Grace Knight
Bond’s senior AFL men demolished the Ballina Bombers by more than 100 points in their round 4 match-up, while the women suffered their first loss of the season to Southport.
How it unfolded
Ballina put up a strong fight in the first quarter and were leading the game 14-0 until Bond opened their account at the 13-minute mark.
The Bull Sharks cleaned up their act in the second quarter as they began to get on top in the midfield.
From that point onwards the opportunities the Bombers enjoyed early in the game dried up and Bond were able to put a comfortable distance between themselves and their rivals as they went to half-time with a 55-point lead.
The Bull Sharks continued their domination throughout the third quarter, adding an additional 37 points.
They maintained that standard in the final quarter to coast to a 20.23 (143) to 5.7 (37) victory.
Who’s hot
While it was a true team effort, the tenacity within Bond’s forward lines and improved kicking accuracy were the highlights.
Hayden Carthew-Zimmer, Matthew Smith and Jack Tilley were standouts, showcasing A-grade skills while playing unselfishly for the benefit of the team.
Nathan Rataj and Oliver Burrows-Cheng were also strong performers in Bond’s midfield with their attack on the ball and ferocious pressure ensuring the Sherrin rarely ventured into Ballina’s forward 50.
What it means
This win has consolidated Bond’s second place on the ladder, trailing closely behind Burleigh.
Burleigh remains the only team in the league which is still undefeated however Bond hold the highest percentage calculation of 212.50 percent (points for/points against).
What they said
Coming off a tough loss against Carrara last weekend, head coach Luke Mansbridge was very pleased to see his players bounce back strongly.
“The boys were really good today,” Mansbridge said.
“We started off a little bit slow but once we got into gear we played really well so it was really pleasing to see.”
In other games
The senior women suffered their first loss of the season, bowing out to Southport 6.5 (41) to Bond’s 1.1 (7).
The loss coincided with the Bull Sharks losing 10 of their star players to the Gold Coast Suns academy this past week.
Bond Director of AFL and head coach Andy Lovell remains positive that the Bull Sharks have what it takes to bounce back.
“We pretty much had an entirely new team this week,” Lovell said.
“Despite this, the reserves girls who stepped up to seniors this week all played a really excellent game, so it was great to see them in action and identify our new strengths.
“The next several weeks are going to be all about gaining more experience, focusing on our training and just getting stronger.”
Reserves
The women’s reserves also lost to Southport 37-14.
The Men’s reserves however dominated their game against the Ballina Bombers to take a convincing 148-1 win.