A six-goal haul to Olivia Meagher highlighted Southport’s sixteenth straight win in the Bond University QAFLW, defeating Aspley by 62 points at Automall Aspley Oval.
Meagher’s first three games for the Sharks since transferring from the Thuringowa Bulldogs have yielded ten goals, putting her equal top of the competition goalkickers list with teammate Maddy Baldwin (2 goals) and two ahead of Caitlin Miller, whose four goals were unlucky to be overshadowed.
Vice-captain Steph O’Brien produced one of the best performances of her storied career with a series of bulldozing runs both through the middle of the field and out wide (20 contested possessions), a superb ruck performance (21 hit-outs) and almost faultless ball distribution (29 effective disposals, second most recorded in QAFLW history, at 83%).
Katie Day was outstanding in her third match for Aspley since returning to Queensland from Melbourne, scoring twice and finishing with a game-high seven clearances.
It was Day who opened the scoring when she marked at centre half-forward from Anna van de Wiel and made light work of the set shot.
Southport hit back twice, firstly through Baldwin who soccered from the goalsquare, then through Meagher’s first after O’Brien won the ball at centre halfback, then cleared from her own ruck win on the right wing, and then broke a tackle in the forward 50 to provide the final pass. Meagher scored her second from a set shot just before the buzzer after marking from Megan Hunt.
The Sharks had largely attacked through the middle of the park during the first quarter, possibly while acclimatising to the muddy conditions. In the second term, they used every blade of grass on Automall Aspley Oval and had five goals to show for it. Three of those came from marks within scoring range, the best being a brilliant one-handed snare from Meagher.
Aspley scored the only goal of the third quarter when a move begun by a Jess Stallard tackle at right half-forward ended with regular fullback Lucy Thompson scoring her first Bond University QAFLW goal since playing for Zillmere in 2016.
Normal service from the Sharks was resumed quickly in the final term when a clever handball from Bindi Crabtree provided Meagher with her fifth, followed by a brilliant end-to-end team goal finished off by Miller.
The Hornets gained some consolation with Day kicking a stunner from the left pocket, followed by Rachael Vetter snapping over her shoulder to score in her 100th state league match.
Meagher, however, had the final say when her mark near the square from Zerafa was converted into her third set shot goal and sixth overall.
Southport’s victory takes their winning streak beyond twelve months with their last loss coming against Aspley on the same ground in the Anzac Round of 2024. Their 62 goals in the opening three rounds beats Yeronga’s tally of 55 from the first three rounds of their premiership year in 2017.
In Saturday’s other matches, University of Queensland ascended to fourth place with a 62-point defeat of Moreton Bay, while Morningside held on against Wilston Grange to maintain their perfect start to the season.
Saturday 26 April 2025, 4:45pm at Automall Aspley Oval, Carseldine
ASPLEY 1.0 (6) 1.0 (6) 2.1 (13) 4.3 (27)
SOUTHPORT 3.3 (21) 8.7 (55) 8.11 (59) 12.17 (89)
Replay and match statistics
Aspley
Goals: Katie Day 2, Lucy Thompson, Rachael Vetter
Best: Jesse McMillan, Emma MacDonald, Katie Day, Lucy Pengelly, Monique Dufty, Jasmine Kawa
Southport
Goals: Olivia Meagher 6, Caitlin Miller 4, Maddy Baldwin 2
Best: Olivia Meagher, Steph O'Brien, Maddy Watt, Tearnie Brown, Tayla Gregory, Megan Hunt
Saturday 26 April 2025, 3:45pm at Red Rooster Park, Burpengary
MORETON BAY 0.1 (1) 0.2 (2) 0.4 (4) 0.4 (4)
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND 1.3 (9) 4.7 (31) 5.7 (37) 9.12 (66)
Replay and match statistics
Moreton Bay
Goals: nil
Best: Jess Davy, Tahlia Smith, Rosie White, Taylor McCosker, Laura Irvin, Charis Tarr
University of Queensland
Goals: Elka Barnett 3, Ashleigh Moyle 2, Charlotte Andrews, Harriet Knijff, Gabi Simpson, Emily Rogers
Best: Farradai Hopkins, Erin Gilbert, Camilla Satyasiv, Elka Barnett, Coco Garton, Anneliese Neary
Saturday 26 April 2025, 4:45pm at Jack Esplen Oval, Hawthorne
MORNINGSIDE 0.0 (0) 3.2 (20) 3.3 (21) 3.4 (22)
WILSTON GRANGE 0.5 (5) 0.6 (6) 0.7 (7) 1.9 (15)
Replay and match statistics
Morningside
Goals: Courtney McDonnell, Lucy Bellinger, Kahla McKinless
Best: Laura Roy, Kylie Lawrence, Simone Arthur, Lucy Bellinger, Ally Blyton, Gracie Roy
Wilston Grange
Goals: Gemma Donataccio
Best: Gemma Donataccio, Grace Osborne, Jasmin Rivers, Siobhan Senior, Mackenzie Findlay, Kylie Welsh
Table: Southport 12, Bond University 12, Morningside 12, University of Queensland 8, Coorparoo 8, Wilston Grange 4, Maroochydore 4, Aspley 0, Moreton Bay 0, Yeronga South Brisbane 0.
Find all your information about the Bond University QAFLW at the Competition Hub.
