QAFLW action returns to The Canal when the Bull Sharks take on Wilston Grange while the men make the trip over the border to face the Tweed Coast Tigers at Pottsville.
QAFLW
Bond v Wilston Grange at The Canal
Last time they met:
Bull Sharks won 6.3 (39) to 1.2 (8)
Best: Charlotte Taylor, Courtney Sexton, Tahlia Meyer, Shannon Nolan, Sophie Balcombe, Imogen Evans
The opponent:
Wilston Grange play a very contested inside game, their hard tackling makes them a very physical opponent. They have a good mix of tall forwards and speedy midfielders, while they don’t have too many key standouts, they will be a hard opponent due to their team unit and on field connection.
Shuffling the magnets:
We go into this game with a pretty heavy change to our line -up. The loss of our Gold Coast Suns Academy girls to their state representative matches will be felt, but the depth in our reserves gives us a good talent pool to draw from. We lose Havana Harris, Nyalli Milne, Mia Salisbury, Skye Wright and Annabelle Foat. We will be looking to fill some very critical rolls; tall defender, tall forward and three inside midfield rolls.
In contention:
The reserves girls won handsomely on the weekend, and we have some players in top form. Tshinta Kendall kicked five goals and Isabella Davies continues to improve across half forward on her comeback from an ACL injury. Sunny Hewett, Jasmine Single, Tobi Chapman, Georgia Hutton and Mikayla Meyer have all been playing well.
Ones to watch:
Our half back, Lexi Samuels, has really been hitting her steps in the past few games and will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. Grace Moodie is another one who has been amazing across half back for us. Another to look out for is Tahlia Meyer. We switched her from half forward to the wing and she has really found her footing there.
The focus:
A focus we have had throughout the season that will be a big one this weekend is being able to adapt to the number of changes in personnel. It is important that the girls remain consistent in their connection by hand and foot, which can be a challenge when there are five major line-up changes.
The final word:
This is a really important game for us, as are the three that follow it. If we win them all it gives us the potential to finish in top two and therefore a double chance at finals.
With Andy Lovell.
QFA
Bond v Tweed Tigers at Pottsville
Last time they met:
Bond won 10.5 (65) to 3.8 (26).
Best: Nick Scott, Matthew Smith, Grant Trew, Sam Brooks, Liam Viney, Nathan Rataj
The opponent:
The Tweed Tigers are a club on the rise. Dean Solomon, a highly regarded AFL player and coach has been overseeing the group for a year and a half now. The playing style he has introduced is hard to beat. Though they are somewhat limited by their personnel but the brand of footy they play stacks up against all comers.
Shuffling the magnets:
Our one major change this week sees us losing Grant Trew, one of our key backs, due to a facial injury. He is a very important player for us, and the loss of him over the next few weeks will be felt on the field. The positive is that he was the only injury out of last weekend’s game, and apart from Trew our line up remains relatively unchanged.
One to watch:
I will again mention Liam Viney as one of our players to watch for, he has been a standout all season. His elite speed, silky skills and fierce attack on the footy make him key in our line-up each week.
The focus:
Winning the contest through the middle on such a small ground will be our main focus. The team that gets to the footy first in the middle will be the one best positioned to win the game. The Tweed ground is an odd shape and very small, so first use of our forwards gives us a much better chance to kick a big score. We must look to run our game out and finish off strongly. For the past two weeks we have allowed teams to kick easy goals late in quarters through our lack of concentration and general complacency. We simply cannot afford to do this against better teams.
The final word:
On the back of consecutive wins, we go into the game full of confidence despite our strong respect for the opposition and their capabilities. A win this week gives us three on the trot and a growing confidence leading into the business end of the season.
With Andy Lovell.