By Daniel Viles
ASPLEY v MAROOCHYDORE
Saturday 24 June 2023, 2pm at Zupps Aspley Oval, Carseldine
Live stream with commentary on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 9 – Maroochydore won 7; Aspley won 2
Head-to-Head at Zupps Aspley Oval: Played 4 – Maroochydore won 3; Aspley won 1
Last time they met: 6 May 2023 – Aspley 7.13 (55) d Maroochydore 1.6 (12) at Domino’s Oval
Zupps Aspley Oval hosts its first Bond University QAFLW Match of the round in 2023 on Saturday afternoon against a rejuvenated Maroochydore in the battle of the competition’s two most northern clubs.
Aspley’s run of five consecutive wins was ended by ladder leaders Southport last week, while Maroochydore broke a losing streak of the same length with a gutsy home win over Yeronga. A win for the Roos on Saturday would increase the pressure on Coorparoo and Wilston Grange for fourth spot while a Hornets win would have a similar effect on Bond University in the battle for the finals double-chance.
Aspley coach Luke Glacken has subtly crept his defenders forward throughout the season with Anna van de Wiel moving from the back pocket to the inside midfield recently and now Emma Pittman moving from halfback flank to half-forward flank. Naming regular forwards Rania Crozier and Rachael Vetter on the wings adds flexibility to the squad should Glacken wish to move Pittman, Lucia Liessi or Louise Tyson deeper. Holly O’Flaherty’s inclusion also provides a natural left-foot option should extra width be desired.
Maroochydore will be without midfielder Kate Fowles, last week’s two-goal hero Grace Perry, and surprisingly-not-invincible captain Kelsee Sills. However, winger Jya Epstein will resume her excellent season, Australian representative Sophie Peters should play her first QAFLW game of the year barring any late call-ups, and Lataya de Pauw, who kicked three goals for the Lions Academy Under 16s in the final of the National Development Championships in April, becomes the fifth player from those championships to make her QAFLW debut in 2023.
Sara-Jane O’Grady will captain the Roos for the first time, while Morgan Lanigan makes history by becoming the first woman to play 100 games for Aspley across all grades.
ASPLEY
FB | 13 Lucy Thompson | 10 Morgan Lanigan
HB | 5 Lucy Pengelly | 23 Ange Lingard (c) | 15 Jaimie Bryant
C | 37 Rania Crozier | 30 Mikayla Martin | 40 Rachael Vetter
HF | 20 Emma Pittman | 25 Jess Stallard | 9 Louise Tyson
FF | 12 Lucia Liessi | 59 Holly Mirfield
FOL | 28 Anais Kirvan | 16 Anna van de Wiel | 4 Courtney Daniec (c)
IC | 19 Hanna Brennan | 22 Holly O’Flaherty | 33 Gabby Roberts | 42 Izzy Kotatis | 54 Emma Lendrum
EMG | 8 Maddy Kawa | 31 Jaida Tabb | 35 Ella Desrettes
Coach: Luke Glacken
IN: Rania Crozier; Holly O’Flaherty
OUT: Hannah Giles; Maddy Kawa
MAROOCHYDORE
FB | 23 Ebony Otto | 9 Naomi Fitzpatrick
HB | 39 Imagen David | 25 Sara-Jane O’Grady (c) | 6 Poppy Tindal
C | 13 Jya Epstein | 21 Anneka Williams | 22 Lily Logan
HF | 49 Kaiya Hides | 48 Renee Teys | 28 Zara Hurley
FF | 47 Hayley Edgar | 58 Indi Williams
FOL | 57 Lilly Baker | 7 Demi Norton | 53 Sophie Peters
IC | 1 Jessee Sills | 15 Dakota Hooper | 55 Kiah Thompson | 50 Tarah Muir | Lataya de Pauw^
EMG | 4 Claire Drake | 19 Tilli Baker | 16 Abi Boutchard | 41 Lucy McEachen
Coaches: Dave Hume and Hetti Malone
IN: Lataya de Pauw; Jya Epstein; Naomi Fitzpatrick; Sophie Peters; Kiah Thompson
OUT: Brydie Eva; Kate Fowles; Grace Perry; Kelsee Sills
YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE v COORPAROO
Saturday 24 June 2023, 2pm at Leyshon Park, Yeronga
Head-to-Head: Played 34 – Coorparoo won 18; Yeronga SB won 16
Head-to-Head at Leyshon Park: Played 16 – Coorparoo won 9; Yeronga SB won 7
Last time they met: 6 May 2023 – Coorparoo 4.12 (36) d Yeronga SB 4.2 (26) at Giffin Park
El Clasico XXXV. There is no point talking about how this Saturday’s match between Yeronga and Coorparoo at Cansdale Street will affect the Bond University QAFLW table, because Southside Cup matches have never paid any attention to form or reputation.
Evidence for this can be found as recently as May, when a seemingly outclassed Yeronga kicked the first three goals of the match, or as far back as the 2013 Grand Final when the Kings broke the Devils 27-match winning run with a final-minute goal to Emma Zielke.
Zielke, Sally Young and Megan Evans remain from the 2013 decider with Ari Reilly unavailable only through coaching duties with South Queensland. This week, Zielke lines up at half-forward with Jacinta Baldwick, who was 7 at the time of that match, and Grace Roberts-White, who was 8.
Coorparoo again has the services of Bonnie Farrell (12) and Kaitlyn Zelinski (9) in defence and recalls Amy Dwyer (13) into the top grade for the first time in 2023 which may be the only way that she doesn’t finish the Reserve Grade season as leading goalkicker (19 goals in her last 7 games).
The Devils have two pieces of good news this week: one is that they should be able to field a full-sized interchange bench after being depleted last week at Maroochydore; the second is that 2020 premiership forward Zimmorlei Farquharson returns to the QAFLW team seeking to add to her state league career tally of 24 goals in 19 matches (12 goals in 17 matches in the AFLW).
YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE
FB | 49 Laura Wagner | 3 Georgia Carmody
HB | 31 Holly Mills | 8 Lucy Bellinger (c) | 5 Jess Matthews
C | 4 Camilla Burnett | 14 Madison Goodwin | 17 Charlotte Millen
HF | 21 Sophie Dunne | 7 Tiarnah Isua | 9 Ebony Milne
FF | 6 Courtney McDonnell | 39 Zimmorlei Farquharson
FOL | 30 Peppa Poultney | 34 Chelsea Winn | 25 Georgia Cuffe
IC | 1 Stephanie Rosenthal | 2 Georgia Hewett | 40 Farradai Hopkins | 47 Taylah Welch | 55 Jamie Howell (vc)
EMG | 28 Emily Rogers | 42 Mieke Knight | 46 Bree Black
Coach: Lisa Milne
IN: Sophie Dunne; Zimmorlei Farquharson; Farradai Hopkins; Stephanie Rosenthal; Taylah Welch
OUT: Emily Bleney; Kara Stock
COORPAROO
FB | 45 Bonnie Farrell | 18 Lucy Schneider
HB | 29 Kaitlyn Zelinski | 15 Ajla Fetahagic | 30 Taya Oliver
C | 12 Jo Miller | 3 Sally Young (c) | 47 Laura Blue
HF | 39 Jacinta Baldwick | 9 Emma Zielke | 42 Grace Roberts-White
FF | 26 Chelsea Chesterfield | 5 Amy Dwyer
FOL | 59 Coco Garton | 24 Hannah McLaughlin | 4 Jess Watts
IC | 22 Binta Lamin | 27 Megan Evans | 31 Jasmine Fretwell | 34 Liz Hills | 36 Ayla Fraser
EMG | 1 Bridget Taylor | 8 Mel Sweeney | 13 Gabby Fares
Coach: Rebecca Randazzo
IN: Amy Dwyer; Bonnie Farrell; Kaitlyn Zelinski
OUT: Charlotte Edmunds; Gabby Fares; Ari Reilly
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND v WILSTON GRANGE
Saturday 24 June 2023, 2pm at Base Architecture Meadows, St Lucia
Head-to-Head: Played 22 – University of Queensland won 15; Wilston Grange won 7
Head-to-Head at Base Architecture Meadows: Played 8 – University of Queensland won 6; Wilston Grange won 2
Last time they met: 6 May 2023 – University of Queensland 5.9 (39) d Wilston Grange 3.6 (24) at iiNergy Oval
The Bond University QAFLW finals hopes of both University of Queensland and Wilston Grange may hinge on the result of this Saturday’s match at Base Architecture Meadows.
UQ’s four most recent matches have been against the top four sides and, while they came away with four losses, only Southport defeated them with any real authority. With their next three matches against the other bottom four sides, three wins for the Red Lionesses, beginning with Wilston Grange this Saturday, would change the shape of their entire season.
Wilston Grange’s next two matches are against UQ, who they were expected to beat in Round 4 but didn’t, and Coorparoo, who they weren’t expected to beat in Round 5 but did. That match against Coorparoo becomes a virtual fourth-place play-off if the Gorillas can leave St Lucia as top banana rather than slipping on the peel.
The good news for neutrals is that both sides are as close to full strength as they’ve been all year. Both sides are missing Academy players, Moyle and Sartor for UQ and Hussain for Grange, but both have brought in premiership winners, Jane Childes for UQ and Emma MacNeill for Grange.
Of the teams outside the finals places, the Gorillas have the best attack while the Red Lionesses have the best defence. The Red Lionesses win contested possessions galore but have a low scoring shot to inside 50 ratio, whereas the Gorillas have poor disposal efficiency stats but generally finish better when they can get the lead-up right. Matches like this are why coin tosses were invented.
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
FB | 21 Jessi Henning | 12 Charlotte Andrews
HB | 19 Jasmine Dekker | 8 Lucy McCormick | 7 Madi Crowley-Long (c)
C | 2 Jane Childes | 16 Ava Seton (vc) | 5 Meagan Cook
HF | 4 Kadie Fletcher | 17 Brooke Sheridan | 22 Julia Dawson
FF | 35 Elka Barnett | 1 Gracie Champion
FOL | 56 Lucy Hicks (vc) | 9 Lara Mason | 24 Laura Roy
IC | 6 Lauren Middleton | 39 Jackie Chan Tie | 41 Harriet Knijff | 55 Kate McKenna | one may be added
EMG | 10 Jacinta Fisher | 18 Rieley Bloor | 48 Abbie Pearson
Coach: Ross Clayfield
IN: Jane Childes; Kate McKenna; Jackie Chan Tie
OUT: Jacinta Fisher; Ashleigh Moyle; Eva Sartor
WILSTON GRANGE
FB | 14 Annabel Pettigrew | 4 Megan Boscoe | 17 Kylie Welsh
HB | 21 Jacinta Ens | 51 Gemma Donataccio
C | 26 Uma Brennan | 1 Mackenzie Findlay (vc) | 5 Keyshia Matenga
HF | 15 Daisy Carter | 35 Charlize Anderson
FF | 27 Naomi Celebre | 48 Emma MacNeill | 18 Siobhan Senior
FOL | 8 Kalista-Jayne Shiner | 40 Jayme Winter | 7 Chloe Litherland (c)
IC | 13 Emily Keehn | 25 Maegan Dick | 29 Caitlyn Rawding | 37 Georgina Ott | 52 Grace O’Donnell
EMG | 2 Abbey Brokken | 16 Tarin Moke | 23 Caitlin Gunn
Coach: Brenton Meddings
IN: Megan Boscoe; Emily Keehn; Emma MacNeill; Grace O’Donnell
OUT: Abbey Brokken; Zimra Hussain; Shania Jones; Ash Moloney
SOUTHPORT v BOND UNIVERSITY
Saturday 24 June 2023, 3pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
Live stream on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 4 – Southport won 3; Bond University won 1
Head-to-Head at Fankhauser Reserve: Played 1 – Bond University won 1
Last time they met: 6 May 2023 – Southport 6.5 (41) d Bond University 1.1 (7) at Bond University Oval
Shark Stoush V. The newest but arguably the fiercest rivalry in the Bond University QAFLW resumes at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday when ladder leaders Southport host second placed Bond University.
While there have been many variations of Gold Coast derbies through Bond University QAFLW history, the growing suspicion that each is the other’s biggest obstacle to premiership glory is adding particular bite to the rivalry between the Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) and the Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias).
This match sees both sides nearer to full-strength than the previous Stoush in April, when Bond was without its legion of SUNS Academy players and will provide a better indication of how each may line up in a finals meeting.
For example, none of Bond’s half-forward line of Usher, Harris and Harrington were available in Round 4 and will face both the biggest test of their careers and most likely the biggest bodied test of their careers against Southport’s back five.
From last week’s side that obliterated Wilston Grange, Ella Calleja comes onto the bench having sneaked in a game for her beloved Yeppoon Swans last weekend, while Sienna McMullen is named at halfback to move her 2023 tally of games for Bond past her tally of games for Australia.
Southport loses young guns Darcie Davies and Peyton Mackie from last week’s team that defeated Aspley, as well as tall forward Tayla Gregory. However, captain Jess Malouf is expected to return from injury while Steph O’Brien and Avalon Pearce make sure no overall height is lost.
The only previous Shark Stoush to be played at Fankhauser was last July when Bond prevailed in the mud before the South Queensland v North Queensland matches. This time around, the forecast is for sunshine, the drainage at Fankhauser has been re-laid, and the SQ/NQ match is in Cairns.
SOUTHPORT
FB | 24 Alessia Smythe | 1 Kristi Harvey | 11 Leigh Alder
HB | 57 Ruby Mitchell | 46 Maddy Baldwin
C | 10 Carly Remmos | 47 Georgia Breward | 45 Maddie Gault
HF | 4 Hannah Davies | 21 Selina Priest (vc)
FF | 7 Steph O’Brien | 6 Avalon Pearce | 36 Maggie O’Connell
FOL | 29 Lilly Pearce | 14 Maddy Watt | 2 Rianna Schipp (vc)
IC | 5 Jess Malouf (c) | 8 Abbie Pluples | 12 Tamsin Perry | 27 Georja Davies | 35 Jess Maher
EMG | 16 Tori Winstanley | 30 Matisse Hunter | 50 Indira Maradani | 56 Paris Couzijn
Coach: Peter Doherty
IN: Jess Malouf; Steph O’Brien; Avalon Pearce
OUT: Darcie Davies; Tayla Gregory; Peyton Mackie
BOND UNIVERSITY
FB | 49 Kiara Bischa | 10 Grace Moodie
HB | 20 Paris Lightfoot (c) | 29 Jemma Blair | 27 Sienna McMullen
C | 40 Charlotte Taylor | 7 Courtney Sexton | 11 Georgia Hutton
HF | 18 Ava Usher | 32 Havana Harris | 4 Tara Harrington
FF | 9 Bella Iverach | 56 Lily Tarlinton
FOL | 50 Jasmyn Davidson | 1 Josie McCabe | 17 Christy Landwehr
IC | 2 Georgia Johnson | 8 Ella Calleja | 12 Sally Evans | 14 Gabby Deller | 31 Tobi Chapman
EMG | 3 Shannon Nolan | 19 Evy Reeves | 33 Skye White | 53 Mia Salisbury
Coach: Andy Lovell
IN: Ella Calleja; Sienna McMullen; Ava Usher
OUT: Shannon Nolan; Evy Reeves; Mia Salisbury
^ denotes QAFLW debut; † denotes QAFLW club debut
You can watch all matches in the Bond University QAFLW by visiting AFL Queensland on YouTube.
