Match of the round:
Saturday 4:45pm – UQ Vs. Coolangatta Tweed (UQ Oval 9, St Lucia)
Live blog: https://aflq.com.au/uq-vs-coolangatta-tweed/
We’re now past the halfway mark of the season and with the top five teams locked within six points of each other, each game is becoming more important. Coolangatta are in the same boat as most other clubs, returning from a week off due to the competition bye. UQ meanwhile are coming off a two-week break, courtesy of their scheduled bye the week prior. Both sides have also had an interrupted lead-up to the match with training sessions cancelled during the week due to heavy rain.
Coolangatta look set to field possibly their strongest team of the year for the crunch match, with only Alex Hamlyn, Rosie Adamson, Kalinda Howarth and Taivia Dunne missing from the best 22. UQ are also in good shape for the clash, with just Nicole Hildebrand, Nat Grider and Dania Herdman missing at this stage.
With Coolangatta coming away with the win last time these two sides met in what was a captivating match-up, UQ will be hunting for redemption. The first quarter will be crucial for both sides to shake the rust off and get the ball moving again after the break. If one side can gain the ascendency early and hit the scoreboard a few times, they’ll be hard to reel in as we prepare for another blockbuster between these two clubs.
Representative stars return:
The upside to going a week without QWAFL footy was we got to see the best Under 23 women in the state register back-to-back wins over Western Australia’s representative side. 28 QWAFL players took part across the two games on Friday and Saturday, and the women will now filter back down into their respective club sides. Queensland captain and Coolangatta Bluebird Maddy Roberts was outstanding across the two games and was supported well by Emma Pittman (UQ) and Renee Cowan (Yeronga) in the midfield.
The deadlock:
Two teams locked on 18 points in Wilston Grange and Coorparoo go head-to-head this week, with the loser potentially being knocked out of the top four. Grange, currently in third with a healthy percentage, have a tough draw in the back end of the competition which makes this match even more crucial for the Gorillas. After a slow start, the Kings have started to find form at the right time and will be holding nothing back after a week to reset. After providing the special commentary for the Under 23 representative matches, small forward and midfielder Jessica Wuetschner will be itching to get back on the field and help Coorparoo to continue its winning ways.
Round 10 Matches:
Saturday June 17
4:45pm – Maroochydore Vs. Zillmere
Venue: Maroochydore – Maroochydore Multisports Complex
4:45pm – University of Queensland Vs. Coolangatta Tweed
Venue: UQ – Oval 9, St Lucia
4:45pm – Wilston Grange Vs. Coorparoo
Venue: Wilston Grange – Bendigo Bank Oval
BYE: Yeronga South Brisbane
By Josh Cheadle
Twitter: @JoshCheadle20
