By Ant Wingard
Image: David Layden Photography
Slow starting Devils finish Gorillas with strong second half
Four goals from Yeronga spearhead Jade Ransfield has propelled the Devils past Wilston Grange by 15-points at Hickey Park, despite another slow start from the Devils.
Yeronga struggled to burst out of the blocks in last week’s loss against University of Queensland but their strong second half, helped by the inside 50 prowess of Ransfield, ensured the result would not repeat itself.
The Devils entered the first break with just one behind on the scoreboard while the Gorillas produced three majors.
Shelby and Maddy Peeters helped the home side to their early lead before Yeronga, just like they did against the Red Lions, forged a comeback.
Following their quarter time deficit proceeded to boot the next eight goals of the match. After finding themselves three goals down, the eight unanswered goals handed the red and black a handy 29-point lead early in the fourth.
The Devils comeback was produced in torrential rain, a facet of the contest that suited the talented Yeronga midfield group.
Emily Bates was at her hard running best and often found herself deep in defence to repel any Gorilla’s inside 50.
Bates’ running pared with the tackling dominance of Jacqui Yorston and offensive running of Vanessa Hart to help the midfield group will their way ahead.
With the game in the balance, Gorillas veteran Kate Lutkins was thrust inside 50 where she finished with two late goals to cut the Devils’ lead to 15-points however the damage had already been done.
Jade Ransfield was the biggest beneficiary in front of goal with her four majors while Grange ruck Emma MacNeill and Lutkins were among the home side’s bests.
Yeronga South Brisbane 0.1, 2.1, 6.2, 8.2 (50)
Wilston Grange 3.0, 3.0, 3.2, 5.5 (35)
GOALS, Yeronga South Brisbane: J. Ransfield 4, V. Hart 1, J. Yorston 1, S. Duncan 1, J. Zanchetta 1. Wilston Grange: K. Lutkins 2, M. Peeters 1, N. Geddes 1, S. Peeters 1.
BEST, Yeronga South Brisbane: J. Yorston, V. Hart, E. Bates, J. Zanchetta, S. Duncan, J. Ransfield. Wilston Grange: C. Svarc, K. Lutkins, A. Kelly, E. MacNeill, R. Ker, N. Geddes.
Maroochydore talls combined for nine against Coorparoo
Maroochydore has sent a message to the other QAFLW teams with a landmark 58-point win over Coorparoo to record their first win at home this year.
In wet and trying conditions, the Roos prevailed to win their home opener for the 2019 season and notch their third straight win – a new record winning streak for the side in the QAFLW.
Rain made early play difficult for both sides with play largely restricted to contested, in-close chaos, but it was surprisingly Coorparoo who earned the first opportunity of the game.
King youngster Caitlyn Rawding couldn’t make the most of her early chance to draw first blood in the contest and it wouldn’t be until the well into the quarter when an isolated forward 50 allowed Maroochydore to pounce.
From there, the Roos would mount a barrage of scores to mount a 34-point lead at the first break – a figure that could have been higher if accuracy permitted.
Maroochydore continued to will themselves in front early in the second but couldn’t extend their lead on the scoreboard as Coorparoo’s fast break and the forward prowess of Jesse Wardlaw and Sherie Sayle helped the away side find their feet in the quarter.
The QAFLW’s leading goal kicker Jenae Govan was unleashed into the midfield in the second half as Kings coach Michael Hewitt looked to cull the lead in the third but agains
Govan went head to head with Kate Surman through the middle and despite have the height advantage on the latter, Surman, who has become one of the competition’s best contested players in the past two years, continued her dominance to earn best on ground honours.
Surman combined with youngster Lily Postlethwaite, the returning Belle Dawes and Tiffany Dale in the midfield to once again push the Roos’ lead further.
Maroochydore booted another four majors before the final break as forward pair Shannon Campbell and Ruby Mcdowell continued to hit the scoreboard.
The pair booted nine goals between them to ensure Maroochydore hit the 90-point mark for the second straight week.
Maroochydore 5.5, 7.7, 12.7, 14.10 (94)
Coorparoo 0.1, 2.2, 3.4, 5.6 (36)
GOALS, Maroochydore: S. Campbell 5, R. McDowell 4, T. Mead 1, K. Surman 1, C. Gregory 1, B. Smith 1, I. Dawes 1. Coorparoo: S. Sayle 2, J. Tawhiao-Wardlaw 2, J. Govan 1.
BEST, Maroochydore: K. Surman, L. Postlethwaite, A. Hales, T. Randall, R. McDowell, J. Sills. Coorparoo: J. Ellenger, C. Rawding, J. Govan, A. Grace, D. Herdman, A. Perry.
Bullsharks hold on against Red Lions
Bond University weathered the storm to come from behind and produce another commanding win over University of Queensland to cement their place near the top of the QAFLW standings.
The Bullsharks found themselves down after the first break but worked their way back into the contest to run out 10.16 (76) to 5.2 (32) victors.
The win draws the Bullsharks again level with table-toppers Coolangatta Tweed as one of four sides to have won three games after four rounds of competition.
Red Lions forward Rachel Vetter opened the scoring in the contest and added a second shortly after as the defacto home side looked primed for an upset.
With the Bullsharks down two goals early, offseason recruit Kalinda Howarth again proved her worth to narrow the lead in the shadows of quarter time after converting a narrow snap from tight coverage.
University of Queensland’s lead was soon culled early in the second and Bond University quickly emerged the more potent team moving inside 50.
Led by small mid-forward Georgia Brehmer, who has assumed a permanent midfield role after plying her trade in the forward 50 in the opening fortnight, the Bullsharks were strong in the clearances and were again well-serviced to the ruck work of Lauren Bella.
Brehmer was one of five Bullsharks goal kickers to hit the scoreboard in the third as the side overturned the six-point quarter time margin to establish an 18-poitn lead midway in the second.
The second term followed an eerily similar style to the opening term with a late goal from the Red Lions gifting the home side hope as they two teams left for half time.
The two sides traded goals in the third term including a sneaky goal-square snap from UQ forward Maddison Wood that cut the lead to just seven points early in the term.
Wood’s goal had helped the Red Lions close the game to the game’s smallest margin since the ninth minute of the second term.
From there though, and just as it loomed like University of Queensland would again pull a win out of the hat; just as they did last week against Yeronga, the Bullsharks piled on four unanswered goals to close out the game.
First gamer Tiarna Ernst was crucial in defence and even found herself inside 50 to snag her first goal with the Bullsharks while Kitara Farrar and Brehmer were again impressive for the winners in midfield.
For the Red Lions, Nat Grider was solid through the midfield while Mikayla Martin again proved her worth in what is quickly emerged as a solid QAFLW campaign for the 30-gamer.
Bond University 1.2, 5.3, 8.3, 10.16 (76)
University of Queensland 2.2, 3.2, 5.2, 5.2 (32)
GOALS, Bond University: K. Howarth 2, T. Smith 2, S. Watson 1, G. Brehmer 1, T. Ernst 1, H. Martin 1, E. Sundstrom 1, M. Ritson 1. University of Queensland: R. Vetter 2, M. Wood 1
BEST, Bond University: T. Ernst, K. Reynolds, S. Danckert, A. Muir, P. Lightfoot, K. Farrar. University of Queensland: B. Koenen, D. Davidson , N. Grider, R. Vetter, M. Martin, N. Exon.
Coolangatta rise to the top with dominance performance over Aspley
A total four quarter performance has seen Coolangatta reassert themselves as the QAFLW’s top team four rounds into the season after a dominant shutout of Aspley in Brisbane’s north.
The Gold Coast based side, while steady to assert themselves on the scoreboard early in the fray, repented Aspley’s attacking movements to emerge 85-point victors; rending the Hornets’ scoreless in all four quarters.
The Bluebirds’ reassertion as the frontrunner in the competition after one month of play is a timely one given the team’s loss just one week prior to Coorparoo.
But unlike in their match against the Kings, Coolangatta shone in their transition play and through their ability to run defensively, set up well behind the stoppages to hold Aspley’s scoreboard impact.
In the rain, Coolangatta’s versatile forward group allowed Rosalie Adamson, who replaced the injured Sandra Carter in the side, and Isabelle Briggs to dominate on the scoreboard with four and three goals respectively.
Adamson opened the scoring with a crafty right footy shot from Voxson Oval’s clubhouse pocket as the Bluebirds held a steady eight point lead into the first break.
The Bluebirds’ scoreboard pressure increased in the second as a handful of uncontested marks across half-forward allowed for the away side to drive home four majors for the quarter, however that figure could have been even larger as the too snuck seven behinds through.
As the two side sparted for the main break, it appeared the contest was all but settled. And when Coolangatta hit home three more majors in the third and another four in the final term, the two side’s fate was finally settled.
Coolangatta Tweed 1.2, 5.9, 8.12, 12.13 (85)
Aspley Hornets 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 (0)
GOALS, Coolangatta Tweed: R. Adamson 4, I. Briggs 3, G. Moodie 2, L. Doyle 1, A. Powell 1, J. Gomes 1. Aspley Hornets: N/A.
BEST, Coolangatta Tweed: S. Priest, J. Membrey, R. Adamson, A. Hamlyn, J. Gomes, I. Briggs. Aspley Hornets: L. Pengelly, A. Kirvan, M. Lanigan, A. Rintala-Apps, S. Easton, L. Thompson.
