (138) to 1.4 (10) in the men’s match.

The two women’s sides produced an entertaining game in the slippery conditions as rain started to fall just 15 minutes before the match began.

Moree Suns registered three extra scoring plays in the first quarter but were off target as they went into the break with five behinds to their name compared to the visiting side’s goal and behind, which made the score seven points to five.

Moree restricted the Kangaroos to just two behinds in the second term and kicked a goal and three behinds of their own to go into the main break with a 1.8 (14) to 1.3 (9) lead.

The visitors then outscored the Suns 2.1 (13) to 1.2 (8) in the third quarter as the sides ran out for the final term locked at 22 points each.

Moree kicked a goal and three more behinds in the fourth quarter, but the visitors kicked two goals and a behind to win the match by four points.

Narrabri gun Sophie Donatini was named Moree’s best on ground in that game.

Other women’s matches around the grounds were also won by the visiting teams as Gunnedah Poochettes and Inverell Saints got the job done in the opening round.

Gunnedah outscored New England Nomads 8.9 (57) to 2.7 (19), while the Saints downed Tamworth Swans 5.7 (37) to 4.8 (32).

In the men’s game at Leitch Oval, Tamworth Kangaroos came out firing and dominated from start to finish.

They led 5.5 (35) to 0.3 (3) at quarter time, 9.7 (61) to 0.3 (3) at half-time, and 15.9 (99) to 1.4 (10) after the third quarter.

They kept NEMS scoreless again in the fourth and kicked six more goals and three behinds to win the match 21.12 (138) to 1.4 (10).

The other round one matches were won by the home sides.

New England Nomads outscored the Gunnedah Bulldogs 17.17 (119) to 4.6 (30) in Armidale, and the Tamworth Swans defeated Inverell Saints 14.11 (95) to 11.10 (76) in Tamworth.

In round two action this Saturday, NEMS will travel to Varley Park to take on the Inverell Saints, the Kangaroos will host New England in Tamworth, and the Gunnedah Bulldogs welcome Tamworth Swans to Wolseley Oval.