Bond University QAFLW Match of the Round Review

Hornets’ take territory at the top of the ladder

by Daniel Viles

Aspley sits alone at the top of the Bond University QAFLW ladder after a territorially dominant 14-point win over Southport at Zupps Aspley Oval.

The Hornets won the inside-50 count 36 to 18 as their defenders continually regained possession across halfway. Thirteen players in brown and gold were credited with an intercept mark and seventeen with an inside-50 entry.

Southport’s defensive pressure was immense with the team registering a whopping 93 tackles for the match, Rianna Schipp and Maighan Fogas leading the charge with eleven apiece.

Mutual desire to deny their opponents any space whatsoever resulted in an opening quarter with only one scoring shot. Tayla Gregory, who repeatedly gained front position in marking contests across the match, won a free kick two minutes into the second term and drilled the set shot from 35 metres to break the drought.

Four minutes later, Rachael Vetter put a centring kick, while being flattened, onto the chest of Holly O’Flaherty who wobbled the set shot through for Aspley’s first.

It was from this point that the Hornets set up camp in their forward half with a succession of deep inside-50 entries. After nearly conceding on the counter-attack, their next entry resulted in Jess Stallard winning a holding free kick 30 metres from goal and Alanna Perry swooping on the loose ball to run in to score.

Eighty seconds before half-time, Evie Long extended Aspley’s lead when she took a Stallard ruck win in space, stepped outside her defender and bulged the netting behind the goal.

The Sharks reduced the margin to five points six minutes into the third term when the tireless Steph O’Brien (17 effective disposals, 7 tackles) won consecutive 50-metre penalties to score from the goal square.

A minute later, Louise Tyson won a free kick with one of her twelve tackles for the match and found Stallard on the lead for the umpteenth time in her career. The resulting goal gave Stallard, nicknamed Sharky, her fiftieth goal in the Bond University QAFLW (10 for UQ, 40 for Aspley) in just 27 matches.

Stallard’s tally increased to 51 four minutes before the break when Jess Davy (7 inside-50s) gathered the ball from behind a marking contest in the middle of the ground and kicked into the space behind Stallard. The run into goal from the sharp-shooter was eerily reminiscent of Sharky’s winners against the Sharks in the 2022 Grand Final and 2023 Preliminary Final.

The final term was highlighted by defensive efforts from Southport’s unheralded winger Abbie Pluples who brought down Long with a lunging tackle just inside her own 50, Aspley’s Morgan Lanigan who got her knee onto O’Brien’s attempt to soccer through from the goalsquare after chasing her for sixty metres, and best-on-ground Jaimie Bryant (19 effective disposals, 6 tackles) who ran down Emma Suckling in space on the wing.

Southport had the final say when O’Brien thumped a 40-metre pass to Megan Hunt who marked cleverly in the left pocket before producing an assured set shot.

Overall, Aspley’s halfback line of Eloise O’Connor, Anna van de Wiel and captain Emma Pittman can thank the midfield pressure created by Davy, Jasmine Kawa and Alanna Perry for a steady diet of intercept marks. Ruck Rachael Anstey was on the field for all but four minutes of the match and influenced every restart regardless of whether she won it.

Southport knows the value of midfielder Maddy Watt (16 effective disposals, 8 tackles) who was creative and destructive in equal measure depending on who had the ball. Kierra Zerafa’s ability to clear the contest and the running power of Kaylee Kimber ensured that the Sharks were always asking questions with ball in hand.

Southport hosts University of Queensland in Round 4 while Aspley travels to Maroochydore.

In the day’s other match, Wilston Grange won defeated UQ for the first time since February 2020 as four goals from Hayley Finning and a midfield exhibition from Keyshia Matenga produced an eight-point victory.

On Anzac Day itself: Maroochydore’s 46-point win was heavily influenced by a breakout performance from midfielder Abbey Rankin; and Coorparoo confirmed its reputation as Bond University’s kryptonite with a six-point win over the premiers.

Photo by Highflyer Images

Saturday 27 April 2024, 2pm at Zupps Aspley Oval, Carseldine

Aspley
Goals: Jess Stallard 2, Holly O’Flaherty, Alanna Perry, Evie Long
Best: Rachael Anstey, Evie Long, Jasmine Kawa, Jaimie Bryant, Alanna Perry, Maddi Tallis

Southport
Goals: Tayla Gregory, Steph O’Brien, Megan Hunt
Best: Steph O’Brien, Shayla Lloyd, Tayla Gregory, Maddy Watt, Kaylee Kimber, Jo Baltais
Replay and match statistics

Thursday 25 April 2024, 1pm at Domino’s Park, Maroochydore

Maroochydore
Goals: Chelsea Gillard 4, Hayley Edgar 2, Claire Drake, Jesse McMillan, Demi Norton, Jessee Sills
Best: Abbey Rankin, Demi Norton, Jessee Sills, Sara-Jane O’Grady, Emily Casey, Chelsea Gillard

Yeronga South Brisbane
Goals: Ameilia Leigh, Lucy Bellinger, Sienna Morassuti
Best: Jamie Howell, Madi Goodwin, Lana Lowery, Sienna Morassuti, Jess Matthews, Ameilia Leigh
Replay and match statistics

Thursday 25 April 2024, 2pm at Bond University Oval, Robina

Bond University
Goals: Bella Iverach, Izzy Lowe
Best: Ella Calleja, Courtney Sexton, Abbey Bevan, Charlotte Taylor, Imogen Evans, Shannon Nolan

Coorparoo
Goals: Jess Watts, Chelsea Chesterfield, Lucy Schneider
Best: Ajla Fetahagic, Jess Watts, Lucy Schneider, Georgina Ott, Mabel Dart, Jacinta Baldwick
Replay and match statistics

Saturday 27 April 2024, 3:45pm at Leyshon Park, Yeronga

University of Queensland

Goals: Jane Childes, Lauren Middleton, Edie McCabe, Elka Barnett
Best: Bridey Condren, Jane Childes, Lauren Middleton, Charlotte Andrews, Gracie Roy, Elka Barnett

Wilston Grange

Goals: Hayley Finning 4, Daisy Carter, Summer Hamilton
Best: Keyshia Matenga, Jasmine Ware, Hayley Finning, Haley Jones, Sophia Allen, Summer Hamilton

Replay and match statistics

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