There was a feeding frenzy across the courts and fields of South East Queensland on Saturday as the Bull Sharks completed an unprecedented clean sweep across all AFL, rugby and netball games.
Super Saturday saw our Sapphire and Ruby Series netball teams claim derby bragging rights in the clash with the Titans at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium while our rugby club sent six sides up the M1 to take on Norths and each came away with the win.
The AFL club then took care of the Tweed Coast Tigers to make it the perfect 10.
“We plan for this every week, but the reality is days like Saturday are elusive and when you achieve them they should be celebrated,” Bond University Director of Sport Mike Collins said.
“For all of us here at Bond Sport our overriding focus is to help athletes become the best they can be. That’s why we recruit the very best coaches for our programs.
“But we are all competitive, we all love to win, and it was terrific on Saturday that all the hard work of the players and staff was rewarded.’’
It was the Bull Sharks’ first win over the Titans in the Sapphire Series following two narrow losses last year and is evidence that the rebuild undertaken by Netball Operations Manager Kim Boland and head coach Bec Stower has set the club up for future success.
“We worked really hard to develop a great culture and to build depth in our program and then we tore into a tough preseason with a really strong commitment to each other to take the next step this year,” she said.
“The two wins on Saturday is a result of that and proof that we are on the right track.’’
In the rugby it was a significant day for new Premier Men’s coach Mick Heenan who orchestrated his first win for the Bull Sharks while the Premier Women found another gear as they demolished Norths 68-0.
New coach Shannon Symon had some enormous shoes to fill this when he stepped up into the head coach role to replace premiership-winning coach Laurence Faifua and he has done an admirable job in building on the foundations laid by Faifua and Setu Naseri in the early days of women’s rugby at Bond.
Faifua, who gained exposure at Super W level this year as assistant coach to Grant Anderson at the Reds, remains a key figure at The Canal as one of Symon’s assistant coaches.
The AFL club were also in on the act, with solid QFA victories in the seniors and reserves over the Tweed Tigers.
Ash’s Day was an emotional occasion for the Bull Sharks with the games dedicated to Bondi stabbing victim Ashlee Good.
Bull Sharks premiership coach and club president Sam Whish-Wilson is a first cousin to Ashlee Good, and the football club and Bond University will donate all proceeds from Ash’s Day to a fund to support husband Dan and daughter Harriett.
Super Saturday Results
Rugby v Norths:
Premier Men 19-12 , Premier Women 68-0, Second Grade 47-34, Third Grade 73-5, Colts 1 40-38, Colts 2 30-20
Netball v Titans:
Sapphire 50-48, Ruby 47-39
QFA v Tweed Tigers:
Seniors 10.5 (65) to 3.8 (26), Reserves 13.25 103 to 2.2 (14)