Great footy, big smiles, a lot of laughs, and even a couple of selfies. The 2015 AFL Queensland Under 17 Youth Girls State Championships might be over, but what a four days it was.
From the moment teams arrived to Yeronga on Thursday, there was a buzz in the air.
Yes, the best Under 17 female players in the state were about to go head to head, but there was a real sense of excitement about event as a whole.
It was a chance for all participants to kick the Sherrin around for their region, but also have a lot of fun off the field as well.
The Gold Coast SUNSETS shone in Division 1, turning the tables on their one-point loss in last years decider.
They went through the championships undefeated, too strong for the Sunshine Coast Storm in Sunday’s grand final.
Their ball movement was slick, they attacked the ball well, and they made the most of their opportunities up forward.
The good news didn’t stop there for the SUNSETS, with young gun Ruby Blair awarded the Julia Price Medal as player of the carnival following an outstanding four games.
Darling Downs was the standout team in Division 2, as they were successful in their back-to-back aspirations.
A win over North Queensland in the cross-division games on Sunday means that they have put their hand up for promotion into Division 1 next year.
In Division 3 action, Northern Rivers didn’t let the fact that it was their first ever youth girls carnival stop them.
It only took them one minute from the opening bounce on Thursday to kick their first ever goal, and the momentum kept rolling from there, winning all games in their division.
Another team that slotted into action beautifully was the Invitational team.
When they arrived on Thursday, the team had never played together before, so to win two games, and be more than competitive in the other two is a fantastic effort. They are definite stars of the future.
What the whole championships proved was the depth of talent around all of the regions.
In every game the skills were fantastic, the intent was there for all to see, and the pace was fast. It was terrific football all round.
From these championships, the Youth Girls State Academy will be selected.
If the standard on the weekend is anything to go by, the future of the Queensland Youth Girls team is in very good hands.
For full results of all four days, click HERE
By Andrew Wiles
