by Daniel Viles
BOND UNIVERSITY v UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Saturday 29 July 2023, 4:45pm at Bond University Oval, Robina
Live stream with commentary on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 14 – Bond University won 7; University of Queensland won 6; Drawn 1
Head-to-Head at Bond University Oval: Played 6 – University of Queensland won 4; Bond University won 2
Last time they met: 10 June 2023 – Bond University 5.8 (38) d University of Queensland 4.5 (29) at Base Architecture Meadows
The 15th U-Clash in the Bond University QAFLW, and this year’s final Match of the Round, should be much closer than each varsity’s ladder position would suggest.
Bond University has won seven of its last eight matches and will finish second regardless of the result, while the University of Queensland’s four consecutive wins are more likely than not to secure fifth place.
However, the Bull Sharks’ loss to Coorparoo two weeks ago showed that they can be vulnerable when without their Under 18 representative contingent, while the Red Lionesses, also without their junior representative players this week, upset Aspley last week through accurate kicking and contested ball victories.
This match may not contain as many stars as in the three matches in five weeks to conclude the 2021 season, but any match that pits Courtney Sexton and Ava Seton as direct opponents cannot be ignored. In fact, there is a genuine risk that every contest in this match will finish with neither letting the ball go and the match ending in a nil-all draw.
Bella Iverach has emerged as a genuine star in this year’s QAFLW and was arguably the difference in Bond’s 9-point win at St Lucia last month. Jasmine Dekker may be needed to challenge her in overhead marking duels, especially if Jessi Henning is tied up guarding Lily Tarlinton. Alternatively, it may be Lucy McCormick, coming off her best game in the state league, who ensures that Bond need to go around UQ rather than through them.
At the other end of the park, the Red Lionesses’ attack is noticeably taller than the Bull Sharks’ more physical defence and may embark on an aerial attack.
Bond’s back five has the advantage of several years’ worth of extra experience, but UQ has the advantage of selection consistency with eight of its players, including three forwards (Barnett, Fletcher and Knijff) playing every match in 2023.
No other team will have more than five players with perfect attendance this year. Bond’s five are Deller, Hutton, Iverach, Moodie and Taylor, with UQ’s other five being Dawson, Henning, Hicks, Mason and Seton.
BOND UNIVERSITY
FB | 31 Tobi Chapman | 29 Jemma Blair | 10 Grace Moodie
HB | 20 Paris Lightfoot (c) | 11 Georgia Hutton
C | 40 Charlotte Taylor | 17 Christy Landwehr | 52 Sunny Hewett
HF | 3 Shannon Nolan | 33 Skye White | 25 Tshinta Kendall
FF | 9 Bella Iverach | 56 Lily Tarlinton
FOL | 50 Jasmyn Davidson | 7 Courtney Sexton | 36 Leah Kaslar
IC | 2 Georgia Johnson | 8 Ella Calleja | 12 Sally Evans | 14 Gabby Deller | 27 Piper Phelan
EMG | 22 Jasmine Single | 28 Andria Heard | 58 Issy Lowe | 59 Jessica Nguyen
Coach: Andy Lovell
IN: Ella Calleja; Tobi Chapman; Jasmyn Davidson; Sunny Hewett; Tshinta Kendall; Shannon Nolan; Piper Phelan; Lily Tarlinton
OUT: Sophie Balcombe; Kiara Bischa; Tara Harrington; Sienna McMullen; Nyalli Milne; Paige Price; Mia Salisbury; Ava Usher
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
FB | 21 Jessi Henning | 22 Julia Dawson
HB | 10 Jacinta Fisher | 8 Lucy McCormick | 19 Jasmine Dekker
C | 12 Charlotte Andrews | 2 Jane Childes | 5 Meagan Cook
HF | 35 Elka Barnett | 1 Gracie Champion | 41 Harriet Knijff
FF | 17 Bridey Condren | 4 Kadie Fletcher
FOL | 56 Lucy Hicks (c) | 16 Ava Seton (vc) | 9 Lara Mason
IC | 6 Lauren Middleton | 39 Jackie Chan Tie | 55 Kate McKenna | 58 Indiya De Jonge
EMG | nil
Coach: Ross Clayfield
IN: Jackie Chan Tie; Indiya De Jonge; Jasmine Dekker; Jacinta Fisher; Kate McKenna
OUT: Madi Crowley-Long; Edie McCabe; Ashleigh Moyle; Laura Roy; Eva Sartor; Brooke Sheridan
ASPLEY v WILSTON GRANGE
Saturday 29 July 2023, 2pm at Zupps Aspley Oval, Carseldine
Head-to-Head: Played 8 – Aspley won 6; Wilston Grange won 2
Head-to-Head at Zupps Aspley Oval: Played 3 – Aspley won 2; Wilston Grange won 1
Last time they met: 10 June 2023 – Aspley 11.5 (71) d Wilston Grange 3.7 (25) at iiNergy Oval
The Aspley Hornets can ensure that their first ever finals match in the Bond University QAFLW is played at home with a win over Wilston Grange at Zupps Aspley Oval on Saturday afternoon.
While a shock loss to University of Queensland confirmed that Aspley will face Coorparoo in the First Semi Final, a win or draw will confirm that their canteen is the one in operation on 12 August.
Wilston Grange is coming off an entertaining win over Maroochydore and, while they won’t play a Grand Final this year, the only change to their side is so that their captain, Chloe Litherland, is well-rested to take the court for the Ipswich Jets against the Brisbane North Cougars in Sunday’s Sapphire Series netball Grand Final. One of Litherland’s teammates will be Queensland captain and Southport midfielder Steph O’Brien.
Elsewhere, Brenton Meddings will conduct a few experiments by swapping Keyshia Matenga and Zimra Hussain from their regular positions and starting regular halfback Maegan Dick on the ball for the first time this year.
The Hornets are looking for stability coming into the finals but will try Emma Lendrum in the key centre half-forward position with Jess Stallard moving into the goalsquare. Given that Stallard is tied for Leading Goalkicker with Southport’s Maggie O’Connell, it’s not inconceivable that “Sharky” will be forbidden from leaving the goalsquare for the entire 80 minutes.
Five Hornets will finish 2023 having played in every match: captain Courtney Daniec; Mikayla Martin; Lucy Thompson; Louise Tyson; and Stallard; while three Gorillas: Gemma Donataccio; Mackenzie Findlay (captain this week in the absence of Litherland); and Keyshia Matenga, won’t need any absentee notes to be signed by their parents.
ASPLEY
FB | 10 Morgan Lanigan | 13 Lucy Thompson
HB | 20 Emma Pittman | 23 Ange Lingard (c) | 33 Gabby Roberts
C | 32 Bree McKenzie | 12 Lucia Liessi | 16 Anna van de Wiel
HF | 9 Louise Tyson | 54 Emma Lendrum | 40 Rachael Vetter
FF | 19 Hanna Brennan | 25 Jess Stallard
FOL | 28 Anais Kirvan | 4 Courtney Daniec (c) | 30 Mikayla Martin
IC | 5 Lucy Pengelly | 11 Tarryn Meyer | 31 Jaida Tabb | 35 Ella Desrettes | 45 Hannah Giles
EMG | 6 Hayley Hinze
Coach: Luke Glacken
IN: Hannah Giles; Bree McKenzie; Tarryn Meyer; Gabby Roberts; Jaida Tabb
OUT: Jaimie Bryant; Rania Crozier; Maddy Kawa; Elysse McNiven; Holly Mirfield
WILSTON GRANGE
FB | 10 Ash Moloney | 14 Annabel Pettigrew
HB | 5 Keyshia Matenga | 21 Jacinta Ens | 51 Gemma Donataccio
C | 19 Zimra Hussain | 1 Mackenzie Findlay (c) | 18 Siobhan Senior
HF | 17 Kylie Welsh | 8 Kalista-Jayne Shiner | 35 Charlize Anderson
FF | 27 Naomi Celebre | 12 Lauren Shackleton
FOL | 13 Emily Keehn | 52 Grace O’Donnell | 25 Maegan Dick
IC | 2 Abbey Brokken | 4 Megan Boscoe | 15 Daisy Carter | 40 Jayme Winter | 48 Emma MacNeill
EMG | 16 Tarin Moke | 47 Gemma Moore | 56 Madeleine Haeusler
Coach: Brenton Meddings
IN: Daisy Carter
OUT: Chloe Litherland
MAROOCHYDORE v COORPAROO
Saturday 22 July 2023, 2pm at Domino’s Oval, Maroochydore
Live stream on YouTube
Head-to-Head: Played 16 – Coorparoo won 10; Maroochydore won 6
Head-to-Head at Domino’s Oval: Played 8 – Maroochydore won 5; Coorparoo won 3
Last time they met: 10 June 2023 – Coorparoo 12.8 (80) d Maroochydore 2.2 (14) at Giffin Park
At the end of their seventh season in the Bond University QAFLW, Maroochydore plays its 100th match in the state league when it hosts Coorparoo on Saturday afternoon.
The club that produced stars like Shannon Campbell, Belle Dawes, Jacqui Dupuy, Tahlia Randall, Lily Postlethwaite, Kate Surman and Mikayla Pauga has had easier seasons than 2023 but there is no question that the Roos have become a firmly established and successful Sunshine Coast presence in the QAFLW. Sara-Jane O’Grady will captain the side in this historic fixture while Jessee Sills plays her 90th state league game alongside her in defence.
Attempting to spoil the party is Coorparoo, lining up for its 171st QAFLW match and smarting after being held scoreless for the first time and goalless for only the third time in its history last week. The good news for Kings fans is that the illnesses affecting the side last Saturday appear to have passed and their bench might even make it into the second quarter.
The Roos, who had their own bench struggles last week, will try midfielder Dakota Hooper in a key forward role with Tarah Muir staying forward after defending for long periods last week. Gemma Cowin, formerly of the Sunshine Coast Thunder in netball’s Ruby League, will make her debut from the interchange bench.
Coorparoo, who used to be known as the Roos, can welcome back Ajla Fetahagic and Charlotte Edmunds into their back five. Grace Roberts-White and Taya Oliver will enjoy a job swap with Oliver’s state coach, Emma Zielke, on hand to keep things organised up forward.
The wing battle will be high quality. Lucy Schneider and Laura Blue are very much known quantities in the QAFLW with their speed and clean hands always drawing attention from opposition coaches. Jya Epstein has reached that same status in 2023 with her positional sense and ball-handling making her a key part of most transitions into attack, while Kaiya Hides blew her cover completely not only with a hat-trick against Aspley last month, but with her defensive pressure and inside 50 deliveries.
Barring any late changes, Imagen David and Demi Norton will finish the season having played every match for Maroochydore while Ayla Fraser, Taya Oliver Jess Watts and Sally Young will do likewise for the Kings.
MAROOCHYDORE
FB | 39 Imagen David | 25 Sara-Jane O’Grady (c) | 1 Jessee Sills
HB | 44 Madalyn Hennessy | 22 Lily Logan
C | 13 Jya Epstein | 28 Zara Hurley | 49 Kaiya Hides
HF | 23 Ebony Otto | 15 Dakota Hooper | 50 Tarah Muir
FF | 47 Hayley Edgar | 30 Chelsea Gillard
FOL | 48 Renee Teys | 21 Anneka Williams | 7 Demi Norton
IC | 17 Mieke Thorbecke | 40 Ash Johnson-Moody | 41 Lucy McEachen | 46 Gemma Cowin^
EMG | nil
Coaches: Dave Hume and Hetti Malone
IN: Gemma Cowin; Dakota Hooper; Zara Hurley; Lily Logan; Lucy McEachen; Renee Teys
OUT: Alyssa Armstrong; Lilly Baker; Brydie Eva; Sophie Peters; Indiana Williams
COORPAROO
FB | 45 Bonnie Farrell | 23 Charlotte Edmunds
HB | 29 Kaitlyn Zelinski | 15 Ajla Fetahagic | 42 Grace Roberts-White
C | 18 Lucy Schneider | 3 Sally Young (c) | 47 Laura Blue
HF | 30 Taya Oliver | 9 Emma Zielke | 2 Kayla Geddes
FF | 26 Chelsea Chesterfield | 54 Chloe Gaunt
FOL | 31 Jasmine Fretwell | 24 Hannah McLaughlin | 4 Jess Watts
IC | 36 Ayla Fraser | 44 Josii Hargreaves | 12 Jo Miller | 35 Kalei Brighton | 27 Megan Evans
EMG | 7 Amy Melino | 8 Mel Sweeney | 58 Tshanti Parry
Coach: Rebecca Randazzo
IN: Kalei Brighton; Charlotte Edmunds; Ajla Fetahagic; Jasmine Fretwell; Kayla Geddes; Josii Hargreaves; Lucy Schneider; Emma Zielke
OUT: Jacinta Baldwick; Gabby Fares; Liz Hills; Sammy Nunn; Emily Robinson; Giuliana Simionato; Mel Sweeney; Bridget Taylor
SOUTHPORT v YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE
Saturday 29 July 2023, 2pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
Head-to-Head: Played 3 – Southport won 3
Head-to-Head at Fankhauser Reserve: nil
Last time they met: 10 June 2023 – Southport 12.14 (86) d Yeronga South Brisbane 1.0 (6) at Leyshon Park
Southport will play its first ever match as minor premiers elect of the Bond University QAFLW when it hosts Yeronga at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
After securing a Second Semi Final at home with an 89-point victory over Coorparoo, the Sharks’ week continued its upward trajectory when ruck Lilly Pearce was signed by AFLW club Richmond. Pearce will begin her farewell match for this season with 443 hit-outs in 13 matches, 68% more than her nearest rival, Lucy Hicks of UQ (264).
Southport is in line to finish the year with accolades in the forward and backlines as well. Maggie O’Connell is tied with Aspley’s Jess Stallard at the top of the Leading Goalkicker table on 20 goals. Near the other posts, the current QAFLW record (since records became available in 2010) for fewest points per match in a home-and-away season is 14.6 by Bond University in 2020. Southport has conceded 13.8 points per match in 2023 and will beat Bond’s record if it concedes 24 points or fewer this week.
Yeronga may take comfort from knowing that when Bond set that defensive record, it was the Devils who won the flag. Lucy Bellinger, Courtney McDonnell and Zimmorlei Farquharson all scored in that year’s Grand Final and will line up again tomorrow.
The Devils’ best chance of causing a massive upset appears to be through the pace of their forward line. If the likes of Hewett, McDonnell and Farquharson can lock the ball inside the forward 50, the lack of bench strength might possibly be overcome by rotating some of the quicker players forward, such as Howell, Isua and Burnett. Yes, it’s a long shot, but it’s not in the nature of the Yeronga Devils, nor captain Lucy Bellinger, nor coach Lisa Milne to go into a match without looking for a way to win it.
Bellinger and Peppa Poultney have been ever-present throughout 2023 with Madi Goodwin expected to miss her only match of the season tomorrow. For Southport, Pearce completes a perfect set of matches alongside Georgia Breward, with whom she has created the most destructive hit-out/clearance machine in the QAFLW, and evergreen defender Tamsin Perry.
SOUTHPORT
FB | 35 Jess Maher | 46 Maddy Baldwin
HB | 21 Selina Priest (c) | 1 Kristi Harvey | 11 Leigh Alder
C | 58 Peyton Mackie | 14 Maddy Watt | 19 Sarah Ingram
HF | 57 Ruby Mitchell | 24 Alessia Smythe | 38 Caitlin Wendland
FF | 4 Hannah Davies | 36 Maggie O’Connell
FOL | 29 Lilly Pearce | 2 Rianna Schipp (c) | 47 Georgia Breward
IC | 7 Steph O’Brien | 8 Abbie Pluples | 10 Carly Remmos | 12 Tamsin Perry | 32 Tayla Gregory
EMG | 17 Serina Balanda
Coach: Peter Doherty
IN: nil
OUT: nil
YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE
FB | 49 Laura Wagner | 5 Jess Matthews
HB | 31 Holly Mills | 8 Lucy Bellinger (c) | 55 Jamie Howell (vc)
C | 7 Tiarnah Isua | 21 Sophie Dunne | 4 Camilla Burnett
HF | 2 Georgia Hewett | 6 Courtney McDonnell | 39 Zimmorlei Farquharson
FF | 45 Tamika Smith | 29 Claire Fraser
FOL | 30 Peppa Poultney | 34 Chelsea Winn | 40 Farradai Hopkins
IC | 3 Georgia Carmody
EMG | nil
Coach: Lisa Milne
IN: Georgia Hewett
OUT: Madison Goodwin; Ebony Milne; Stephanie Rosenthal; Taylah Welch
^ denotes QAFLW debut; † denotes QAFLW club debut
You can watch all matches in the Bond University QAFLW by visiting the Official AFLQ YouTube channel.
