by Daniel Viles
Red Lionesses Find Purple Patch
University of Queensland revived its 2024 season with a 49-point win over Yeronga in Round 6 of the Bond University QAFLW.
The Red Lionesses, wearing their purple Indigenous-themed jerseys for Sir Douglas Nicholls Round, scored at least two goals in each quarter to end a run of three losses, two by single-digit margins, that had left them at risk of losing touch with the top four.
Jane Childes dominated the middle of the park winning nine clearances and regularly turning them into scoring opportunities, primarily for Elka Barnett who scored three goals and provided the assist for Harriet Knijff, herself relentless in both attack and defence.
The Devils produced some encouraging moments in the absence of three of their four Queensland state squad representatives and dominated much of the final term, but were undone by regular turnovers between their defensive 50 and halfway.
Sophie Dunne displayed her versatility with strong marking and incisive passing in all parts of the ground, while Jamie Howell showed how well she has adapted to life in the backline making eleven tackles and regularly disrupting UQ’s attack by stealing front position in marking contests.
Paige Livingston opened the scoring for UQ in the third minute with a set shot after winning a free kick in front of the posts.
The hosts then weathered a string of Yeronga inside-50s before establishing its defensive wall across the centre circle and allowing Childes and Gabi Simpson time to find forward targets.
Barnett scored either side of the quarter-time break by weaving through a congested area and finding enough space to get a shot on target.
Over the following ten minutes, Yeronga showed that they could sustain their structure in the back third against an organised attack and conceded just one minor score. Their lock was unpicked after twelve minutes when Harriet Gow won a turnover at left half-forward and Childes passed precisely to Livingston who ran in to score her second.
The next goal took just twenty seconds as Knijff received a long handball from Barnett and then bombed from thirty metres.
After half-time, Barnett scored her third, and UQ’s third in the third minute of a quarter, with a set shot after a throw was called against the Yeronga defence.
Lauren Middleton took over as the dominant small forward for the remainder of the term and could have scored at least two goals more spectacular than the one she eventually did, a simple set shot from the goal square after her original free kick was advanced for late contact.
Yeronga unravelled UQ’s defence twice in the first three minutes of the final term. Peppa Poultney, who narrowly won a fascinating ruck duel with Laura Clemesha, began connecting with midfielders Sienna Wilson and Lizzie Hill more frequently and feeding the likes of Madie Satyasiv at half-forward.
Satyasiv provided the assist for Charlie Hellier’s first top-grade goal in the opening minute after the latter marked strongly at centre half-forward, and then scored her own shortly afterwards when she forced her defender into an error and made the set shot look easy.
It took UQ, who had reshuffled the whiteboard somewhat, until the final two minutes to find the sticks again. Simpson scored her first goal in Aussie Rules when she received a handball from Edie McCabe and shot straight from 25 metres, and Middleton finished the evening with a step and shot from the right of the posts.
Both sides face Gold Coast opponents after the one-week break, Yeronga hosting Southport and UQ travelling to the Canal for the first U-Clash of 2024.
In Round 6’s other matches: Southport defeated Coorparoo by 59 points on the back of four goals from Maddy Baldwin; Aspley’s Jess Stallard and Kitara Whap-Farrar combined for seven goals in a 65-point Northside Derby win over Wilston Grange; and Bond University captain Paris Lightfoot scored her first ever Bond University QAFLW goal, and her first goal in any grade since 2017, in the Bull Sharks 73-point win over Maroochydore.
Saturday 18 May 2024, 3:45pm at Base Architecture Meadows, St Lucia
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND 2.4 (16) 5.6 (36) 7.9 (51) 9.9 (63)
YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE 0.1 (1) 0.1 (1) 0.1 (1) 2.2 (14)
University of Queensland
Goals: Elka Barnett 3, Paige Livingston 2, Lauren Middleton 2, Harriet Knijff, Gabi Simpson
Best: Elka Barnett, Jane Childes, Harriet Knijff, Charlotte Andrews, Gracie Roy, Laura Clemesha
Yeronga South Brisbane
Goals: Charlie Hellier, Madie Satyasiv
Best: Sophie Dunne, Lizzie Hill, Camilla Burnett, Charlotte Millen, Jamie Howell, Peppa Poultney
Replay and match statistics
Saturday 18 May 2024, 2pm at Giffin Park, Coorparoo
COORPAROO 1.1 (7) 2.1 (13) 2.1 (13) 3.2 (20)
SOUTHPORT 2.1 (13) 4.3 (27) 7.5 (47) 12.7 (79)
Coorparoo
Goals: Grace Perry 2, Alyssa Gall
Best: Emily Bleney, Emily Harding, Grace Perry, Alyssa Gall, Grace Roberts-White
Southport
Goals: Maddy Baldwin 4, Tayla Gregory 3, Steph O’Brien 2, Maighan Fogas, Kierra Zerafa, Scarlett Featherstone
Best: Maddy Baldwin, Steph O’Brien, Avalon Pearce, Kierra Zerafa, Tearnie Brown, Tayla Gregory
Replay and match statistics
Saturday 18 May 2024, 2pm at Hickey Park, Stafford
WILSTON GRANGE 1.1 (7) 2.2 (14) 2.2 (14) 2.3 (15)
ASPLEY 3.1 (19) 6.3 (39) 9.5 (59) 12.8 (80)
Wilston Grange
Goals: Summer Hamilton, Gemma Donataccio
Best: Keyshia Matenga, Summer Hamilton, Haley Jones, Gemma Donataccio, Jasmine Ware, Jasmin Rivers
Aspley
Goals: Jess Stallard 4, Kitara Whap-Farrar 3, Courtney Daniec 2, Holly O’Flaherty, Louise Tyson, Rachael Vetter
Best: Jess Davy, Tiarna Ernst, Anna van de Wiel, Jess Stallard, Jaimie Bryant, Rachael Vetter
Replay and match statistics
Saturday 18 May 2024, 2pm at Domino’s Park, Maroochydore
MAROOCHYDORE 0.0 (0) 0.0 (0) 0.2 (2) 0.2 (2)
BOND UNIVERSITY 2.1 (13) 6.5 (41) 8.7 (55) 11.9 (75)
Maroochydore
Goals: –
Best: Jya Epstein, Demi Norton, Imagen David, Axel Oswald, Sara-Jane O’Grady, Jaspar Jordan
Bond University
Goals: Bella Iverach 3, CJ Landwehr 2, Abbey Bevan, Imogen Evans, Paris Lightfoot, Leah Kaslar, Izzy Lowe, Shannon Nolan
Best: CJ Landwehr, Shannon Nolan, Ella Calleja, Jasmyn Davidson, Courtney Sexton, Imogen Evans
Replay and match statistics
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