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The game was a true test of character, particularly for quarterback Dan Kelen. After throwing only 4 interceptions in over 200 attempts on the year, Kelen's first two passes were picked off to put the Lions under immediate pressure. The Gators took full advantage of the first interception, returning it to the 11 yard line and then firing in a touchdown pass on 1st down to take an early 7-0 lead.

Kelen threw his second pick on the second play of the Lions' second possession, but this time the defence held firm. In one of the game's many big plays, defensive end Fady Aoun tackled the UTS running back behind the line on 4th and 2 at the 29 yard line to force the turnover.

The Lions looked to have something going on their next possession when Kelen hit Brad Ryals on a 37 yard pass down to the 15 yard

The Lions found it hard going on the ground

line. However, a holding penalty put the Lions in a hole and Croasdaile came up one yard short on a 4th and 10 screen pass to leave the ball on the 6 yard line with nothing to show for the drive.

The offence was having trouble getting its normally reliable ground game on track, but the defence, under defensive co-ordinator Ryan Wonser, appeared to have UTS in check going into the second quarter. But on 3rd and 7 at mid-field, the Gator's halfback burst through the line to run away for a 42 yard touchdown - the longest running play allowed on the season and only the 4th rushing touchdown conceded for the year. However, all of that was cold consolation when facing a 14 point deficit.

When Kelen threw his third interception on the first play of the next drive it looked like the Lions were digging themselves into a hole they may never get out of. The UTS quarterback lofted the ball into the endzone for an apparent touchdown on the next play,

Myers on his way to blocking a UTS field goal

attempt to get the ball back before the half

only to see the score wiped off on a holding penalty. The Lions defence took hold of the lifeline and drove the Gators back to the 35 yard line, forcing a punt on 4th down.

Sydney Uni then sought to establish its ground game, running the ball out to halfway, but failed to convert on 3rd and 1 to give UTS another chance to go to a three score lead. The Gators drove down to the 18 yard line, where Lions defensive captain Joe Lim made a key play by spearing through the UTS line on a blitz to tackle the Gator's halfback for a loss. The field goal attempt from the 21 yard line was blocked by Colby Myers, giving the Lions the ball with less than a minute before the half.

Showing that he may have been shaken, but now stirred, Kelen set about getting the Lions back into the contest. On first down, he scrambled for 9 yards, then on second, he hit Brad Ryals for 31 yards to the 10 yard line. On second and goal and in the face of the UTS blitz, Kelen hit Matt Croasdaile out of the backfield on a 9 yard

Croasdaile celebrates Ryals's TD catch on the first play of the second half

touchdown pass with only seconds left in the half. The Lions were on the scoreboard and, if anything, happy to be down by only 14-7 at the break.

If the Lions had started the game cold, then they were red hot for the start of the second half. Tristan Cauhepe returned the opening kick-off into the Gator's half and, on the first play from scrimmage, Ryals burnt his coverage for a 33 yard touchdown reception. The PAT was missed to keep Sydney Uni behind 14-13, but the Lions were on the move.

The Gators looked to have struck back with their own long kick-off return to the Lions' 23 yard line, but on first down, free safety Anthony Sinton picked off a pass over the middle and returned it deep into the Gators' half. A third down completion to James Shine got the Lions to the 3 yard line, where Liam Erby sliced through on the next play for the touchdown. After Matt Croasdaile bulled into the endzone for 2 points, the Lions had scored 3 touchdowns in the last 8 plays from scrimmage to take a 21-14 lead.

Sinton returns his interception 48 yards behind

Louey-Gung to set up the go-ahead score

The Lions defence sent UTS three and out on its next possession, but a long punt saw the varsity pinned on its goal-line. Liam Erby picked a good time to hit his longest punt of the year and the immediate danger was averted.

The teams then traded possessions until the start of the fourth quarter saw the Lions with the ball on their own 17 yard line. Kelen hit Mathew Freeman for a 17 yard gain to get the drive under way and then found James Shine behind the coverage for 22 more yards down to the UTS 26 yard line. A few plays later and it was 2nd and 1 on the 17 yard line. Game MVP Liam Erby had his number called on the lead play and bounced the play outside and into the clear. Showing good speed and strength, he won the race to the corner and muscled the ball over the pylon for his second rushing touchdown. The Lions had now scored 28 unanswered points and had a 28-14 lead with 10:12 to play in the fourth quarter.

Colby Myers looked to have all but settled the

Liam Erby (17) rushed for 2 touchdowns on his

way to the Waratah Bowl MVP award

issue when he intercepted the UTS quarterback on the first play of the next drive. However, the Gators got a lifeline of their own when the turnover was negated on an encroachment call against the Lions' defensive line. UTS put together a good drive down to the goal-line, but on 3rd and goal from the 3 yard line, Myers appeared to have the quarterback wrapped up - only to see him flip an underhand toss to an alert receiver for a touchdown. With 8:20 still left in the game, UTS had brought it back to a seven point margin with plenty of time on the clock.

A UTS player was badly injured on the ensuing kick-off, resulting in a delay before the game could be re-started. This could have been unsettling for the Lions' offence, but they took it in their stride and set about running time off the clock. Six run plays later and the varsity had moved the ball to the Gators' 25 yard line. The offensive line of Dave Thode, Cameron Lawrence, David Allen, James Gifford and Paul Edwards stood up when it counted to keep the

The line gave Kelen time to regroup and find

his rhythm

chains moving and the clock ticking. Kelen then found Croasdaile in the flats, who knocked over his covering defender before being pushed out at the 5 yard line. Kelen completed his personal comeback with a touchdown toss to Brad Ryals in the back corner of the endzone. Kelen would finish with 15 completions from 22 attempts for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns - a remarkable turnaround after his horror start.

With 4:15 left in the game, the Lions did not want to give up a quick score, so the defence forced the Gators to pick away underneath the

Nakashima (98) and Louey-Gung (37) kept the

UTS spread offence to short gains

coverage. UTS worked the sidelines and moved the ball down the field on a 9 play scoring drive to again bring the margin back to just one touchdown.

With 2:15 on the clock and the Gators with only one timeout, the teams prepared for the on-side kick. UTS tried a surprise move, kicking the ball short but in the air. James Gifford knew his rulebook and signalled for a fair catch before safely securing the ball. However, Gifford's quick thinking came to nought when the Lions were ruled to have lined up offside requiring a re-kick. The Gators went back to the traditional kick along the ground, but Captain Leigh Louey-Gung had clean hands under pressure. The game came down to needing a first down on 3rd and 6. This time Croasdaile came up one yard to the good, fighting for 7 yards after being initially stopped at the line of scrimmage. Kelen took a knee and the Lions had won the 2007 Waratah Bowl and their fifth consecutive NSW championship. Mission accomplished.

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY LIONS

2007 Gridiron NSW Champions

2007 Gridiron NSW "Team of the Year"

Dan Kelen - 2007 "Stephen Jones" Gridiron NSW League MVP

Stephen Dunne - 2007 Gridiron NSW "Coach of the Year"

Liam Erby - 2007 Waratah Bowl MVP

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Freeman Leads The Way (15 December 2007)

Freeman on his way to another TD

Third and five against the Mustangs at Berkeley. Freeman wide left. At the snap, he explodes off the line, quickly breaking down the buffer of his covering cornerback. At five yards he turns sharply to the quarterback, hands up to catch the ball. As the corner bites, Freeman bursts upfield. Kelen lays the ball out and Freeman brings it in without breaking stride. But the free safety has the angle in the footrace to the corner. Pride and passion are about to collide at the goal-line. Who wants it? Freeman drops his shoulder and knocks the safety to the ground. Barely losing balance, Freeman tip-toes up the sideline and into the endzone for a 64 yard touchdown - the 42nd in his career. With that classic play, Mathew Freeman broke the Lions' career touchdown record in round 9 earlier this year, taking the mantle of All-Time Career Receiving Leader off another player to proudly wear the number 87 for the Lions - Gordon Ogborne.

It was no surprise to his teammates that Freeman won the contest at the goal line - he has been doing it all his career. A career which started in the Cubs in 2000, with Freeman playing as a hard-running fullback. Freeman was a key part of the successful 2001 Cubs team which went 8-1 and won the NSWGFL Colts championship. Freeman can be seen in action for the Cubs wearing #40 in the "Colts 2000 Cubs v Sutherland Seahawks" clip on the Multimedia page.

Freeman graduated to the Lions in 2001, but had to wait until the seventh round of the season on 28 October 2001 to snare his first touchdown reception on a toss from quarterback Darren Kirby against the Wollongong Mustangs at Homebush. He finished with four touchdowns on the year.

After missing a season while away overseas, Freeman returned in 2003 to play the role of possession receiver in the Lions run and shoot offence, holding a team high 46 catches for 492 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had big games against the Pirates, taking 7 receptions and 3 touchdowns against them in round 2 and then burning them for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns in the play-off game. He was the leading receiver that year on a team which also featured the outstanding talents of Ben Quigley and Petar Lackovic.

Freeman carried that form into 2004, with 35 catches for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Freeman gives credit

Possibly his biggest game that year was against the Outlaws in round 7 when he held 8 passes for 101 yards. But he saved his biggest plays for the play-off against the Raiders, scoring a crucial touchdown on the last play of the first half to tie up the score and then making an even more crucial 40 yard play on a last gasp drive to set up the winning score with 2 seconds remaining.

Freeman then had a break-out year in 2005, with 42 receptions for 688 yards and a Lions record 14 touchdowns. He was now the focus of the passing game and revelling in the attention. He set another Lions record with 4 touchdown receptions in the game against the Mustangs at Berkeley and continued to torment the Raiders, scoring a vital touchdown on 4th down in the 4th quarter of the Lions victory of the undefeateds in the last round of the regular season.

Freeman was again the team's leading receiver in 2006, taking 35 catches for 504 yards and 5 touchdowns. He shows no signs of slowing down either, leading the 2007 Lions in receptions through to his record breaking game in round 9 against the Mustangs.

Above and beyond the numbers on the field, Freeman has been at the heart of the Lions' recent success. His enthusiasm and commitment to training has inspired a generation of Lions to raise their level. This year he was instrumental in establishing pre-season fitness training and organised the Lions first pre-season combine.

It is fitting that a true leader of the Lions finds himself as the Lions All-time Career Receiving Leader.

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Lions Maul Pirates (11 December 2007)

Myers returns his first pick to the 10 yard line ...

Sydney Uni won through to the 2007 Waratah Bowl with a comprehensive 46-8 victory over the West Sydney Pirates on Saturday night.

The Lions victory was built on a foundation of tough defence. The front seven applied relentless pressure to the Pirates backfield, recording 5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss to hold West Sydney to 29 net yards on the ground. This pressure told early, with Pirates quarterback Dave Ward throwing 3 interceptions in his first 6 pass attempts. Colby Myers returned the second of these interceptions 38 yards to the 10 yard line to set up a Dan Kelen to Mac Shine pass for the opening touchdown. Myers would have an outstanding game, making 11 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and a sack, while taking 2 interceptions and breaking up 3 other passes.

Myers's second interception got the ball back for the Lions' second score. After two short runs by Croasdaile brought up 3rd and 6 at mid-field, Kelen went for a short screen pass, only Croasdaile was not satisfied with a short gain. Excellent blocking from linemen Dave Thode and Cameron Lawrence and receivers

.. to set up Kelen to Shine for the opening TD

Mathew Freeman and Brad Ryals sprung Croasdaile into the clear to see him streak away for a 54 yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

The Pirates had to punt the ball away without gaining a first down on their next drive after outside linebacker Keenan Mackett collared Ward for a sack on first down and made the tackle on the screen play on third down. The Lions were a model of efficiency when they got the ball back, going 42 yards on 5 plays for their third touchdown on a short run by Liam Erby. The PAT was missed, but at 20-0, the game was getting away from the Pirates.

The Pirates faced a pivotal play on their next drive. After moving into the Lions half, they found themselves at 4th and 12 on the 28 yard line. Electing to go for it, the play went horribly wrong when the shotgun snap sailed over the head of quarterback Ward, who was then sacked for an 18 yard loss by Mackett after recovering the ball. The Lions made the Pirates pay dearly for the mistake. Kelen

Croasdaile takes a screen 54 yards for 6

hit Brad Ryals for passes of 23 yards and 21 yards, the second for a touchdown, to move the Lions further away at 27-0.

However, the Pirates re-grouped to finally get on the scoreboard in the shadow of half-time. A good kick-off return got them to the Lions' 31 yard line and a roughing the passer penalty brought them to the 17 yard line. From there, Ward connected for a touchdown pass on a lofted throw and, with a successful 2 point play, got the Pirates back to within 19 points. The touchdown was the only blemish by the Lions secondary of Leigh Louey-Gung, Anthony Sinton, Chris Snagg and John Tamanivalu, which held Ward to only 10 completions on 20 attempts and 84 yards.

Any hopes the Pirates had for a second half comeback were dashed on the opening kick-off. Brad Ryals fielded the kick and steamed through the coverage and around the kicker for a 68 yard touchdown return. This was Ryals's second kick-off return for a touchdown this season - a new club record.

Swarming D laid the foundation for the win

There was no let up from the Lions defence in the second half. Linebacker Nick Baldwin tackled the Pirates running back for losses on the first two plays and Myers broke up the third down pass attempt. Kelen then directed the offence on a 53 yard drive for a touchdown to Croasdaile on the ground. Kelen would finish the game with typically efficient numbers of 14 completions on 20 attempts for 205 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Late in the game, the Lions got the ball back when they held the Pirates out on 4th and Goal on the 2 yard line and handed it over to Mac Shine to run the offence. Shine showed his determination when he stripped and recovered the ball from a Pirates player who had picked up a fumbled snap and was heading for the endzone. Shine then hit Tristan Cauhepe, who put on a Houdini escape act to slip his defender and race 63 yards. A few plays later, Shine finished the drive with a rushing touchdown to bring the score to 46-8.

The Lions now meet the UTS Gators in the 2007 Waratah Bowl next Saturday at Homebush, kick-off at 5pm.

Shine closed the win with a TD run

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Lions Undefeated And Into Play-offs (3 December 2007)

Nakashima ready to pounce

Sydney Uni raced past the Sutherland Seahawks 53-12 to finish the regular season undefeated and storm into the play-offs as the top seed.

The Seahawks came into the match needing to upset the Lions to have any hope of making the play-offs. This desperation was evident on the opening kick-off when the Seahawks went for an on-side kick and recovered it after a surprised front row of the Lions return team failed to gather the bouncing ball. The Seahawks took full advantage, quarterback Peter Upham catching the Lions' secondary napping with a 41 yard touchdown strike to danger man Brandon Martell for a 6-0 lead.

The Seahawks tried to go back to the well with another on-side kick on the ensuing kick-off, but this time Andrew Simpson fielded the ball to put the Lions straight onto the attack. The offence worked the ball down to the goal line, where Matt Croasdaile carried it into the endzone in his first action coming back from an injury sustained in the Predators game in round 6.

Croasdaile back into the action

The Seahawks' next drive fell apart on the third play when linebacker Nick Baldwin delivered a trademark blow to jolt the ball free from the Sutherland runningback to be recovered by cornerback Kaoru Nakashima. Dan Kelen hit James Shine for 24 yards and Brad Ryals for 23 yards to bring the Lions into range. Brad Ryals then robbed his covering cornerback of an interception, reaching over him to steal the ball and a touchdown in the corner of the endzone. Lions 14-6.

The Lions secondary had been roused by its earlier wake-up call and was now alive to the dangers of the Seahawks passing attack. When Upham tried to go long for Martell again on the next drive, safety Ray Romain was in position to take his first interception for the Lions. Indeed there were several strong games in the secondary from new faces on the 2007 roster, with freshmen John Tamanivalu and Ashan Wijeyaratne also making important contributions.

Baldwin (44) and Webb (64) apply the pressure

The offence wasted no time with the ball, Kelen hitting Mathew Freeman in stride for a runaway 64 yard touchdown on the first play of the drive for a 20-6 lead still inside the first quarter.

The Seahawks drove to the Lions' 16 yard line on their next possession only to turn the ball over when the Lions secondary forced an incompletion on 4th down. Liam Erby broke a running play to midfield, but it looked like the Lions' drive had stalled on 4th and 10 on 36 yard line. Kelen and Ryals had other ideas, however, combining for a 33 yard completion to set up a short range touchdown run to Erby and a 27-6 lead.

The Seahawks pulled off a fourth down conversion of their own on the next series when Martell out jumped and out ran the Lions secondary for his second long range touchdown of the night. However, it took

"Linemen, watch the ball!"

the Lions barely two plays to respond - Tristan Cauhepe burning the Seahawks for a 54 yard touchdown reception to move the half-time score to 33-12.

The second half saw the Lions in total control. The defence did not allow the Seahawks to gain a single yard in its first three series. Troy Carrick and Joe Lim recovered fumbles and the Seahawks were shutout in the second half.

Liam Erby and Matt Croasdaile both ran in further touchdowns and Dan Kelen hit Mathew Freeman on his 5th touchdown pass of the game to build the score to 53-12 at three-quarter time. Kelen gave way to James Shine at quarterback in the fourth quarter as the Lions cruised to a strong victory, their tenth undefeated regular season and their eighth consecutive play-off appearance.

More two minute magic from Cauhepe

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Kelen Goes To Top Spot (28 November 2007)

Dan Kelen on the look-out for more TDs

Dan Kelen broke the club's longest standing record when he threw for his 68th career touchdown pass against the Sutherland Seahawks earlier this season. Andrew Ogborne had held the career passing touchdown record since the very first game played by the Lions on 6 May 1984. On that day, Ogborne had combined with tight end David York and fullback David Little to throw for the club's first ever touchdown on a flea-flicker trick pass play. Ogborne had extended the record to 67 touchdown passes by the time he retired from playing in 1995. Kelen broke the record when he tossed a 10 yard touchdown pass to Brad Ryals in the third quarter of the round 3 game against the Seahawks on 6 October 2007 - some 23 years and 5 months after Ogborne had first claimed the record.

It is only fitting for Kelen to take over the mantle as the Lions All-Time Career Passing Leader. Kelen began his Sydney Uni playing career as a junior with the Cubs in 1996, with Andrew Ogborne as his first head coach. He blossomed as a quarterback under the coaching of Andrew Griffith and lead the Cubs to the NSWGFL Colts championship in 2001 and 2002. He graduated to the senior ranks in 2002, playing his first game for the Lions in a 22-6 victory over the Sutherland Seahawks at Hammondville on 14 September 2002, in which he threw his first career touchdown pass to Petar Lackovic.

Unfortunately, the 2002 season ended in injury for Kelen. After leading the Lions to a 4-1 start, Kelen was lost for the season to a knee injury suffered while diving for a game-winning touchdown in a titanic 40-36 win over the Bondi Raiders at Berkeley Sports Club. However, Kelen threw 10 touchdowns in his freshman season and showed enough signs to indicate that he would be the perfect fit for Stephen Dunne's potent spread passing offence.

Kelen delivered on that promise in 2003, quarterbacking the Lions to the NSWGFL championship. Kelen proved he was something special in the round 3 match-up that year against the reigning champion UWS Outlaws. In a pivotal drive in Lions history, Kelen was ice cool under pressure to lead the team 97 yards to score on a pass to Petar Lackovic with 4 second left to snatch a 13-12 victory. All of those 97 yards were made on passes from Kelen, who went 6 for 8 on the drive and hit Lackovic with the winning pass while on the roll out of the pocket under pressure. Kelen set season records for completions (172), passing yards (2074), passing yards per game (188.5) and passing touchdowns (27) in 2003 and equalled the record for touchdowns thrown in a game with 5 passing TDs against the West Sydney Pirates in round 2.

Kelen gets the thumbs up

Kelen did not put those numbers to waste in the 2003 Waratah Bowl, guiding the Lions to the championship with a faultless display, completing 17 of 32 passes for 140 yards, with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.

If anything, Kelen played even better in 2004, finishing with a higher quarterback rating (139.1), completion percentage (57.5%) and yards per attempt (7.6) for the season than in 2003. As the starting quarterback, he lead the Lions undefeated through the first 8 games until hurting his shoulder against the Pirates and sitting out the last three regular season games. While he started the play-off game against the Bondi Raiders, a couple of early interceptions suggested he was not quite right and Kiernan Dorney came off the bench to finish the game and be given the start in the 2004 Waratah Bowl

Kelen thrives as a mobile quarterback

under Coach Dunne's spread offence

Kelen played behind Dorney in the 2005 season, still managing to throw for 5 touchdowns on the year. It is a tribute to Kelen's character that DK and KD were the closest players on the squad and that there was never even the suggestion that anything other than the interests of the team came first for Kelen.

After taking a year off football, Kelen has come back with avengence and is on target in 2007 to smash every season passing record in the book. In the eight games to date, Kelen has thrown for 1,598 yards and 24 touchdowns at a completion percentage of 65.3% and with the phenomenal quarterback rating of 191.1.

It may well be another 23 years before anyone catches Kelen's record.

Team Kelen

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Lions Over Mustangs (24 November 2007)

Sydney Uni defeated Wollongong 41-16 in their round 9 match at Berkeley Sports Club on Saturday evening. The game was a match-up of the teams standing on the top and bottom of the Gridiron NSW ladder, but proved to be a hard-fought encounter.

The Lions started fast, cornerback Chris Snagg picking off a third down pass attempt at mid-field on the opening drive. Snagg would have an outstanding game, equalling the Lions game record by taking three interceptions and, but for a running into the passer call negating another pick, would have set a new Lions record with four. The offence wasted no time either, Liam Erby setting off on the longest run from scrimmage this year to score on a 43 yard carry.

The Mustangs bounced back to take the lead on the next drive. Three consecutive plays of 15 yards got them close and a 22 yard pass to the endzone got them six points. An end-around play on the conversion got them 2 more and an 8-7 lead.

The Lions returned serve with a 55 yard scoring drive, Mac Shine grabbing a 4 yard pass and a 14-8 lead. The key play on the drive was a 16 yard run by Liam Erby on 4th and 9 on the 25 yard line to maintain the drive. Erby would finish the game with 143 rushing yards on 13 carries at the healthy average of 11 yards per carry.

The Lions then broke serve on the next series. After dodging a bullet when a kick-off return for a touchdown was wiped off for a block in the back, the defence forced a punt in the first series of downs and Colby Myers blocked the punt to hand back the ball to the offence on the 5 yard line. Quarterback Dan Kelen tossed a pass to Mathew Freeman for the touchdown to take the score out to 21-8. Freeman was in on the scoring action again on the next drive. On third and five, Kelen hit Freeman and Freeman hit the afterburners to go 64 yards for a memorable touchdown. The touchdown was classic Freeman: a neat hook and go move to fool the defender, speed after the catch to outrun the pursuit and brute force to bump off the free safety who tried to put him into touch at the goalline. It was all the more memorable for being the 42nd touchdown caught by Mathew Freeman in his career, taking him past the Lions career record previously held by Gordon Ogborne since 1988.

At 28-8, the Mustangs could have decided to just go through the motions, but they kept on fighting. On their next drive, a Mustangs receiver beat the defence at the line of scrimmage on a screen play and set off on a 41 yard run down to the Lions' goal-line. Only great pursuit and a difficult open field tackle from the cornerback from the opposite side of the field, James Drury, prevented a touchdown. The Mustangs had 6 plays inside the Lions' 10 yard line but came away with nothing when linebacker Joe Lim stepped in front of a pass and returned it out to the 31 yard line. The Lions defence was put under more pressure after the ball was coughed up on a fumble a few plays later, but forced the Mustangs' quarterback to throw seven straight incompletions to preserve the 28-8 lead at the half.

The Lions started the second half with purpose, driving down to the 7 yard line on their opening drive, only to fumble possession away in sight of the endzone. Snagg got the ball back with the second of his interceptions at mid-field and the Lions drove down close but again came up short - this time Kelen throwing an interception from the 10 yard line. Snagg seemed to have ended the ensuing Mustangs drive with a third interception only for the officials to call a "running into the passer" penalty and bring the play back. The Mustangs made the Lions pay, taking advantage of some further penalty calls to get close and then toss a 10 yard touchdown pass. A successful 2 point conversion brought the score back to 28-16.

The Lions were back in business on their next drive. Passes of 16 yards and 23 yards - the second for the touchdown - to receiver Tristan Cauhepe highlighted a balanced drive. Erby added the extra point for a 35-16 lead. Snagg then took his third (fourth!) interception for the game on the next drive and returned it to the 16 yard line. Mac Shine, filling in at running back for the game, punched the ball into the endzone from close range to round off the scoring at 41-16.

Colby Myers lead the tackle count on defence with 13 and a blocked punt, while Chris Snagg finished with 3 interceptions and 2 passes broken up. Mathew Freeman caught 95 yards receiving on 4 catches and Liam Erby lead the team in rushing with 143 yards. Dan Kelen threw 4 touchdown passes and only his red zone interception marred another excellent game. Generally, the game was full of strong, but slightly flawed, performances. The offensive line lead the way for a strong ground game but allowed 2 sacks. The running backs averaged 8.6 yards per rush but lost 2 fumbles. The secondary allowed the Mustangs' quarterback to complete only 22% of his passes but allowed two passing TDs. Full game statistics have been posted to the Statistics link on the Lions page.

With the end of the regular season now in sight, the Lions will look to remove any blemishes from their game for the run into the play-offs. The Lions finish the regular season with their Homecoming Game against the Sutherland Seahawks at St George Hockey Field, Mutch Ave, Kyeemagh, next Saturday, 1 December, at 7pm. Old Boys, family and friends are invited to join the team at the Gladstone Hotel, 115 Regent Street, Chippendale, after the game to celebrate the season.

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Lions Sweep Pirates (17 November 2007)

Colby Myers takes a pick ...

Sydney Uni completed a series sweep against West Sydney for 2007 by defeating the Pirates 36-12 in their round 8 match at Berkeley Sports Club on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions had dominated an under-prepared Pirates squad in their round 1 game, but the re-match was alway going to be a tighter affair. For one thing, the Lions were coming off an enforced two week lay-off after the Raiders forfeit and a wash-out. Further, the Pirates were in the middle of a tight race for a play-off spot, with every result crucial to their hopes of advancing. With absences in both squads due to the match being re-scheduled, it all pointed to a closer encounter. And so it proved to be.

The Lions started like it was business as usual. Good coverage on the opening kick-off had the Pirates starting from deep in their own half. Cornerback Chris Snagg then picked off a Dave Ward pass at the 32 yard line and the Lions took over. After a three play drive, the ball was punched into the endzone by freshman

... and returns it with interest

running back Jeremy Paske from short range. Liam Erby added the extra point for an early 7-0 lead.

But the Pirates showed they meant to fight on their next possession, going the length of the field on a seventeen play drive, involving a number of third down completions, to score on a short pass to the endzone. The Lions regathered to block the extra point attempt and keep the lead 7-6.

The Lions were having to rotate a number of players through their offensive backfield - Chris Snagg, Joe Lim, Mac Shine, Jeremy Paske and Liam Erby all getting time at running back - and the offence was lacking its usual consistency. Finally, with less than two minutes on the clock in the first half, the offence found its rhythm. Having only one timeout left, quarterback Dan Kelen and his receivers worked the sideline and marched the ball downfield. With barely 4 seconds remaining, Kelen hit Brad Ryals on a short

Jeremy Paske breaks away

slant pattern for a touchdown, a 13-6 lead and the momentum going into the break.

The Lions used that momentum to forge ahead in the second half. The offensive line of Andrew Matthews, Cameron Lawrence, Dave Allen, James Gifford and Paul Edwards began to assert itself and the backfield pairing of Chris Snagg and Joe Lim proved effective on the ground - Lim bustling for gains of 11 and 13 yards on the opening drive. After working the ball close, Kelen ran a bootleg and, seeing his receivers covered, tucked the ball and dived into the endzone for a score. A successful PAT raised the score to 20-6.

The Pirates were not done, however, and answered with a 28 yard scoring pass to bring the score back to 20-12. But from that point on, the Lions defence took control with increasing pressure on the Pirates' quarterback and effective coverage from the secondary.

Brad Ryals brings down another grab ..

The remainder of the half featured a number of plays for the highlight reel.

Safety Anthony Sinton laid down a devastating block on a Colby Myers interception, springing Myers for a 17 yard return. The Lions put the ball in the endzone following the turnover, only for the pass to be called back. The drive ended with Erby kicking a 26 yard field goal for a 23-12 lead.

The Lions next possession lasted only one play, but went 75 yards - Kelen hitting Ryals on a fly pattern and Ryals leaving the Pirates' secondary floundering in his wake.

Finally, special teams pulled out a touchdown, safety Leigh Louey-Gung whipping his man and blocking a Pirates' punt for Colby Myers to scoop up the ball and run it 20 yards into the endzone. With the score at 36-12, this was the final nail for the Pirates, who pulled their starting quarterback and ran out the clock.

The Lions return to Berkeley next week to meet the home town Mustangs.

.. and follows his blockers

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Coach Dunne Now The Winningest (3 November 2007)

Stephen Dunne became the winningest head coach in Lions history following the victory over the Bondi Raiders on Saturday evening. The forfeit result took Coach Dunne to 81 career wins and past the previous record held by Gridiron NSW Hall of Fame coach Andrew Ogborne.

Like Andrew Ogborne, Stephen Dunne began his playing days as a quarterback, only with the Sutherland Seahawks not the Lions. There was even some overlap of their playing careers. Club legend has it that when Andrew Ogborne threw a last play touchdown pass to his brother, Gordon, to beat the Seahawks at the MacArthur Flag Tournament in 1995, it was Stephen Dunne who was in coverage. Their paths would cross again in 1996, Ogborne's last season as head coach, when Stephen Dunne quarterbacked the Seahawks to a 13-13 draw against the Lions, the first time the Seahawks had avoided defeat against the Lions in 9 games over 10 seasons. Dunne would go one better the next year, leading the Seahawks to their first ever victory over the Lions 28-22 and on to the 1997 NSWGFL championship.

In 1998, after coaching changes at Sutherland, Dunne was convinced to transfer to the Lions by head coach Roger Rooney. Dunne lead the Lions to an undefeated regular season and threw 15 touchdowns on the year, the highlight being a 34-9 thrashing of the West Sydney Pirates in the first round of the play-offs. However, the Lions' season ended with a heart-wrenching 6-0 loss to the Bondi Raiders in the Semi-Final. It was a tough loss to take and would be Dunne's last game as a player for the Lions. But the loss taught Dunne a valuable lesson about the preparation required for play-off football, a lesson he would apply when he became a coach.

Dunne moved to UTS the next year and suffered through a difficult season behind a weak offensive line. Veteran linebacker Craig Morgan likes to claim he intercepted 3 Dunne passes in the Lions' 25-20 victory over the UTS Eagles in 1999, which was more passes than he caught from Dunne the year before when Morgan had played some tight end. But 1999 was a trying year for the Lions and, by season's end, the club was looking for a new head coach. Club President Andrew Griffith and Captain Craig Morgan were instrumental in approaching Stephen Dunne, who jumped at the chance to coach the club he had never wanted to leave.

Coach Dunne makes his point

Congratulations after the 2004 Waratah Bowl

In a curious twist, Dunne's first game as head coach of the Lions was also a forfeit, this time a forfeit loss to the Wollongong Mustangs in dubious circumstances during the Olympics. He lost his first real game too, to the Northern Redbacks 13-7, before setting the Lions on an 8 game win streak and into the 2000 Championship Game. There the Lions went down 12-6 to his former team, the Seahawks, but the standard had been set for a new era of excellence.

The first three years of Dunne's tenure saw the Lions win their way into the Championship Game, only to fall at the final hurdle. The breakthrough came in 2003. A length of the field, last minute drive to defeat the reigning champion Outlaws early in the regular season gave the team confidence and the Lions went 12-1-0, then ran away with the 2003 Waratah Bowl, scoring a 38-21 victory over the Outlaws. Coach Dunne now had the Lions on a Gridiron NSW record 33 game winning streak, which included the 2004 Waratah Bowl victory over the West Sydney Pirates 32-7 and the 2005 Waratah Bowl win over the Bondi Raiders 23-0. Although the streak ended in 2006, Dunne kept the Lions on track, coaching them to the 2006 Waratah Bowl and a 34-26 win over UTS. The Lions are undefeated in 2007, with Coach Dunne's career record standing at 81-12 (0.871) after Saturday's victory over the Raiders.

Always the team man, Stephen Dunne is the first to acknowledge the defensive

coaches who have taken care of the other side of the ball during his time as head coach - Ese Enari (2000-3), Andrew Ogborne (2004-6), Craig Morgan (2005-6) and Ryan Wonser (2007) - and the help he has received from his offensive assistant coaches, particularly Petar Lackovic and Tim Snape.

The Lions teams coached by Stephen Dunne have all featured his sophisticated passing offence. More recently, a powerful running game has been added to the mix, resulting in a balanced attack that is proving hard to defend. His teams have been disciplined, dedicated and enthusiastic, playing the game with intensity but always in a fine spirit. Sydney Uni American Football congratulates Stephen Dunne on his achievement and looks forward to many more Lions victories under his stewardship.

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How the mighty have fallen (3 November 2007)

The once proud Bondi Raiders suffered the ignominy of forfeiting their round 7 game to the Lions on Saturday evening. Not even the half hour later kick-off time was enough to coax the required number of Raider players to the field. This was the first ever forfeit result between the teams in their 24 years of competition. The result leaves the Raiders with the equal worst record in the Gridiron NSW competition (1-6) and barely a mathematical hope of reaching the play-offs. Less than two years ago, the Lions and the Raiders played off for the Gridiron NSW championship in the 2005 Waratah Bowl. Now the Raiders are not even able to muster a team to take the field. Past Raiders players must wonder where it all went wrong. Other results from Round 7 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

Old foes to meet (30 October 2007)

The Sydney University Lions meet their traditional rivals, the Bondi Raiders, in their round 7 game at Pennant Hills Park Hockey Field at 7.30 this Saturday night. As the only remaining foundation clubs, the Lions and the Raiders have the longest rivalry of any of the clubs in the Gridiron NSW competition, dating back to the very first competition game played by both clubs on 6 May 1984. On that day, the Sydney University Stormtroopers were victorious over the Waverly Raiders 18-0, with current Lions assistant coach Andrew Ogborne at quarterback for the Stormtroopers.

The teams met in the 1985 NSWGFL Grandfinal - a 15-9 win to the Lions - but the rivalry was probably at its fiercest between 1989 to 1992, when the teams played off in 4 consecutive Grandfinals for the NSWGFL championship. The Raiders won the first three of those championship games by a combined total of 6 points, with the Lions staging an upset to win the 1992 Grandfinal 14-6. The 1992 Grandfinal is featured in an article entitled "Revenge is Sweet" on the Highlights link of the History page on the Lions page. With the Lions victory over the Raiders in the 2005 Waratah Bowl, the head-to-head championship game record between the teams stands all square at 3 wins each.

The Lions have gained the upper hand recently and now lead the overall series 26 wins to 12 losses (0.684). Indeed, the Lions are currently on their longest ever winning streak against the Raiders, having won their last 13 encounters since a regular season loss in 1999. Full details of the results between the clubs can be found on the "Lions record by Opponent" link of the History page on the Lions page.

Whatever the current standings, you can be sure the Lions and the Raiders will be ready to play this week-end to secure their place in the history of the rivalry game.

Paul Nicholson scores behind a Gavin Hylsop

block to secure the 1985 Grandfinal victory

over the Raiders

Sydney Uni Keeps On Rolling (27 October 2007)

The Lions rolled over the Predators 44-12 in their Round 6 match-up at Pennant Hills Park Hockey Field on Saturday night.

The Lions needed to go to their bench early, with injuries to both starting running backs Matt Croasdaile and Liam Erby in the first quarter. Freshman Jeremy Paske got the call at Fullback and got the job done, rushing for 73 yards and a touchdown on the night.

The Lions started the game with purpose, stopping the Predators without giving up a first down and then driving down to the 5 yard line on their first possession. However, Kelen missed a 4th down pass attempt to hand the ball over on downs. He got the ball back shortly afterwards, after strong work from the defence had sent the Predators three and out, and this time made amends, hitting Brad Ryals for a 29 yard touchdown pass.

On their next possession, the Predators showed why they had climbed to third on the ladder, driving the length of the field and scoring on an outside run. A missed PAT kept the Lions ahead 7-6. Brad Ryals set about improving that scoreline on the ensuing kick-off, using some nice blocking to take the return 66 yards for a touchdown and a 13-6 lead.

The Lions defence stiffened on the next drive, linemen Chady Aoun and Troy Carrick and linebacker Joe Lim combining to force the Predators to punt without gaining a yard. Lim was everywhere on defence, setting a Lions game record with 22 tackles. Jeremy Paske then burst for 32 yards on his first carry for the game and, next play, Kelen found that man again - Brad Ryals - for a 25 yard touchdown pass. The PAT was missed but the Lions were now out by 19-6.

Falling behind, the Predators needed to put the ball in the air some more, but the Lions secondary was waiting. Cornerback Sean Miller broke up two passes on the next drive, the second on a crucial 4th down play from the Lions' 19 yard line to force a turnover on downs. With little time left in the half, the Lions failed to pick up a first down and were forced to punt. Strong running and a late hit penalty, saw the Predators down to the Lions' 12 yard line and looking for a score to end the half. However, defensive end Ken

Tristan Cauhepe starts his epic run ..

.. and finishes it 64 yards later

Autterson made a key tackle for loss on 3rd down and the field goal attempt was muffed, giving the ball back to the Lions for one last play in the half. And what a play it was. Kelen hit receiver Tristan Cauhepe, who went from one sideline to the other and all the way for a scintillating 64 yard touchdown as time expired. Lions 26 - Predators 6 at the half.

The Lions opened the second half with a strong drive and Kelen put the game away with a 26 yard touchdown toss to Jens Frister. On the next drive, the Predators went for it on 4th and 1, but handed the ball over when safety Leigh Louey-Gung claimed the ball-carrier for a loss. Kelen tossed his 5th touchdown pass - equalling the club record - to Brad Ryals from 36 yards two plays later to take the score out to 38-6.

The teams traded drives until Kelen threw only his second interception of the season and

saw it run back for a touchdown. The Lions regathered and drove down for their final score on a 7 yard run to Paske. The Lions had driven down to the Predators' 10 yard line when time ran out to finish the game at 44-12.

Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results from Round 6 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

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Lions Shoot Down Outlaws (20 October 2007)

Quarterback Dan Kelen and his Sydney Uni posse shot down the Penrith City Outlaws 46-21 in their 5th round showdown at UWS Nepean Hockey Field on Saturday night.

For the third game in a row, the Lions went behind early. A well executed play-action bootleg pass got the Outlaws to the 9 yard line and halfback Stuart Etchel rammed the ball into the endzone on 4th and Goal from the 1 yard line. However, the Lions roared straight back, Liam Erby slicing in from 1 yard out after he and backfield partner Matt Croasdaile had carried the ball 42 yards on the ground on the Lions first drive. After an athletic one-handed interception from Leigh Louey-Gung, the Lions took the ball all the way again, receiver James Shine getting behind the coverage for a 28 yard touchdown reception. Brad Ryals caught the corner pattern for 2 points and a 14-7 lead. On the ensuing kick-off, freshman cornerback Nick Millar both stripped the ball and recovered the fumble and the Lions were in again on a 13 yard pass from Kelen to Matt Freeman to make it 20-7.

The Lions defence was stout against the run, but a roughing the passer penalty unnecessarily prolonged an Outlaws drive. Although the Outlaws needed 4 downs from close range, Etchel bulled into the endzone to bring the score back to 20-13. The Lions response was all Brad Ryals. Ryals took the opening kick-off return 36 yards to the Outlaws 29 yard line and then beat his defender to the ball and a 29 yard touchdown pass

Matt Croasdaile takes it in for 6 points

on the first play of the drive. The Lions defence forced the Outlaws three and out and then Leigh Louey-Gung partially blocked the punt to hand the ball back to the offence one last time inside the last two minutes. Kelen worked the clock, the key play being a 30 yard pass to Erby down to the 14 yard line. With 16 seconds left in the half, Kelen found Freeman in the endzone for the TD and a 33-13 half-time lead.

The Lions received the second half kick-off and methodically drove the field for a touchdown, Erby slicing in from 5 yards and a 39-13 lead after strong running from Croasdaile. Chady Aoun recovered a fumble on the next Outlaws possession, but the Lions were forced to punt for the first time in the match after Kelen was sacked on third down. The Outlaws thought they had struck back after completing a 59 yard pass down to the 9 yard line, but Ken Autterson recovered a fumble on the very next play to snuff out the drive. After exchanging possessions, the Lions offence regained its rhythm. Freshmen receivers Mark Samarasinghe and Raj Kumar and freshman running back Jeremy Paske all contributed big plays on the drive, but it was Matt Croasdaile who finished it off with a 7 yard run to the endzone.

Matt Freeman kicked the PAT for a 46-13 scoreline. The officials had been running a fast clock for the second half, but there was still time for the Outlaws to find the endzone with a pass on the last play of the game to bring the final score back to 46-21 with the 2 point conversion.

Click on the game score at the bottom of the Home page for the full game report soon. Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results from Round 5 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

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Lions Stand Alone (13 October 2007)

Sydney Uni is now the only undefeated team in the NSW Gridiron competition after beating the UTS Gators 33-7 in its Round 4 clash on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions fell behind early, after fumbling the opening kick-off and gifting the ball to the Gators on the 18 yard line. The Gators cashed in with a touchdown pass and a lightning 7-0 lead, but the Lions slowly gained control of the game. An interception by Chris Snagg lead to the Lions first score, a 5 yard toss to the corner from Kelen to Brad Ryals, and a Nick Baldwin fumble recovery gave field position for the second, a 1 yard plunge by Liam Erby.

The Lions lead 13-7 at half time and never looked back. The defence took away the Gators' deep passing game - with interceptions to Chris Snagg and Brad Ryals - and the offence kicked into gear, posting 3 second half touchdowns - all on the ground to running back Matt Croasdaile.

Click on the game score at the bottom of the Home page for the full game report. Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results from Round 4 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

Brad Ryals in coverage

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Lions shake off Seahawks (6 October 2007)

Sydney Uni scored 4 unanswered touchdowns in the final quarter to shake off the Seahawks and record a 61-26 victory. The Lions had to withstand a 4 touchdown effort from Seahawks and Australian Outback receiver Brandon Martell, who returned a kick-off all the way and also turned a screen play into a 64 yard runaway touchdown. However, the Lions had a star receiver of their own, with Mathew Freeman holding 9 receptions for 154 yards, including a 50 yard touchdown reception. Freeman's 154 receiving yards is the 5th highest ever total by a Lion in a game. Leigh Louey-Gung was the stand-out defensively, making 8 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and causing a fumble from his safety position. By throwing 3 touchdowns in the match, Lions quarterback Dan Kelen became the Lions Career Passing leader, surpassing Andrew Ogborne's previous mark of 67 career touchdowns. Click on the game score at the bottom of the Home page for the game report soon. Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results to hand from Round 3 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

Allen To Play 150th Against Seahawks (3 October 2007)

David Allen will become only the second player to play 150 senior games for the Lions when he pads up against the Sutherland Seahawks this Saturday night.

David Allen joined the Lions in 1992, starting his career as an outside linebacker. His first game was a tight 20-18 victory over the Fairfield Argonauts at Brennan Park, Smithfield, in the opening game of the 1992 season, in which he recorded 1 solo tackle as a second team outside linebacker. He worked his way into the starting line-up that year and highlighted the season with an interception return for a touchdown in the 1992 Homecoming Game against the Newcastle Cobras on No 1 Oval at Sydney University. Allen somehow contrived to miss just one game in his freshman year - the epic 1992 Grandfinal victory over the Bondi Raiders.

By 1993, Allen was a defensive leader and calling the plays in the huddle. He sat out 1995 - another championship season - and so had to play on until 2003 to first taste championship success. He enjoyed it so much, he stayed on and is working on the "Drive for Five" this year.

Allen topped the seasonal tackle count in 1996 from outside linebacker, making him one of only two outside linebackers ever to achieve that feat (the other being Greg Wernecke in 2005). As his career progressed, Allen moved to the line, first to the defensive line and then to the offensive line, where he has excelled as a tough-as-teak blocker with a full understanding of his assignments. He has been a regular selection on the NSW Wolfpack offensive line.

While he is not the only Lions defensive lineman to have taken an interception, he is the only D lineman to have returned an interception for a touchdown, picking off an attempted screen pass against UTS in

David Allen and family

2004 and bowling over the quarterback on the way into the endzone. Allen also heads up the team's psychological warfare unit, spending every working hour crafting misspelt posts on the Bear to fire up his team mates and plant seeds of doubt in our opponents. Allen was voted into the 20 Year Anniversary Team at offensive guard.

Allen is snapping at the heels of the Lions' Games Played record holder, Craig Morgan, and, if he plays in every game, Allen will equal the record mark of 156 games in the round 9 game against Wollongong on 24 November 2007.

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Website update #26 (3 October 2007)

A Lions All-time Roster has been added to the website. Go to the Lions page, then click on the "History" link and then click on the "Lions All-time Roster" link.

Website update #25 (30 September 2007)

Profiles of the 2007 Lions captains have been added to the website. Click on the logo in the Player Profile section at the bottom left hand corner of the Home page or go to the Lions page and click on the "Captains" link.

Erby Rushes Past Mustangs (22 September 2007)

Liam Erby equalled a club record in rushing for five touchdowns as Sydney Uni defeated the Wollongong Mustangs 68-12 in its second round match. Erby ran for touchdowns of 15 yards, 3 yards, 30 yards, 29 yards and 13 yards for a total of 117 yards on only 11 carries. His performance equalled the record set by Nick Law twenty year ago in the opening game of the 1987 season against the Fairfield Argonauts. Law was unstoppable that day, carrying the ball just 6 times for 5 rushing touchdowns of 17 yards, 15 yards, 50 yards, 11 yards and 15 yards and caught a 12 yard pass for a touchdown for good measure. The feat was also achieved twice by Salim Gundoganli, first against the Sutherland Seahawks in 1990 and then against UWS MacArthur in 1996 on a day he ran for 210 yards on 14 carries. By kicking 6 PATs against the Mustangs, Erby also equalled the club record for points scored in a game with 36 points. Click on the game score at the bottom of the Home page for the game report. Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results from Round 2 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

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Mustangs come to Town (19 September 2007)

Sydney Uni faces the Wollongong Mustangs in its second round clash this Saturday at 4pm at Briars Hockey Fields, Concord. The Lions managed to defend a 2 point conversion attempt in the dying stages of last year's match to preserve a 41-39 victory over the Mustangs in Wollongong. The win kept alive the Lions' streak of never having been defeated by the Mustangs on the field - the club's only loss against the Mustangs being a controversial forfeit loss during the 2000 season. Sydney Uni will be aiming to keep that streak intact and build on its strong opening round performance.

Lions sink Pirates in Opener (15 September 2007)

Sydney Uni kicked off the 2007 Gridiron NSW season in style with a strong 54-12 win over the West Sydney Pirates at Craik Park. Click on the game score at the bottom of the Home page for the game report. Game statistics have been posted to the "Statistics" link on the Lions page. Other results from Round 1 have been posted to the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" link on the Lions page.

Lions face Pirates in Opener (12 September 2007)

Joe Lim puts the pressure on Dave Ward

Sydney Uni kicks-off the 2007 Gridiron NSW season this Saturday night with a match-up against the West Sydney Pirates at Craik Park, Austral, at 7pm. The Pirates have made the play-offs for the last seven years and, with Australian quarterback, David Ward, calling the signals again this year, they are sure to be a contender in 2007. Both teams will be keen to get their seasons off to a winning start, but the game is doubly important as the teams have been grouped on the same side of the draw and will meet again on 10 November. The Lions lead the overall head-to-head series with 26 wins, 6 losses and 1 tie, but split their two games against the Pirates last year. The Pirates took out the first encounter in round 3 at St George's Hockey Field 27-20 and, in the process, snapped an eight game losing streak against the Lions and broke the Lions' Gridiron NSW record run of 33 straight victories. The Lions bounced back to even the ledger with a 21-18 victory in round 7 at UWS Nepean Hockey Field and went on to claim the 2006 Gridiron NSW championship. The Lions will be looking to kick start their "Drive for Five" in 2007 with a strong performance against the Pirates this week-end.

2007 Lions Captains Named (31 August 2007)

Joe Lim, James Shine, Leigh Louey-Gung, David Thode, Mathew Freeman and Anthony Sinton were named as 2007 Lions captains at the Annual Dinner held at the Grandstand Sports Bar, Sydney University, on Friday, 31 August 2007. Head Coach Stephen Dunne and Defensive Coach Ryan Wonser named the captains following a vote taken by the team during the pre-season. In making the announcement, Stephen Dunne noted that it was the youngest leadership group in his time as Head Coach of the Lions and that all of the captains had graduated through the ranks of the Cubs team. Between them, the 2007 Lions captains have won 25 Gridiron NSW championships. Sydney Uni American Football congratulates the players on receiving the honour and wishes them good luck in leading the team for the 2007 season.

Thode, Shine, Freeman, Lim & Sinton

Click for profiles of the Lions 2007 captains

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David Thode Wins Randal Mann Award (31 August 2007)

The Randal Mann Award for the 2007 pre-season was presented to David Thode at the Annual Dinner held at the Grandstand Sports Bar, Sydney University, on Friday, 31 August 2007. The Randal Mann Award is presented to the player who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the team by his attendance, effort and attitude at pre-season training and, particularly, by taking the initiative to seek out ways to assist and inspire his fellow players. The award is named in honour of Randal Mann, who played for the Lions in 1992-3 and touched all who knew him with his enthusiasm and team spirit. In selecting David Thode, the coaches acknowledged that it had been very difficult to separate a number of senior players who had put in exceptional efforts during the pre-season. On accepting the award, Thode thanked Mathew Freeman for his role in helping him to recover so strongly from his injury during the off-season.

David Thode with previous award winners Greg Wernecke, Joe Lim and Chris Snagg

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Final 2007 Season Draw (9 August 2007)

The final 2007 Gridiron NSW season draw has been posted to the "Lions Season Draw" page and the "Gridiron NSW Table & Results" page on the "Lions" page.

Annual Dinner & 1987/1997 Old Boys Reunion

The Sydney Uni American Football Annual Dinner & 1987/1997 Old Boys Reunion will be held at the Grandstand Sports Bar from 7pm on Friday, 31 August 2007. All Lions players are expected to attend for the presentation of game jerseys to freshmen and the Randal Mann Award for pre-season training. Partners, family and friends are welcome. The Club is also keen for all players on the 1987 and 1997 squads to join the evening to celebrate their 20 and 10 year reunions. The guest speaker for the evening will be the Club President in 1997, Andrew Griffith, who will be travelling from Florida to join the festivities.

Lions Registration Night - 25 July 2007

All Lions players must join Sydney Uni Sport and pay their Club membership fees at the Registration Night being held at the Arena Sports Centre at 7pm on 25 July 2007. Membership fees are as follows:

Sydney Uni Student - $187, inc. GST
Non-Sydney Uni Student - $231, inc. GST

Payment of the Club and Sydney Uni Sport membership fees must be made at the Arena Sports Centre on 25 July 2007 and will not be received at training. If a player has already joined Sydney Uni Sport then, on presentation of his membership card to the Sydney Uni Sport staff, the fee will be reduced by $55. A player must have completed a Sydney Uni Sport membership form (and had it signed on behalf of the Club) before he can join Sydney Uni Sport. These forms are available at training and must be completed prior to the Registration Night. A player will not be covered by the Sydney Uni Sport insurance and, thus, will not be permitted to take part in contact training, until he has become a member of Sydney Uni Sport. Training will commence after the Registration Night at St Andrews Oval at about 7.30 pm. Check the calendar page for further details of pre-season events.

Website update #24 (7 July 2007)

The Lions Record by Opponent page has been updated with details of the Lions' record against every past opponent. Go to the Lions page then select the "History" link then the "Lions Record by Opponent" link.

Website update #23 (5 July 2007)

The 2007 Cubs playing roster has been posted to the "Roster" link on the Cubs page and the 2006 Lions playing roster has been posted to the "Roster" link on the Lions page.

Lions Combine & Freshmen Trials

Lions will be able to put their pre-season fitness work to the test at the Combine & Freshmen Trials to be held this Sunday, 8 July 2007, from 10am at St Johns Oval, Sydney Uni. Players will be placed in one of three groups - Linemen, Offensive backfield and Defensive backfield - and then rotated through 3 stations:

Station 1 (Strength & Explosion) - Bench press (60kg maximum reps) & broad jump;
Station 2 (Agility) - Three cone wheel & T drill;
Station 3 (Speed & Reaction) - 40 yard sprint (starting on player movement) & 10 yard sprint (starting on coach's movement).

After the testing, freshmen players will be run through some pass receiving and tackling drills to give the coaching staff a feel for likely positions. Players who have not returned completed Club membership forms should bring them this Sunday. After the Combine & Freshmen Trials, all players needing equipment must report to the Den for equipment issue. Check the calendar page for further details of pre-season events.

Website update #22 (28 June 2007)

The full 2007 Gridiron NSW draw, as currently drafted, has been posted to the Gridiron NSW Table & Results page on the LIONS page.

Lions Registration & Equipment Return Day

All Lions players are required to attend the Registration & Equipment Return Day to be held this Sunday, 1 July, at 10am at the Den (behind the No 1 oval grandstand) , Sydney Uni. Lions who are not playing in 2007 must return all club gear, including helmet, shoulder pads, accessory pads, training jersey and training pants, to the Den. If you intend to play for the Lions in 2007, then you must attend to complete the club and Sydney Uni Sport registration forms. Pre-season will then continue with the combine, freshmen trials and equipment issue on 8 July 2007. Check the calendar page for further details of pre-season events.

Website update #21 (9 June 2007)

The 20 Year Anniversary Team page has now been completed with profiles of all of the players selected to the team. Link to the 20 Year Anniversary Team page from the History link on the Lions page. The page is also linked to the Player Profile section on the Home page.

Lions Pre-Season Conditioning Program Begins (27 May 2007)

The Lions have commenced pre-season conditioning sessions on Sundays at 10am at St John's Oval, Sydney Uni, and on Wednesdays at 7pm at St Andrew's Oval, Sydney Uni. Check the calendar page regularly for any changes to the sessions.

Andrew Thode Named 2007 Cubs MVP (20 May 2007)

Andrew Thode was rewarded for his inspirational senior year by being named 2007 Cubs MVP at the Cubs presentation BBQ held during lunchtime at Lions Flag III on Sunday 20 May 2007 at St John's Oval. Thode began the year at cornerback but was soon pressed into action at halfback and lead the team from both sides of the ball. Perhaps his best game was the never-say-die performance he put in when the Cubs were caught short-handed with only 10 men against the Storm. Defensive MVP was awarded to linebacker Zeb Homes, who excelled in his first season for the Cubs. Who could forget Zeb's electrifying zig-zag interception return for a touchdown and his courage in playing the grandfinal with his thumb in a cast? Offensive MVP went to quarterback Dan Agung, who played with composure and great skill all year. His best game was perhaps when the Cubs beat the previously unbeaten Chiefs 34-6 in which Agung put on a passing clinic. Coaches' Choice awards were also presented to Phil Reisacher and Joe Kanaan. Reisacher had a stellar year, clearly showing himself to be the premier receiver in the competition. Kanaan put in the hard work that coaches love, lead blocking in the running game and always putting his hand up when help was needed on special teams and defence. Our congratulations to all of the award winners. Congratulations and thanks too to Head Coach Chady Aoun and coaches David Thode, Leigh Louey-Gung, Kiernan Dorney, Joe Lim, Mathew Freeman, Liam Erby, Mac Shine, Lauri Hypponen and the many others who all contributed to an outstanding season.

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Kosar Finally Wins The Big One (20 May 2007)

Seven teams took to St John's Oval on a glorious Autumn Sunday morning on 20 May to contest Lions Flag III. The University of NSW fielded a team for the first time, consisting of Peter, Luke, Anthony, Stephan Stephen, Peter M. and Raj. Brook James organised a team - the Bombers - with some previous flag and US playing experience made up of Malik Dixon, Morris, Nigel Gates, Chuck Heywood, Keith and Ty Leary. Lions defensive back DB Dave Bourke and his brother added to the Bombers' arsenal. The Cubs managed two teams - the Cubs Throwbacks, featuring Cubs seniors Andrew Thode, Dan Agung, Nick Bruce, Joe Kanaan and Phil Reisacher, with George Denny-Smith thrown in for good measure - and Cubs Regular, with John Aoun, Alex Watson, Sam Darcy, Alex Klaric and with a special guest star, Robert Klaric - Alex Klaric's Dad. Mark Ngu had put together the Beavers, a team with plenty of speed in Manly, Tus, Louis, Don, Roger, Colin and Brian. The two Lions scratch teams were the Kosars (named by Cleveland Browns tragic, Stephen Dunne, in honour of the ungainly but effective quarterback from the 1980s, Bernie Kosar) - Kiernan Dorney, Mac Shine, Anthony Sinton, Keenan Mackett and Tau Saipai, with newcomers Filipe Gonsalves and Simon "Doc" Lewis - and Hoover High - Liam Erby, Leigh Louey-Gung, James Gifford, Joe Lim and Andrew Mathews, with newboys Dan Bennett and Paul.

Round One saw the Cubs Throwbacks take advantage of their experience over UNSW with a 20-0 win. Hoover High easily accounted for Cubs Regular 32-0 and the Kosars were too strong for a spirited Beavers outfit, winning 28-6. In the second round, Cubs Regular came back for a huge win over the Bombers 8-6 while the Cubs Throwbacks made it a sweep for the Cubs with a 22-6 win over the Beavers. Hoover High and the Kosars played a super game of flag, with Hoover High putting on two length of the field drives to snatch a last second win 15-12. In the third round, UNSW pushed Hoover High all the way before going down 12-8 in a tight encounter. The Bombers and the Beavers were locked 6-6 at the end of regulation and went into overtime, the Beavers coming out on top with a one point victory. The Kosars beat Cubs regular 28-8, the highlight being Alex Klaric's Dad going in for a long range TD reception. The final round saw another overtime game, with UNSW and the Bombers playing out three sets of point after tries before the Bombers caught UNSW napping with a quick pass for the conversion and the win, 17-16. At the end of the qualifying games, the standings were: (1) Hoover High (3-0, +39), (2) Cubs Throwbacks (2-0, +36), (3) Kosars (2-1, +39), (4) Bombers (1-2, -2), (5) Beavers (1-2, -37), (6) Cubs Regular (1-2, -50), (7) UNSW (0-3, -25).

The Semifinal match-ups saw Hoover High go in as first seed against the Bombers, while the Cubs Throwbacks faced their senior colleagues in the Kosars. Indeed, the Cubs Throwbacks were leading at halftime and it was only strong play from former Cub Keenan Mackett hooking up repeatedly with mid range passes from Kiernan Dorney that saw the Kosars get home 20-18. In the other Semifinal, Liam Erby refused to let a leg injury restrict his effectiveness at quarterback, while James Gifford put on an impressive audition for a spot in the Lions receiving corps in leading Hoover High to a healthy 28-8 victory over the Bombers, despite DB Dave's best efforts acting as QB Dave on a couple of series. The final was a see-saw affair. The Kosars jumped out to a lead but Hoover High kept hunting them down. Filipe Gonsalves caught a decisive long touchdown only for James Gifford to reply in kind. With little time on the clock, Hoover High scored to bring the score back to 28-26 and went for the 2 point conversion. However, to the strains of "You've just dropped the World Cup", the G-Unit could not find the handle on the ball and spilt the tying conversion having done all the hard work in getting open. The Kosars then killed the remaining time with a solid drive to wrap up the match.

Thanks go to James Gifford and Liam Erby for organising the event, David Thode for refereeing and cooking, Andrew Ogborne for refereeing and Stephen Dunne for collating the scores.

We now look forward to getting stuck into pre-seaon conditioning starting on Sunday, 27 May at 10am at the Square, Sydney Uni.

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Cubs Fall To Storm (11 May 2007)

In a disappointing end to the season, the Cubs were overpowered by the Bondi Storm in the NSWGFL Colts Championship Game, losing 46-14. The Cubs lost the battle at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and were unable to stop the Bondi ground game. There were many game performances from the Cubs, notably Dan Agung, Phil Reisacher, Nick Bruce and Zeb Homes - playing with his thumb in a cast - but no-one epitomised a never-say-die attitude more than Andrew Thode, who kept running the ball for good yardage and sparked the team with a tackle and strip of the ball in the second half to set up the Cubs' second score. The game marks the end of the Cubs careers of Dan Agung, Phil Reisacher, Andrew Thode, Nick Bruce, Matthew Denham, Michael Fletcher, Tony Howes, David Robinson and Joe Kanaan; however, with a core of talented returning players, the future looks bright for the Cubs. All Cubs are to return their equipment at 9am on Sunday, 20 May 2007 at the Den. The Cubs presentation BBQ will be held from 12 noon on Sunday 20 May 2007 at St John's Oval.

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Cubs Going All The Way (4 May 2007)

The Cubs defeated the top ranked Penrith City Chiefs 20-6 to earn a place in the NSWGFL Colts Championship Game. There were great performances all over the field. On offence, quarterback Dan Agung lead the side with poise and confidence against a hard rushing defence. His ability to avoid the sack and find the open man was a decisive factor in the game. Agung was helped by his receiving corps, who all had big games - Phil Reisacher, Nick Bruce, Andrew Thode and Joe Kanaan all showing excellent concentration to hold key catches a different times in the match. Joe Kanaan got stronger as the game went on at running back and Andrew Thode repeatedly was able to bounce his runs to the outside for good yardage. Throughout, the offensive line, including Matt Robinson and Miles Vitti, opened the holes and gave Agung time to operate. Defence was on top early, with Kaine O'Regan, Zeb Homes and Andrew Thode leading the way. Eventually the Cubs offence got on track and were rewarded with a touchdown run in by Phil Reisacher on a reverse. Dan Agung was also contributing on defence at safety, and his interception and return late in the half game the Cubs a chance to put a second score on the board. The Cubs drove down to the 9 yard line but were held out by good Chiefs defence to see the half end 6-0. The Cubs scored early in the second half on a run to Dan Agung and then Nick Bruce kept the Chiefs at bay with two interceptions. Joe Kanaan finished off an impressive night's work with a tough run for a third touchdown and a 20-0 lead with successful 2pt play. With little time remaining, the Chiefs then busted open the kick-off return and despite some good goal line defence, the Cubs were unable to keep the shutout they so deserved but held out for a 20-6 victory. The Cubs face the Bondi Storm at the St George Hockey Centre on Friday, 11 May 2007, at 8pm in the NSWGFL Colts Championship Game.

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Cubs finish over Seahawks (27 April 2007)

The Cubs completed the regular season with a strong 36-6 victory over the Sutherland Seahawks to qualify for the playoffs. A game report will be posted to the Week 10 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results will be posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page when to hand. The Cubs face the Penrith City Chiefs at the St George Hockey Centre at 9.30pm this Friday for a place in the Championship Game.

Cubs topple Chiefs (20 April 2007)

The Cubs were back to full strength and handed the previously unbeaten Penrith City Chiefs a 34-6 defeat in their week nine clash. Highlights included Sam Darcy catching his first two touchdowns for the Cubs. A game report will be posted to the Week 09 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results will be posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page when to hand. The Cubs can secure a place in the Semi Finals with a win over the Seahawks next Friday.

Club Of The Year (4 April 2007)

Sydney Uni American Football won the Sydney Uni Sport 2006 Club of the Year Award presented at the Annual Sports Awards Dinner in the Great Hall on 4 April 2007. Club President, Andrew Ogborne, accepted the John Kean Trophy on behalf of the Club from former Sydney Uni Sport President, John Kean, after whom the trophy is named. In receiving the award, Sydney Uni American Football beat out the fifty other Sydney Uni Sport clubs and claimed the award for the third time - having previously received the award in 1985 and 1991. The award is a tribute to the effort put in by the Club's committee over the last few years and to the outstanding coaching job performed by Head Coach, Stephen Dunne in leading the team to 7 consecutive grand finals and the last 4 NSW championships. Stephen Dunne was a finalist in the 2006 Coach of the Year Award, which was won by Yvette Higgins, the Women's Water Polo coach, who is remembered for scoring that incredible last second goal to win the gold medal for Australia at the 2000 Olympics. Congratulations to Stephen Dunne for a fine achievement.

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Cubs hit Storm (30 March 2007)

The Cubs were caught short-handed by the change of their game to Saturday night and lost their round 7 game against the Bondi Storm 28-12. Lead by Andrew Thode, the ten players who were able to make it put up an outstanding effort, but were unable to match the Storm on the night. A game report will be posted to the Week 07 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results will be posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page when to hand. The Cubs will look to get back on track in their Homecoming Game against UTS at the Square, Physics Road, Sydney University, on 13 April.

Website update #20 (27 March 2007)

A number of videos on YouTube have been linked to the Multimedia page in red, including 2005 Lions Season Highlights, the Howes Rumble from last weeks Cubs game v UTS and some old Cubs footage.

Cubs Overcome UTS (23 March 2007)

The Cubs stayed undefeated with a 36-28 win over Eastern Division rivals UTS in their round 6 clash. In other games, the Chiefs kept pace with the Cubs at the top of the table with a 20-8 victory over the Bondi Storm, while the Sutherland Seahawks and West Sydney Trojans played out an 8-8 draw. A full game report of the Cubs game will be posted to the Week 06 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results have been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page. Game statistics and updated seasonal statistics will be posted to the Statistics page on the Cubs page when compiled. The Cubs face a pivotal Eastern Division match-up against the Bondi Storm next week at the St George Hockey Centre.

Sydney Uni Sport Awards Nominations (20 March 2007)

Stephen Dunne has been named as a finalist for the Sydney Uni Sport 2006 Coach of the Year Award. Sydney Uni American Football has also been named as a finalist for the 2006 Club of the Year Award. The Awards will be presented at the Annual Sports Awards Dinner in the Great Hall, Sydney Uni, on 4 April 2007.

Cubs Blank Trojans (16 March 2007)

The Cubs rode on the back of an impressive defensive effort to shut out the Trojans and win their fifth round match 20-0. The Cubs defence showed the way early, with linebacker Zeb Homes picking off an interception on the game's first drive and returning it the length of the field on an electrifying zig-zag run for the opening score. The defence was solid all night, with Kaine O'Regan, Andrew Thode, Ben Barnes, Alex Klaric, Alex Watson, Andrew Douvgan and John Aoun leading the tackle count. The pressure on the Trojan's backfield was intense, with Kaine O'Regan, Matthew Denham and John Fletcher all recording sacks and Joe Kanaan sacking the quarterback and recovering a fumble. The offence gained in strength as the game went on, Joe Kanaan running in a touchdown and a 2 point conversion and Andrew Thode enjoying his stint at running back with a further touchdown to boost the final score to 20-0. A full game report will be posted to the Week 05 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results have been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page. No game statistics were taken. The Cubs face their East Division rivals UTS in an important game next week at the St George Hockey Centre.

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Cubs Blow Out Predators (9 March 2007)

The Cubs were too strong for the North Western Predators, beating them 52-2 in their fourth round clash. A game report will be posted to the Week 04 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results have been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page. Game statistics and updated seasonal statistics have been posted to the Statistics page on the Cubs page.

Cubs Ride out the Storm (2 March 2007)

Quarterback Dan Agung threw two touchdowns to receiver Philipp Reisacher and a third to receiver Nick Bruce as the Cubs won a scrappy game against the Bondi Storm 18-14 in their third round clash. Interviews with Dan Agung and Philipp Reisacher are linked to the News Headline of this item on the Home page. A game report will be posted to the Week 03 link at the foot of the Home page shortly. Other results have been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page. Game statistics have been posted to the Statistics page on the Cubs page.

It's a Boy (2 March 2007)

Lions veteran Marlon Forrester is the proud father of Ezekiel Harris John, a 6lb 12oz baby boy born on Friday. Congratulations Marlon and God's strength.

Website update #19 (21 February 2007)

Statistics for the Week 1 game v Sutherland Seahawks have been added to the Statistics page on the Cubs page.

Bye Bye Brumbies (19 February 2007)

The Wollongong Brumbies have left the NSWGFL to play in the ACT League. The Cubs now have a bye next Friday, 23 February 2007. The new draw will be posted to the Season Draw and NSWGFL Table & Results pages on the Cubs page when available.

Cubs De-Throne the Seahawks (16 February 2007)

The Cubs got their season off to a flying start by defeating the defending champion Sutherland Seahawks 32-14 in week 1 at the St George Hockey Centre. A game report, which will be updated with scorers and statistics throughout the week, has been posted to the Week One link at the foot of the Home page. Other results have been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results page on the Cubs page.

Website update #18 (16 February 2007)

Maps showing the locations of the venues for Cubs games have been added to the Contacts page.

Website update #17 (15 February 2007)

The 20 Year Anniversary Team page has been added. Profiles of some of the players selected to the team have been linked to the roster. More will be added in time. Link to the 20 Year Anniversary Team page from the History link on the Lions page. The player profiles are also linked to the Player Profile section on the Home page.

2006 Season Montage (12 February 2007)

A copy of a photographic montage celebrating the 2006 season to be presented to the Royal Exchange Hotel in thanks for their sponsorship support has been added to the Multimedia page.

AGM moved to 21 February (1 February 2007)

The Club Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 21 February 2007 at 9pm (after Cubs training) at the Arena Sports Centre Meeting Room.

Cubs 2007 Draw Changed (30 January 2007)

The 2007 NSWGFL Colts draw has been completely re-cast and the amended draw has been posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results link on the Cubs page. The Cubs draw has been posted to the Season Draw link on the Cubs page and to the Calendar page.

Cubs 2007 Draw Released (20 January 2007)

The 2007 NSWGFL Colts draw has been released and posted to the NSWGFL Table & Results link on the Cubs page. The Cubs draw has been posted to the Season Draw link on the Cubs page and to the Calendar page.

Superbowl Party at Royal Exchange

Sydney Uni American Football will hold its Superbowl party at its sponsor - The Royal Exchange Hotel, 203 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville - on Monday, 5 February 2007 from 10 am. The game will be shown live on the big screen with beer on tap and hotdogs on offer. There is no entry fee or cover charge. Take a sickie and support our sponsor by coming out to see the big game with the Lions. Family and friends are welcome. Prior to the match, the Club will hold its Annual General Meeting at the Hotel from 9am. All players are expected to attend.

The Lions are to be featured in promotional spots to be filmed by SBS to promote its Superbowl coverage. If you want to be involved, come to the Den at 10am on Sunday, 28 January 2007, with all your playing gear (including jersey). Look out for us in the coverage!

Website update #16 (15 January 2007)

The Lions All-Time Leaders and Lions Year-by-Year Leaders statistics have been updated with the 2006 Season statistics and further defensive categories have been added to the Lions All-Time Leaders. Link to these statistics from the Records link on the Lions page.

Website update #15 (12 January 2007)

2006 Season Statistics have been added to the Statistics link on the Lions page.

Website update #14 (8 January 2007)

A match report of the Championship Game has been added to the Champ link at the foot of the Home page.

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