by Daniel Viles
Queensland Power Forward to Interstate Victory
Queensland’s physical dominance laid the foundation for a 58-point win over Tasmania in the 2024 Women’s State Match at Bond University Oval.
Strong tackling and pressure in all parts of the ground regularly allowed the hosts to regain possession and move the ball into space, resulting in a Marks Inside Forward 50 statistic of 31 to 2.
Arianna Clarke converted all four of her forward 50 marks, three of them before Tasmania had hit the scoreboard, to be awarded Queensland’s Best on Ground. Ellen Hopkins also scored from all five of her marks inside the forward zone for three goals and two behinds.
Tasmania’s defensive structures improved through the match with fullback Kelsie Hill marking strongly, attacking the contest, saving at least two goals, and finishing with her state’s Best on Ground medal.
The hosts gained forward momentum early and scored first through Hopkins after she won a holding free kick within range.
Tasmania kept the Maroons quiet for the next nine minutes with Jenna Griffiths, dropping deep from midfield, making a series of strong tackles at centre halfback to interrupt the forward raids.
A change of focus to the right side of the ground proved successful for Queensland with Clarke scoring her first two goals from the pocket in front of the Bull Sharks clubhouse.
In the final minute of the first term, Jess Stallard marked from Kaylee Kimber with a trademark lead out of full forward. Stallard would have a frustrating day with the boot (1.4) but shot strongly from thirty metres to give Queensland a 24-point quarter-time lead.
That lead stretched to 30 points within a minute of the restart when co-captain Steph O’Brien, who made several charges through congestion across the match, found Clarke with a low pass to the goalsquare.
The Tasmanians should take some satisfaction from scoring the day’s best goal. A strong Brieanna Barwick tackle, one of seven for the day, forced a turnover from O’Brien; Chloe Haines pumped the ball deep and disorganised the home defence for the first time. Molly Mitchell gathered the ball on an acute angle in the right pocket and snapped truly from 25 metres.
The Map would also score through a Shania Saward behind with the final kick of the half, but not before Clarke and Hopkins had increased their goal tallies.
Hopkins completed her hat-trick five minutes into the third term after marking overhead at full stretch in the square.
The only part of Queensland’s game that fell below their own standards was their goalkicking. After opening with five goals, just six of their next 23 scoring shots required both flags from the goal umpires.
Conversely, Tasmania converted all but one of their opportunities, the next coming through captain Alice Robinson who charged onto a deep pass from Saward, drew high contact from the defender, and then drained the set shot.
Queensland managed to win the quarter despite its inaccuracies when Imogen Evans ran into an open goal in the final minute after crumbing skilfully behind a marking contest.
The visiting fans, gathered primarily in the southern grandstands, were given reason to cheer when the women in green scored twice in the final term.
Three minutes in, Chloe Haines soared highest in a pack to mark from Barwick and then convert from 40 metres. Six minutes later, Saward, who had been responsible for putting her side into goalscoring position several times through the afternoon, leapt across the front of a contest near the goalsquare to mark from vice-captain Olivia Smith and score Tassie’s fourth.
A run of four misses from the home side was ended six minutes from the end when Evans gathered 15 metres from goal, weaved through three tacklers and then found a way to goal with her weaker left foot.
Queensland’s wingers Tahlia Meyer and Lucy Schneider were both superb, not only running from end to end but regularly switching to each other’s flank. Schneider had narrowly fallen short with a set shot in the third term, but Meyer was rewarded with the final goal of the match when she fumbled a Tayla Gregory pass in the goalsquare but volleyed from point blank range.
While Queensland’s women now wait until 2025 for their next match, Tasmania has an opportunity to taste victory against a combined AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra side in Launceston on Saturday 20 July.
Sat 22 June 2024, 11 am at Bond University Oval, Robina
QUEENSLAND 4.0 (24) 7.6 (48) 9.12 (66) 11.17 (83)
TASMANIA 0.0 (0) 1.1 (7) 2.1 (13) 4.1 (25)
Queensland
Goals: Arianna Clarke 4, Ellen Hopkins 3, Imogen Evans 2, Jess Stallard, Tahlia Meyer
Best: Arianna Clarke
Tasmania
Goals: Molly Mitchell, Alice Robinson, Chloe Haines, Shania Saward
Best: Kelsie Hill
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