by Daniel Viles
Aspley has the points; Coorparoo has the party
Aspley confirmed its genuine Bond University QAFLW premiership aspirations with a 52-point win at Giffin Park, but Coorparoo celebrated a farewell goal to the retiring Emma Zielke and a 100th goal for Jenae Govan.
Having led the competition for much of the season, the Hornets secured second place, their best ever finish in the state league, with 11 goals including five to Emma McNaughton. Alanna Perry was at her ball-winning best (18 effective disposals, 5 tackles, 4 inside-50s) enabling the clearing kicks of Lucia Liessi (7 clearances, 3 inside-50s) and the tackle-breaking runs of Louise Tyson (16 effective disposals, 5 clearances).
Coorparoo, bidding a home ground farewell to not only Zielke but also premiership captain and co-founder Sally Young, found themselves four goals down at quarter time but thereafter worked hard to interrupt the flow of the slick Aspley midfield. Zielke finished her career as she began it with a goalsquare-to-goalsquare performance (8 tackles, 3 inside-50s) assisted by the constant forward push of winger Meg Muir.
The Kings’ defensive effort was again led by Ajla Fetahagić but the team will be encouraged by the strength and workrate of Enah Dešić (14 effective disposals, 4 tackles) whose early efforts paved the way for equally tough displays from Mia Teubler, Emily Bleney, Sammy Nunn and Alana Mitchell.
McNaughton scored the first of her haul 45 seconds into the match when she ran onto a Holly O’Flaherty pass into an open goal. Her tally was doubled a mere four minutes later with a classic full forward’s goal, marking 20 metres out directly in front from a Jasmine Kawa pass.
Kawa, who was outstanding switching between defence and ruck, had her second assist in the ninth minute when Izzy McDonough showed there was more than one Aspley forward capable of marking on the lead and drilling the set shot.
Coorparoo’s one significant attack of the quarter yielded maximum reward when Zielke gathered a loose ball at left half-forward and hit the chest of Govan, her set shot from 40 metres taking her to 99 state league goals.
Maddi Tallis benefited from a 50-metre penalty three minutes later to restore the Hornets’ lead and take her career tally to 98 behind Govan.
Kawa needed only five minutes in the second quarter to gain her third goal assist, Kitara Whap-Farrar the latest to follow a mark on the lead with a sure set shot.
Govan’s looming achievement risked being forgotten in the celebrations for Young and Zielke, but there was no lack of love for the Kings sharpshooter when she converted a free kick left of the goal and became the eighth player (on record) in the Bond University QAFLW to reach the 100 goal milestone.
Any risk of Aspley being overwhelmed by sentiment was extinguished with two quick goals midway through the second term, the first when McNaughton steamed onto a Perry pass, the second only 17 seconds later when Lilu Hung took a handball from McDonough and slammed home from 40 metres.
The Hornets bookended both remaining quarters with set shot goals: McNaughton scoring both in the third; Whap-Farrar and Barnes completing a strong night for the brown and golds in the last.
Halfway through the third, Zielke marked from Govan at left half-forward, then found Chloe Gaunt on the other side of the field with a long precise pass. Gaunt’s kick to the goalsquare disorganised Aspley’s defence, a tackle from Macie Brown and a handball from Emily Harding gave Zielke a clear run to score her final goal at Giffin Park.
The only thing other than a win that would have made the night perfect for the Kings was a goal to Young. Zielke, after missing two set shots of her own in the final term, found Young with a short pass nine minutes from the end. That Young, who had missed with a snap in the second quarter, put her shot wide to the left merely ensured that she was shown extra love after full time.
Elsewhere in a pulsating final round: Southport won its second straight minor premiership with its highest ever score putting 109 points past Yeronga; University of Queensland led Bond University at half-time but ultimately missed the finals going down by 26 points; and Wilston Grange’s 46-point win at Maroochydore was not enough to overhaul Coorparoo’s percentage but nonetheless gave the Gorillas their best placing in six years.
For the first time on record in the Bond University QAFLW, the same four teams will contest the finals in consecutive years.
Saturday 27 July 2024, 4:45pm at Giffin Park, Coorparoo
COORPAROO 1.0 (6) 2.2 (14) 3.2 (20) 3.5 (23)
ASPLEY 4.2 (26) 7.4 (46) 9.6 (60) 11.9 (75)
Replay and match statistics
Coorparoo
Goals: Jenae Govan 2, Emma Zielke
Best: Emma Zielke, Chloe Gaunt, Ayla Fetahagić, Alana Mitchell, Emily Harding, Meg Muir
Aspley
Goals: Emma McNaughton 5, Kitara Whap-Farrar 2, Izzy McDonough, Maddi Tallis, Lilu Hung, Drew Barnes
Best: Louise Tyson, Anna van de Wiel, Emma Pittman, Jasmine Kawa, Emma McNaughton, Alanna Perry
Saturday 27 July 2024, 3pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport
SOUTHPORT 4.5 (29) 9.9 (63) 13.11 (89) 16.13 (109)
YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0)
Replay and match statistics
Southport
Goals: Maddy Baldwin 4, Alannah Welsh 3, Tayla Gregory 2, Georja Davies 2, Sunny Lappin, Steph O’Brien, Abbie Pluples, Maighan Fogas, Rianna Schipp
Best: Georja Davies, Steph O’Brien, Kaylee Kimber, Maddy Watt, Siobhan Ross, Maddy Baldwin
Yeronga South Brisbane
Goals: –
Best: Jamie Howell, Courtney McDonnell, Georgia Hewett, Camilla Burnett, Sienna Morassuti, Charlotte Millen
Saturday 27 July 2024, 3:45pm at Base Architecture Meadows (St Lucia No. 2), St Lucia
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND 1.1 (7) 2.1 (13) 2.1 (13) 3.2 (20)
BOND UNIVERSITY 0.1 (1) 1.5 (11) 3.10 (28) 6.10 (46)
Replay and match statistics
University of Queensland
Goals: Laura Roy, Elka Barnett, Monique Piunti
Best: Jessi Henning, Jane Childes, Nickkie Shaw, Madi Crowley-Long, Lara Mason, Monique Piunti
Bond University
Goals: Ella Calleja 4, Leah Kaslar, Tshinta Kendall
Best: Nyalli Milne, Ella Calleja, CJ Landwehr, Leah Kaslar, Paris Lightfoot, Skye White
Saturday 27 July 2024, 4:45pm at Domino’s Park (Neil Upton Oval), Maroochydore
MAROOCHYDORE 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 1.0 (6)
WILSTON GRANGE 3.1 (19) 5.2 (32) 7.2 (44) 8.4 (52)
Replay and match statistics
Maroochydore
Goals: Lataya De Pauw
Best: Abbey Tognazzini, Lily Yates, Demi Norton, Arden Quilliam, Hayley Edgar, Jya Epstein
Wilston Grange
Goals: Naomi Celebre 2, Keyshia Matenga, Zimra Hussain, Kadie Fletcher, Taneka Dhadlie, Mia Geere, Summer Hamilton
Best: (none named)
Final Table: Southport 48, Aspley 48, Bond University 44, Coorparoo 24,
Wilston Grange 24, University of Queensland 20, Maroochydore 16, Yeronga South Brisbane 0.
Find all your information about the Bond University QAFLW at the Competition Hub.
