Match of the Week – University v North Fremantle
20 Jun, 2008
The A Grade round 9 fixture of league leaders North Fremantle v University at UWA Sports Park is the Keystart Home Loans Match of the Week.? All six grades will be played at the venue and proceeds from the day will be donated to Legacy.? Both teams are coming off of strong wins last weekend and will be looking to consolidate at the half way point of the season.?
In a sign of the success of both teams so far this season, this matchup pits the successful State Under 23 Captain (Brad Wedgwood) and Vice Captain (Stephen Woods) against each other.? North Fremantle has lost only one game for the season and is currently on a five match winning streak that has confidence high around the club. University is knocking on the door of the top five, only edged out by percentage and will break in if they can knock of the top team.
North Fremantle is the oldest amateur football club competing in Western Australia and that heritage is a major factor for the impressive numbers that have North Fremantle fielding seven sides each week – five seniors and two colts.? North Fremantle had three representatives in the West Coast Eagles U23 State Amateur Team, Captain Brad Wedgwood, Daniel Starr and Dwayne Lake.
Brad Wedgwood and Corey Phipps are former All-Australian players, former South Fremantle player Roland Hall is captain and former East Fremantle and Claremont player Scott Misich is coach.? The club has a strong pedigree for success and their results this season are testimony to that.
It is clear that North Fremantle’s pride in the jumper comes from its heritage.? The original North Fremantle team was established in 1895 and played in the First Rate competition. From 1901 to 1915 the club was in the Western Australian Football League but so many of its players went to World War I that they had to forfeit their last few games of the 1915 season. Eleven players were killed and more than thirty wounded.? The current players will pay tribute to those lost souls when they visit the memorial sites of the nine World War I players killed on The Western Front as the club’s contribution to the 150th year of Australian football and the 90th anniversary of the end of World War l.
University Football Club is enjoying its best start to an A Grade season for many years and is confident of using that start as a launching pad for a strong second half to the season and a finals spot.? The club was buoyed by a great come from behind win against long time rival Wembley last weekend and confidence is very high.
With the loss of 2007 State Under 23 Captain, Best and Fairest and A Grade Association Best and Fairest Kane Loxley and Club Captain and dual Best and Fairest Mathew O’Hara a big hole was left in the A Grade side. However the recruitment of 2008 State Under 23 representatives Steven Woods and Simon Jones and the form of forward Matthew Selby the club has great hope that they can cover those losses and remain not only competitive but strong as the season goes on.
University Ladies Day will be held this Saturday after the match. The 100 Club will be held on 12th July and Past Players day incorporating the Skinny Maskiell Day v Wembley is scheduled for 16th August.
