Queensland football enjoyed a fine day at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast today, with two outstanding wins over the Northern Territory in the NAB Australian U16 and U18 Championships.
Saturday, 25 June, 2011
Queensland football enjoyed a fine day at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast today, with two outstanding wins over the Northern Territory in the NAB Australian U16 and U18 Championships.
The Australia Post Queensland U18 Scorpions finished full of running to beat their NT counterparts by 36 points after the U16 Young Scorpions had won by 47 points.
“Two terrific team efforts and two terrific wins,” said AFLQ Talent Manager Bob Batty. “A good day for Queensland football.”
The Scorpions, coming off two hefty losses to division one sides South Australia and Vic Metro, started underdogs against an NT side that was coming off a standout performance against Western Australia.
But with AIS/AFL Academy member Sam Michael showing the way as their better players really standing up, Queensland led at every change in a big confidence-booster ahead of next Saturday’s clash with NSW/ACT in Melbourne.
Significantly, after totaling about 230 possessions against SA and Vic Metro, the Queenslanders had a total of 368 possessions against NT – 114 more than their opposition.
“We turned it over at times but we won the ball really well,” said Batty, operating under difficulty after suffering a broken hand in a fall on Friday which put him in hospital overnight.
“It was a good game of footy. We won each quarter, which was a mark of a good consistent effort, and we really ran away with it in the final quarter.”
The Scorpions led by seven points at the first change, nine at the second and 12 at the third, and kicked 6-2 to 2-0 in the fourth quarter to win 15-9 (99) to 9-7 (61).
Michael (pictured), nominated as his side’s best by coach David Ashkar, had struggled with injury since returning from the Academy tour to Europe playing as a key defender.
But after starting in the ruck he pushed forward in a dominant performance, relishing the extra freedom and the opportunity to use his athleticism and competitiveness.
From Cairns, Michael had 17 possessions, 10 marks and 14 hit-outs and was one of five Queenslanders to kick two goals.
Richard Newell, building a real reputation as a quality-plus midfield tagger, claimed another highly-fancied scalp when he shut down NT trump Jed Anderson and picked up 19 possessions of his own.
Andrew Boston, playing through the midfield and on the wing, had 29 touches while Tom Overington, picked from outside the Scorpions squad to play his first game for Queensland at U18 level, topped the stats sheet with 31 possessions.
Tom Fields did a fine job at centre half back with 27 possessions, 13 marks and a goal, and was flanked by two similarly outstanding contributors in Jackson Allen (30 possessions) and Peter Yagmoor (15 possessions).
Captain Dalton Tucker (23 possessions) also stood out for the Scorpions, setting the tone early with a strong showing through the middle when the heat was on.
The other multiple goal-kickers for the home side were Adam Oxley, Clay Cameron, Fraser Thurlow and Jackson Starcevich, while Tom Davidson, Jackson Rolfe, Boston, Fields and Chris Murphy also got on the goal sheet.
Others to do well on the stats sheet include makeshift ruckman Thurlow (18 possessions and 22 hit-outs), Oxley (16 possessions) and Lachlan Russ (17 possessions).
Match Details
Queensland 3.2 6.3 9.7 15.9 (99)
Northern Territory 2.1 4.6 7.7 9.7 (61)
GOALS
Queensland: Cameron 2, Michael 2, Starcevich 2, Oxley 2, Thurlow 2, Boston, Davidson, Fields, Rolfe, Russ.
Northern Territory: Turner 4, Collinson, Nundhirribala, Stokes, D.Williams, Tipungwuti.
BEST
Queensland: Michael, Boston, Newell, Tucker, Fields, Overington, Allen.
Northern Territory: Turner, Neade, Stokes, Wilson, Anderson, Stafford
In the U16 Young Scorpions game, Jordan Bourke, son of ex-Geelong captain and Brisbane Bears player Damien Bourke, sparked a brilliant Queensland win 17-11 (113) to 9-13 (67) in the first game of their championships campaign.
He kicked four of his side’s five goals in the first quarter and had his match haul of six by halftime.
Coach Ray Windsor rated Bourke his side’s second-best player overall behind midfielder Sam Gribble, while Nick Davison, Isaac Rokeby, captain Isaac Conway and vice-captain Caine Tickner were other standouts.
Centre half forward Steve Mills kicked three goals for the Queenslanders to complete a dominate double-act from the home side’s key forwards, while Nick Davidson also kicked three.
Match Details
Queensland 17-11 (113)
Northern Territory 9-13 (67).
GOALS
Queensland: Bourke 6, Mills 3, Davidson 3, Rokeby 2, Bisset, Selman, Conway
Northern Territory: McDonald 2, Rioli 1, McCauliffe 1, Simpson, McGarvie, Wasley-Black, Johanssen, Motlop
BEST
Queensland: Gribble, Bourke, Davidson, Rokeby, Conway, Tickner
Northern Territory: Ankers, Rioli, Waley-Black, Ross, Richardson, McCauliffe
