By Ant Wingard @AntWingard
Photo: David Layden Photography
The Coorparoo Kings are enjoying another successful season in 2018.
Just a month and a half out from finals, the Kings find themselves in a comfortable position – sitting second on the ladder and hold a one game buffer over third place.
Coorparoo have long been a powerhouse in women’s football, enjoying success in the competitions which predate the realignment of the current Bond University QWAFL era?
And through their continued success, few others have found themselves amongst the journey as Cleo Davis.
Davis, who also flies the flag as team captain, joined the Kings ahead of the 2013 season after brief spells with Palm Beach Currumbin and the Kings’ rivals, Yeronga South Brisbane.
Since, Davis has played 83 games for Coorparoo; placing her second in all time games played for the club, establishing herself as one of the competition’s best one on one defenders.
Last week, the Kings faced a revamped University of Queensland side desperate to claim victory with their finals chances hinging almost entirely on the game’s result.
Through a combination of solid defence and quick spread from stoppages, Coorparoo dominated the game and emerged 46-point winners.
And as has been the case for many games, Davis was superb.
Tasked with shutting down Red Lions and Brisbane Lions star, Sabrina Frederick-Traub, Davis minimised her influence throughout the full four quarters.
So often the UQ midfielders would look towards Frederick-Traub for the bail-out kick in midfield, only for Davis to stand her ground and create a contest; winning more often than not.
“She’s outstanding,” Coorparoo head coach, M Hewitt told aflq.com.au following the team’s win.
“I still think the level above should be looking at her. She never gets beaten.”
“She’s always the one we’re going to send to the opposition’s best forwards.”
In the week before last, Davis added another string to her bow in the Kings’ matchup with Maroochydore.
With the Women’s Series in its second week, Coorparoo found themselves without their two leading goal scorers; Jenae Govan to the SUNS and Jess Wuetschner to the Lions.
But Hewitt threw caution to the wind ahead of the game, sending Davis from her usual post at centre-half-back to full-forward. She finished with two goals – her first since 2015 – in another Kings win.
“Last week we played her forward the first time of my coaching days with her and she killed it at full forward,” Hewitt said.
“Until last week, I didn’t know she could play forward and we threw her up there because we didn’t have many other options.”
“She always gives us more than a contest.”
“If we could find another Cleo to play in the backline, we could play her up forward as well.”
Coorparoo host Bond University at Giffin Park in Round 12 at 4:45pm.
