Image by Brooke Sleep Media
by Daniel Viles
Bull Sharks Breeze into Preliminary Final
Bond University’s premiership defence remains intact courtesy of a 53-point victory over Coorparoo at Bond University Oval in last Saturday’s Bond University QAFLW Elimination Final.
In blustery conditions at the Canal, the Bull Sharks scored four goals in each of their two quarters with the wind at the backs, plus the only two goals of the match into the breeze at the clubhouse end of the ground.
Bond combatted their heavy injury toll coming into the match by using forwards Ari Clarke and Nyalli Milne on the ball and in defence respectively. Clarke’s inside combination with Mia Salisbury provided plenty of opportunities for Shannon Nolan and Tahlia Meyer to stretch the Kings defence, while Milne’s reliability allowed Sophie Balcombe to attack the contest and Paris Lightfoot to switch the play whenever possible.
Coorparoo’s defence was better than the scoreline would suggest. Enah Dešić continued her weekly improvement, charging out of defence, winning contests against larger players and, on one occasion, beginning a counterattack with a volleyball spike. Mia Teubler’s defence was less flamboyant but highly effective in forcing Bond to find another route to goal.
Further forward, Chloe Gaunt submitted more evidence that she can win contested marks against any team in the state league.
The Kings controlled the match early when the wind was at its weakest and took an early lead when Emily Harding’s free kick for off-the-ball contact in the goal square was struck truly.
The Bull Sharks’ equaliser began with a Lightfoot switch from the left. After moving through Tahlia Meyer and Mia Salisbury, the play looked to have broken down at right half-forward when Ajla Fetahagić began to wrest the ball from the grasp of Havana Harris. Harris not only won the tug-of-war, she ran to the boundary line before splitting the sticks from 25 metres.
The second-quarter dominance of the Bull Sharks began from the opening ball-up when Harris thumped the ball through the corridor to the front of the centre square. From there, every chance they had to play through the middle was taken.
In the fifth minute, Clarke intercepted at right half-forward, passed to a centrally located CJ Landwehr, and watched Maisy Evans mark strongly in the hot spot. Evans judged the left-to-right wind perfectly to score.
Balcombe had been pressing forward from defence all match, but probably didn’t expect the goalscoring opportunity provided when her mark on right wing was followed by a 50-metre penalty. No wind would prevent Balcombe from scoring her first goal since playing for Broadbeach in 2020.
The tactic of attacking through the spine yielded two goals to Bella Davies. Lightfoot’s driving kick inside-50 was determinedly knocked and soccered by Davies for 40 metres before she stamped the ball home with the sole of the boot. Her second was more fluent with Bronte Parker, Salisbury and Davies combining by hand to split the Kings’ defence.
Parker’s afternoon was notable for her constant forward pressure (11 tackles) but her moment in the sun came shortly after half-time when she roved a tap-down at a marking contest from Ella Calleja, ran to the corner and scored the latest in a long history of goals at The Canal on the narrow angle in front of the clubhouse.
Coorparoo had the better of the quarter thereafter. Jenae Govan missed a difficult opportunity midway through the term but won a 50-metre penalty two minutes later to score from point blank range and keep the Kings in the contest.
That the Bull Sharks’ premiership defence would continue another week was confirmed with three goals in three minutes early in the last quarter. Harris scored the first two, marking from Meyer and slamming home from 40 metres in the sixth minute, then tapping through a shot from Davies after a strong Calleja fend had created an overlap.
The third of that series was scored in just 24 seconds when a Clarke clearance and a Davies don’t-argue were finished by Salisbury chipping over the last defenders.
Calleja added the final spoonful of gravy with a 45-metre shot that rolled through an empty goalsquare.
Coorparoo’s losses in both First Grade and Reserve Grade means they will not have a side in at least one Grand Final for only the second time since 2016. For Bond University, both grades will travel to Aspley next Saturday to contest the right to defend their titles at People First Stadium on 25 August.
Elimination Final: Saturday 10 August 2024, 2:15pm at Bond University Oval, Robina
BOND UNIVERSITY 1.1 (7) 5.5 (35) 6.5 (41) 10.8 (68)
COORPAROO 1.1 (7) 1.1 (7) 2.3 (15) 2.3 (15)
Replay and match statistics
Bond University
Goals: Havana Harris 3, Bella Davies 2, Maisy Evans, Sophie Balcombe, Bronte Parker, Mia Salisbury, Ella Calleja
Best: Nyalli Milne, Paris Lightfoot, Shannon Nolan, Bronte Parker, Charlotte Taylor, Sophie Balcombe
Coorparoo
Goals: Emily Harding, Jenae Govan
Best: Mia Teubler, Jess Watts, Emily Harding, Chloe Gaunt, Meg Muir, Lucy Schneider
Find all your information about the Bond University QAFLW at the Competition Hub.
