Photo by Desolve Images
By Daniel Viles
The last featured match of the Bond University QAFLW regular season will see the Aspley Hornets raiding the Castle of an army of Coorparoo Kings determined to deliver victory for its two greatest Queens.
Sally Young and Emma Zielke have announced that 2024 will be their final year in the Queensland state league. With Coorparoo not in a position to host a finals match, Saturday night’s match is their final appearance at Giffin Park, aka The Castle, in the navy jersey.
An Aspley victory will ensure its highest ever placing in the Bond University QAFLW. The Hornets could argue that playing with its usual ruthlessness and skill would be its own tribute to two greats of Queensland women’s Australian Football who have portrayed those qualities for nearly two decades.
Coorparoo’s reward for upsetting the Hornets would be a tenth finals appearance in its 12-year history. They will get there anyway if University of Queensland is unable to defeat Bond University and Wilston Grange is unable to win against Maroochydore and close a huge percentage gap.
Records of matches and goals in what is now the Bond University QAFLW are currently only available from 2010. Those statistics show Young on 147 matches with 37 goals and Zielke on 133 matches with a record 190 goals. Given the anecdotal evidence of their performances for Morningside before 2010, it’s almost unfathomable what their records would be if that data could be found.
The Y and Z of Coorparoo are the only two inclusions for the side that was monstered by Southport last week. The Kings had a similar result against Southport in the penultimate round of 2023 and then responded with an 87-point victory; they are unlikely to be perturbed.
Aspley has made one change with Alanna Perry, who won a premiership with Young and Zielke at Coorparoo in 2019, available to replace the injured Rachael Anstey.
Both sides appear to be short a tall. Coorparoo has used six specialist rucks this year of whom only Chloe Gaunt, also its most obvious key forward, is named in the side. Former Brisbane Lion and current Queensland baseball representative Kate Deegan may rotate with Gaunt through the evening. Aspley is likely to use Jasmine Kawa and Lucy Pengelly in the ruck, both of whom have produced best-on-ground displays when covering for Anstey in 2024, with plenty of key position cover on the bench.
However, the decisive battles will be those between Queensland teammates. Lucy Schneider and Jaimie Bryant may find themselves competing for what would normally be uncontested ball. Grace Roberts-White (61 clearances this year) and Louise Tyson (63) may make each other’s usual space in the middle of the park difficult to find. And as for the Joust of the Jesses, Watts and Davy, their similarities in style, form and appearance create doubt as to whether they really are two different people.
All four matches this Saturday have consequences for the finals. Southport can secure its second straight minor premiership by defeating Yeronga at home and keeping its percentage out of Aspley’s reach. In the 17th U-Clash, Bond University can take second spot with a win at Base Architecture Meadows plus an upset at Giffin Park, while UQ can overtake Coorparoo with a victory plus an expected result at Giffin Park.
The round’s least certain match-up is Grange’s trip to Maroochydore. To make the finals, the Gorillas would need to defeat the Roos and have its winning margin plus that of an Aspley win over Coorparoo equal about 140 points. There is no doubt that: (a) the Gorillas will go for it; and (b) Maroochydore want to finish their year with a win and couldn’t care less about the ambitions of other teams.
COORPARO0 v ASPLEY
Saturday 27 July 2024, 4:45pm at Giffin Park, Coorparoo
Live stream with commentary on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 12 – Coorparoo won 6; Aspley won 5; drawn 1
Head-to-Head at Giffin Park: Played 5 – Coorparoo won 2; Aspley won 2; drawn 1
Last time they met: 1 Jun 2024 (Round 7) – Aspley 9.8 (62) d Coorparoo 2.4 (16) at Zupps Aspley Oval.
SOUTHPORT v YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE
Saturday 27 July 2024, 3pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
Live stream on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 5 – Southport won 5
Head-to-Head at Fankhauser Reserve: Played 1 – Southport won 1
Last time they met: 1 Jun 2024 (Round 7) – Southport 15.8 (98) d Yeronga 2.3 (15) at Leyshon Park.
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND v BOND UNIVERSITY
Saturday 27 July 2024, 3:45pm at Base Architecture Meadows, St Lucia
Live stream on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 16 – Bond University won 9; UQ won 6; drawn 1
Head-to-Head at Base Architecture Meadows: Played 5: Bond University won 3; UQ won; drawn 1
Last time they met: 1 Jun 2024 (Round 7) – Bond University 6.7 (43) d UQ 2.5 (17) at Bond University Oval.
MAROOCHYDORE v WILSTON GRANGE
Saturday 27 July 2024, 4:45pm at Domino’s Park, Maroochydore
Live stream on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 15 – Maroochydore won 8; Wilston Grange won 7
Head-to-Head at Domino’s Park: Played 7 – Maroochydore won 4; Wilston Grange won 3
Last time they met: 1 Jun 2024 (Round 7) – Wilston Grange 6.5 (41) d Maroochydore 1.4 (10) at Hickey Park.
You can watch all matches in the Bond University QAFLW by visiting the Official AFLQ YouTube channel.
