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Southport are currently the undefeated ‘Queens’ of the women’s competition looking to equal the record winning streak of 27 and are sailing along with a percentage of nearly 1000! They have dismantled any opposition that dares to threaten them and have a star-studded team that featured prominently in the Queensland team that helped decimate Tasmania a month ago.
On Saturday it is Coorparoo’s turn at home to try and outpoint the Sharks and inflict a first defeat for the season. Adding to the intrigue is the Kings, despite holding high percentage themselves, have to look out below as well with Wilston Grange and Bond University only one game behind and aiming for a top four finish too.
Coorparoo ‘warmed up’ for this contest with two comfortable victories over lower opposition and have beaten teams around them. However, their only loss in recent times was to second placed Morningside and a previous meeting with Southport in Round Six will seem a long time ago and best forgotten. The Kings would like to think they have shown significant improvement since.
Coorparoo had their own state representation with key play makers Grace Roberts-White, Lucy Schneider and Ayla Fetahagic.
Up forward Chelsea Chesterfield and Indiana Scheffler are both high on the competition goal kicking tally and with Renee Teys dominance in the ruck feeding the likes of Roberts-White plus Rose Clancy-Dillon and Chelsea Winn the artillery is there to be respected.
Southport led by Steph O’Brien, Kierra Zerafa, Rianna Schipp and with scoring avenues such as Olivia Meagher, Maddy Baldwin, Caitlin Miller will again be hard to stop - apologies to the many other Sharks players including the defence that have helped their team to its current lofty position.
Only three rounds remain, and this clash should provide a taste of the finals football ahead.
BOND UNIVERSITY (5TH) V ASPLEY (6TH) 4-45PM BOND UNIVERSITY OVAL
A virtual elimination final awaits Aspley as a loss here will see them fall three games behind Saturday’s opposition and possibly displaced by University of Queensland (7th) although they have a tough assignment themselves.
In fact, the Hornets easily accounted for UQ in rRund 12, but either side was a narrow loss away to Wilston Grange and last week’s heavy defeat against Southport. Another away trip beckons here but it was only in Round Ten that Aspley defeated Morningside (Graham Road) so they have been able to produce the right form at times.
Bond has similar form lines with Aspley having also lost in the last two weeks away to both Southport and Wilston Grange. The Bull Sharks will appreciate the return to home turf, but no doubt the focus on the training track this week will be rectifying second half fade outs from those matches where they have been outscored 12.12 to only three goals.
The previous meeting between these two was back in round five where Bond prevailed by 16 points. Again, it was a first half that set up the victory kicking five goals to two and it was a tighter contest in the second half with only two goals each.
Some interesting match ups await such as the Bull Sharks ruck and forward duo of Maisy Evans and Kendra Blattman against Monique Dufty and Kaitlyn Day. Midfielders Shannon Nolan, Lexi Samuels and Ella Calleja battling the Hornets Holly O’Flaherty, Lucia Liessi and Jesse McMillan to name a few.
MORNINGSIDE (2ND) V UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND (7TH) 4-45PM JACK ESPLEN OVAL
UQ has the opportunity to move into sixth if Aspley lose at Bond but would need to beat the second placed Morningside which has only lost the one match this season to do it. The Red Lionesses had a confidence boosting win last week but prior to that suffered three consecutive big losses to teams above them.
Hopefully lessons have been learned from those defeats and perhaps some encouragement can be taken from their round four meeting when after a poor start, UQ held the Panthers goalless in the second half in the 28-point loss.
As mentioned, Morningside’s only loss was recently to Aspley, so they will be wary of taking this opposition too lightly. The Panthers are entrenched in second and want to keep the pressure on the Sharks ahead of a Round 16 clash and probable week 2 of finals repeat.
In the remaining matches Wilston Grange are away to Moreton Bay and following the Gorillas big win over Bond University last week their assignment is simple - to keep on winning to remain in the top four. Conversely with the season drawing to a close the Lions will be hoping to clinch a big scalp at home to record a fourth win for the year.
There will be plenty of interest at the Multi Sports Complex where Maroochydore will host Yeronga South Brisbane at 4-45pm. Can the Roos record their second win of the season, or will the young Devils cause enough mischief to breakthrough for a drought breaking victory?
Please note that due to representative matches several of the regular U/18 talent players will be absent from this round.
