Around the Grounds: 3-4 August & 10-11 August

There is exceptional dignity in our human capacity for devoting ourselves to the improbable, the unreasonable, that which is bound to break our own hearts. Despite all of this, our UNSW athletes return week after week to face their opponents in a valiant testament to the #TeamUNSW spirit. 

AFL
Tom Williams has done it all already at such a young age. In the space of 8 years he has transitioned from a talented scrawny Maroubra Saints junior, to full bodied, Bulldogs leader. He has some impressive accomplishments to his name including two premiership appearances, 215 club goals, 54 premier division games and two years as reserve grade coach. Teammates have also been quick to add one atrocious haircut among his impressive feats. And now they can add his150th game as a Bulldog to the list. Congratuations Willo!

The men’s premier division continued their domination. Jesse Aish led the Bulldogs to victory with an outstanding 11-goal tally from the last two games. While the defeat of Newtown in round 16 boosted confidence amongst women’s premier division players before their next tough match against Macquarie Uni, the Bulldogs were outclassed against their experienced opposition last weekend. However the women’s division two team sought to avenge their teammates as they doubled the score of their Macquarie Uni opponents in a standout round 17 performance. 

Full results:
Sat 3 Aug
Men’s Premier Division defeated UTS 1.6 (12) to 26.15 (171)
Women’s Premier Division defeated Newtown 7.11 (53) to 2.5 (17)
Men’s Premier Reserves defeated UTS 9.18 (72) to 6.5 (41)
Women’s Division 2 lost to Newtown 1.7 (13) to 3 .1 (19)
Men’s Division 2 defeated UTS 19.13 (127) to 0.1 (1)
Men’s Division 3 defeated Sydney Uni 14.12 (96) to 7.7 (49)
U19s Division 1 lost to Pennant Hills 3.3 (21) to 20.13 (133)
U19s Division 2 lost to Newtown 1.7 (13) to 3.1 (19)
Sat 10 Aug
Men’s Premier Division defeated Sydney Uni 10.10 70 to 3.9 (27)
Women’s Premier Division lost the Macquarie Uni 0.1 (1) to 8.4 (52)
Men’s Premier Reserves defeated Sydney Uni 13.7 (85) TO 3.6 (24)
Women’s Division 2 defeated Macquarie Uni 5.12 (42) to 3.3 (21)
Men’s Division 2 defeated Sydney Uni 14.8 (92) to 5.0 (30)
Men’s Division 3 defeated Nor-West Jets 11.13 (79) to 1.2 (8)
U19s Division 1 lost to Sydney Uni 2.8 (20) to 11.9 (75)
U19s Division 2 lost to North Shore Bombers 5.5 (35) to 13.15 (93)

HOCKEY 
We have reached August madness in hockey and the enthusiasm expressed by UNSW hockey players makes them very, very hard not to love. Determined to avoid untimely seasonal denouement, teams are fighting for their place in finals. The clean sweep in the men’s premier division will put them in good stead and further motivate the rest of the tightknit UNSW Hockey Club at this critical point of the season.

#TeamUNSW has also thrown their support behind Dylan Martin and Daine Richards after they were selected in the Hockey Australia 2019 Men's National Junior Squad this week. 

Full results:
Sat 3- Sun 4 Aug
Men’s Premier League
UNSW PL1 lost to Sutherland 2-0
UNSW PL2 defeated Sydney Uni 1-6 
UNSW PL3 defeated Sydney Uni 0-1
UNSW PL4 lost to Sydney Uni 2-3
Men’s Sydney League
UNSW SL1 defeated St George/Rand 3-2
UNSW SL3 lost to Bankstown 1-3 
UNSW SL4 lost to Sydney Uni 2-3
Women’s Metropolitan League
UNSW ML1 defeated UTS 4-0
UNSW ML2 lost to UTS 1-0
UNSW ML3 defeated MosHarbour 1
Sydney East Hockey Association Women’s Competition
UNSW 1 defeated Sutherland 1-0
UNSW 2 defeated Sutherland 2-1
UNSW 3 Black lost to Sutherland 3 0-1
UNSW 3 Gold lost to Bentsix 3 5-1

Sat 10-Sun 11 Aug
Men’s Premier League
UNSW PL1 defeated Northern districts 0-11
UNSW PL2 defeated GNS 3-0 
UNSW PL3 defeated Macquarie Uni 3-0
UNSW PL4 defeated GNS 3-1
Men’s Sydney League
UNSW SL1 defeated Macquarie Uni 3-1
UNSW SL3 lost to Briars 0-1 
UNSW SL4 lost to Macquarie Uni 0-3
Women’s Metropolitan League
UNSW ML1 lost to Moorebank 1-3
UNSW ML2 tied with Moorebank 2-2
UNSW ML3 defeated Moorebank 1-0
Sydney East Hockey Association Women’s Competition
UNSW 1 lost to RSL 1 3-4
UNSW 2 defeated Easts 2 4-0 
UNSW 3 Gold defeated UNSW 3 Black 1-0

RUGBY 
After securing their place in the finals series in the last home games of 2019, the UNSW men’s second and third grade rugby teams now sit third on their respective ladders as they prepare for blockbuster minor semi-final games next week. Second grade player Alex Champion De Crespigny will be the athlete to watch after 12 tries to his name in the preliminary rounds. The games in the coming weeks are sure to be geezer-pleasers as it is widely acknowledged amongst the rugby intelligentsia that anything can happen in a final.

In other news, UNSW was proud to host the women’s rugby 7s tournament at David Phillips on Sunday as our girls took on Macquarie Uni, North Cronulla and Barker. It was great to see #TeamUNSW supporters out around the grounds. 

I know it’s time to start appreciating the women’s team simply as athletes, to maybe set aside the airy talk about inspiration and holding players to being cultural standard-bearers in a way we seldom ask, say, the Wallabies. That’s very overdue. 

But women’s rugby is also, quite simply, a great scene. The atmosphere around the grounds was one of absolute sincerity, of excitement so deliciously countercultural in our age of cynicism. Juniors wearing jerseys a few sizes too big over princess dresses ran rampant with rugby balls bigger than their heads, taking on their fellow junior boys with gusto. Crowds were thick with excited chatter. Strong women ran onto the field to the enthusiastic cheers of committed fans. 

As UNSW Sport is in the development stages of our Women in Sport strategy, weekends like these are a positive reminder of the importance of providing equal opportunity in sport.

Full Results 
Sat 3 Aug
Barraclough Cup lost to St Patricks 12-20
Stockdale Cup defeated St Patricks 44-17
Robertson Cup (Colts) lost to St Patricks 19-29
Blunt Cup defeated St Patricks 60-0
Richardson Cup lost to St Patricks 5-38
Sat 10 Aug
Barraclough Cup lost to Hills 14-45
Stockdale Cup defeated Hills 59-21
Robertson Cup (Colts) lost to Hills 12-36
Blunt Cup defeated Hills 15-7
Richardson Cup lost to St Patricks 0-28

NETBALL
In round 11 the Randwick Rugby 1 netball team was always going to be hard to beat. Do you think this would be enough the phase the A1 division UNSW Sies? Not a chance. Though the scoreboard confirmed their defeat, UNSW managed to unnerve their experienced opponents by scoring 27 points in a thrilling game. In a mixed bag of netball results, this game was a Dark Chocolate Orange. Bittersweet.

The triumph came in round 12 last weekend saw the UNSW Sies narrowly defeat Randwick Rugby 2 by one decisive point. The games against the archrival clubs never disappoint and the Sies now sit sandwiched between Randwick Rugby 1 and Randwick Rugby 2 on the division one ladder with two rounds to go before finals.

Full Results:
Sat 3 Aug
A1: UNSW Sies lost to Randwick Rugby 1 27-41
A1: UNSW Blacks defeated Double Bay Diamonds 2 42-34
B3: UNSW Grays tied with Maroubra Bay Cyclones 24-24
C2: UNSW Omurais defeated Ascham 4 48-14
C3: UNSW Mobies defeated Ascham 47-29
C4: UNSW Fins lost Coogee 21-38
C5: UNSW White lost to Marrickville 12 30-32
Inter 3: UNSW Dolphins defeated Kincoppal 2 44-17
Sat 10 Aug
A1: UNSW Sies defeated Randwick Rugby 2 25-24
B3: UNSW Grays lost to Randwick Rugby 9 16-23
C2: UNSW Omurais defeated Mascot 5 27-12
C3: UNSW Mobies defeated Mascot 8 32-29 
C4: UNSW Fins defeated Maroubra 24-23
C5: UNSW White defeated Ascham 7 26-9 

WINDSURFING

World Champion. Mother of four. Squall rider. Superwoman. Call her what you want, UNSW Medicine alumni Melanie Webb is riding the crest of success after finishing 6th overall in the Windsurfing World Championship held in Torbole, northern Italy.

In 1986, Goethe described Torbole as a ‘delicious spectacle’ and it seems this holds true. The event saw phenomenal athletes harnessing the elements as they cut across azure swaths of Lake Garda against the backdrop of the Dolomites. 

Melanie won the freestyle event, a competition like an aerial ballet on water. It's about agility and strength, wind awareness and bracing against the rig from the most challenging positions. The beauty is enough to make fans weep like classical dance aficionados. 

Congratulations Melanie, our UNSW alumni taking the windsurfing world by storm.