Sunday 27 August 2023, 2:20pm at Brighton Homes Arena, Springfield
Bond University 10.6 (66) d Aspley 2.5 (17)
|
Bond University |
0.4 (4) |
3.5 (23) |
6.5 (41) |
10.6 (66) |
|
Aspley |
1.0 (6) |
1.2 (8) |
2.2 (14) |
2.5 (17) |
Bond University
Goals: Ava Usher 2; Josie McCabe; Ella Calleja; Tara Harrington; Nyalli Milne.
Best: Havana Harris; Ava Usher; Tara Harrington; Nyalli Milne; Kiara Bischa; Courtney Sexton.
Aspley
Goals: Rachael Vetter 2.
Best: Emma Pittman; Louise Tyson; Mikayla Martin; Courtney Daniec; Lucy Pengelly; Holly O’Flaherty.
Best on Ground: Havana Harris (Bond University)
The Bond University Bull Sharks have broken through for their first premiership in the Bond University QAFLW with a 49 point victory over the Aspley Hornets at Brighton Homes Arena.
Ruck and key forward Havana Harris was named Best on Ground with 19 disposals, 19 hitouts and one goal. Harris is the youngest player to be named Best on Ground in a Grand Final since Emily Bates in 2012 at age 16.
None of Bond University’s ten goals were scored by anyone older than 18 as a generation of talent recruited from Broadbeach (Tara Harrington), Yeppoon (Ella Calleja) and Burleigh (Ava Usher, Nyalli Milne, Josie McCabe and Harris) ensured the Bull Sharks’ first win in their third grand final appearance.
Aspley was playing its first grand final following an upset victory over Southport in the Preliminary Final. They opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Rachael Vetter won a goalmouth scramble to poke the ball home. Strong Aspley defence highlighted by Ange Lingard’s charge down of a Harris shot and Emma Pittman’s rundown tackle of Bella Iverach saw them lead at the first break.
The Bull Sharks took the lead early in the second quarter with a set shot to Usher as their forwards pressured Aspley’s defence into errors. Two more set shot goals to McCabe and Calleja gave them a 15 point half time lead.
The teams traded goals early in the third quarter. Charlotte Taylor won a turnover on the left wing and counter-attacked through Milne to allow Harrington to serve past the last defender into an open goal. Aspley responded within 18 seconds as Maddy Kawa tackled the ball loose from Usher, Holly O’Flaherty attacked down the left and put Vetter in for her second.
Aspley dominated much of the next period, but Bond University were rewarded for their defence with two late set shot goals to Usher and Milne to lead by 27 at three quarter time.
The Bull Sharks scored 22 seconds into the final quarter when Ebony Milne shot over the defence from 45 metres out.
The next ten minutes were played in a sun shower which only highlighted the brilliance of Usher who cleared from a ballup on the 50 metre arc and cut through the defence to score. When Harris scored with a snap shortly afterwards, the trophy was on its way back to Bond University. Tara Harrington had the honour of scoring the final goal of the match with a set shot in the last two minutes.
Bond University captain Paris Lightfoot praised the attitude of her team’s young stars.
“All those girls are so humble, they work hard, they do the team things and they fit in perfectly. Yes, they’re superstars, but they live our culture and they breathe our culture and I’m just so proud of them.”
Bond University is the first Gold Coast team to win the Bond University QAFLW since Coolangatta Tweed in 2016.
