by Daniel Viles
The honour of being the first team to book a place in the 2024 Bond University QAFLW Grand Final will require Southport or Aspley to vanquish the ghosts of past battles at Fankhauser Reserve in this Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying Final.
In two of the three previous matches between the Sharks and Hornets on the corner of Musgrave and Olsen, Southport has produced a withering first quarter to take a four-goal lead and end the contest barely after it began. The more recent of those was six weeks ago when those four goals were scored inside the first nine minutes.
In the other, Aspley weathered the attempted early onslaught before pinning Southport in its own defensive 50 in the same manner that the Sharks usually pin every other team. That was in last year’s Preliminary Final.
When you add that these teams are the most recent to taste defeat in a Bond University QAFLW Grand Final, one suspects that motivational speeches will not be required on Saturday.
However, these sides have changed significantly since the above losses.
Only ten Sharks remain from that Prelim with the additions including ambipedal defender Siobhan Ross, accurate passer Tearnie Brown, Maighan Fogas who plays on the ball and wide with equal skill, and key forward Dekota Baron.
Georja Davies and Maddys Watt and Baldwin all survived that defeat last August. At that time, they were not the best ruck, inside midfielder or medium forward in their team. They now have legitimate claims to be the best in those positions in the league.
The Hornets’ loss in June was without both regular wingers, Jaimie Bryant and Maddi Tallis, their primary ball-winning midfielder in Alanna Perry, defensive cog Morgan Lanigan, plus the skill and versatility of Izzy McDonough. Forward Emma McNaughton failed to score on debut that day but has kicked 12 goals since, including 11 in the three matches missed by Jess Stallard. The first task for this new forward combination will be to take a mark inside forward 50, which no team has done against Southport in its last three matches.
These teams handball often and well: Southport 121 times per match at 68.6% in 2024; Aspley 117 per match at 73.4%. In Round 10, the Sharks dried up Aspley’s quantity keeping them to a season-low total of 80 handballs at 66%, while the Hornets damaged Southport’s quality with only 51% of 113 handballs hitting the target.
However, Southport didn’t start that match trying to unpick Aspley’s defence with handballs. Instead, they marauded. Their high-paced running and tackling caused a torrent of errors and turnovers that not even the then-undefeated Hornets could withstand.
Both teams will need to decide if the best way to remove the ghost that hovers between them and the Grand Final is something that has worked before, or something unseen and, perhaps, ghostly.
Qualifying Final: SOUTHPORT v ASPLEY
Saturday 10 August 2024, 2:15pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
Live stream with commentary on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 7 – Southport won 4; Aspley won 2; abandoned 1
Head-to-Head at Fankhauser Reserve: Played 3 – Southport won 2; Aspley won 1
Last time they met: 29 Jun 2024 (Round 10) – Southport 8.5 (53) d Aspley 3.8 (26) at Fankhauser Reserve
Finals meetings: 2023 Preliminary Final – Aspley 6.4 (40) d Southport 4.8 (32) at Fankhauser Reserve
Every indicator points to Bond University defeating Coorparoo in this Saturday’s Bond University QAFLW Elimination Final at Bond University Oval, which is the main reason why Coorparoo will be feeling confident.
Consider the evidence: the Kings won just six of their 14 matches this year and are the first finalists with a negative win/loss record since the competition grew to eight teams in 2019; the Bull Sharks won 11 matches, the same number as it won en route to last year’s premiership.
Bond’s percentage was 245.74, the highest on record for a team finishing third; Coorparoo’s was 75.50, the lowest for a fourth-placed team since 2014.
The Blue and Golds have won their last six matches; the Navy Blues have won one of their last six.
So if this Bond University side is so good, why are in the Elimination Final? Answer: they lost to Coorparoo – at the same ground they’ll play tomorrow.
In fact, the Kings have good reason to rate themselves at The Canal. In addition to this year’s victory, they came close to upsetting the Bull Sharks in both 2021 and 2023, and have very fond memories of their three-point win over the minor premiers-elect in 2019 which squeezed them into a finals campaign that ended with a record winning margin on Grand Final day.
That 2019 finals campaign for Coorparoo began with an Elimination Final, the first of five in six years played by the Kings, none of which have been at home. They’re old hands at this.
Conversely, Bond Uni has never played an Elimination Final. In each of their five finals appearances, they’ve finished in the top two. The pressure of coming from the back of the field is new to them.
The Bond side is also less settled than usual. The squad has had a heavy injury toll in 2024, particularly to its inside midfielders, and recently lost Imogen Evans, albeit by the best possible method of having her re-drafted by Collingwood.
Key defender Jemma Blair returns to the side as do four members of Queensland’s Under 18 side in Annabelle Foat, Bronte Parker, Havana Harris and Mia Salisbury.
Salisbury was Best on Ground when Bond defeated Coorparoo at Giffin Park in June and finished the regular season with the highest disposal efficiency (78.6%) of any inside midfielder in the competition (with at least 100 disposals). Her accuracy and consistency are finally being noticed.
Coorparoo has had its own injury problems this year, mainly to its rucks. Jasmine Fretwell has not played ruck this year but will be a welcome return to the Kings’ defence and provides an extra option for the restarts. Megan Evans also resumes her regular midfield interchange role.
Both teams know that: Bond University begins this Elimination Final as favourites; the scoreboard doesn’t care who the favourite is; and Elimination Final to Premiers is not an untrod path.
Elimination Final: BOND UNIVERSITY v COORPARO0
Saturday 10 August 2024, 2:15pm at Bond University Oval, Robina
Live stream with commentary on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 15 – Bond University won 10; Coorparoo won 5
Head-to-Head at Bond University Oval: Played 7 – Bond University won 5; Coorparoo won 2
Last time they met: 29 Jun 2024 (Round 10) – Bond University 6.6 (42) d Coorparoo 3.2 (20) at Giffin Park
Finals meetings: 2019 Grand Final – Coorparoo 14.10 (94) d Bond University 2.6 (18) at Leyshon Park
You can watch all matches in the Bond University QAFLW by visiting the Official AFLQ YouTube channel.
