Page 50 - AFL Queensland 2015 Year in Review

NAB CHALLENGE GIVES NEW MEANING TO ‘BACKYARD FOOTY’
The Brisbane Lions and St Kilda headlined the NAB Challenge match held at the Moreton Bay Central Spo s Complex in February, but the day was much bigger than a single game.
It was an oppo unity to showcase all levels of football, from community right through to the elite level.
With the sun shining on the last day of summer, a crowd of over 6200 people filled the $13 million dollar AFL precinct on a su ace that would rival many AFL grounds.
Female footy kicked o proceedings at 11.45am, with members of the youth girls squad mixed in with the under 21 AFL Queensland Academy Squad.
Despite the hot and blustery conditions the girls weren’t holding back.
The skill level was high in a free flowing display that saw plenty
of goals, some quick transition football, and some strong tackles.
There were even a few familiar faces running around, with female AFL exhibition match alumni Emily Bates, Ally Anderson and Tayla Harris all imposing themselves on the contest.
Following on from this was the Under 16 Brisbane Lions academy match, where some of the potential
future stars of our game impressed in their first proper hit out for the year.
The Moreton Bay Lions and the Redcli e Tigers took pa in their fi h annual Councillors Cup match, as a cu ain raiser to the AFL game.
It was the Lions who sta ed the be er, leading at the qua er time break 4.5 (29) to the Tigers 0.1 (1)
From here, Moreton Bay was never headed, helped greatly by the contribution of Jacob Huisman
in what was his first game for the Lions.
In a dominant pe ormance, the Lions ran out 98-point winners, 15.15 (105) to 1.1 (7), and will hold onto the cup for another year.
Headlining the a ernoon, Brisbane and St Kilda took to the field
in front of a vocal crowd, which included a sca ering of red white and black jumpers.
Lions’ fans had their first look at star recruit Dayne Beam, who linked up nicely with the returning Daniel Rich, and 2014 NAB Rising Star Lewis Taylor.
Debutant and Queensland local, Harris Andrews, held his own in the back half, a er coming on in the second half as the sub.
In the end, it was the Lions who scraped home, 0.7.16 (58) to 0.8.7 (55).
Burpengary was proof that the NAB Challenge is about taking footy out of the big venues, and delivering it to people in their back yards.
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