by Grace Knight
There was pleasure and there was pain for the Bull Sharks in the Round 5 QFA and QAFLW matches on Saturday.
The senior women had a close 49-43 loss in their away game against Aspley but the senior men celebrated a 85-36 win at home over Coomera which solidified their second place on the ladder.
How it unfolded
The senior men started strong and exerted great pressure.
Coomera had a taller team but the Bull Sharks’ speed, agility, and smart ball movement proved too much for the Magpies.
Bond’s focus on pressure throughout the midfield was a successful strategy as the ball spent most of the game in Bond’s half of the field.
There was aggression throughout the game, resulting in a red card for Trace Buckler in the second quarter.
However even with one player down the Bull Sharks remained unstoppable throughout the quarter.
Throughout the remainder of the game the Bull Sharks’ growth and development was on show and they displayed cohesion and structure.
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Several players stood out for their contributions.
With key players Tom Ferguson and Matthew Smith out due to illness, Jack Tilley and Taj Cadle worked exceptionally well to fill the gaps.
Bond’s defence was strong as iron with Will King and Wyatt Bacon both spoiling Coomera’s attempts to score.
What they said
Head coach Luke Mansbridge expressed his pride in the Bull Sharks’ performance, especially considering they were a player short for 15 minutes of the game.
“They played really well even when we were under the pump. They stood up to the challenge so I’m proud of them.” Mansbridge said.
The coach said the squad exhibited depth, with reserves players stepping up at the top level.
“This result really gives us some confidence,” he said.
“We now know that we’ve got a really strong squad going forward so we’re happy to know that we can call on anyone.”
In other games
The reserves men also won their game against Coomera 58-28.
The senior women had an incredibly close match against Aspley, unfortunately going down by six points, 43-49.
The reserves women also took a tough beating from Aspley, 77-7.