by Holly Slattery
The Bull Sharks face off with the Ballina Bombers this weekend in a top-of-the-table clash at Bond’s home ground.
The Bombers are just two points behind the Bull Sharks top of the QFA ladder and will be looking to redeem their Round 5 loss to the Bond side.
The undefeated men’s side has not set foot on a dry field since their last clash with the Bombers.
Having just returned from injury, midfielder Jaiden Pengelly is all the more excited to play the home game.
“I played the last game against Ballina after coming back from doing my AC joint in the first trial,” he said.
“They put up a good contest in the first half but we managed to kick away a 36-point win in the end.
“But if we don’t come to play our best footy then I think they can definitely get over the top of us so we’re going to have to be switched on.”
A combination of rain, sickness and injury has sidelined some of the key Bull Sharks players in recent weeks so Pengelly is eager to see Bond test its full-strength side.
“This weekend will be the first time our side will be pretty much back to full strength in the A grade,” he said.
“Obviously I came straight back in to the wet weather so I’m looking forward to being able to get out there.
“It will be nice to have everyone in the team back and play with a full-strength side over the next coming weeks when we start to play some really strong sides in the competition and match up with the teams that are at the top.
“Hopefully the rain stays away so we can get a bit of solidity around playing some games weekend-to-weekend from now on.”
The women’s sides will take on QAFLW’s top team Coorparoo at Giffin Park and will be looking for a taste of on-field fortune.
The women’s reserves remain undefeated and captain Boston Jackson has her fingers crossed for another victory to keep the streak alive.
“Obviously being second in our comp and first in the seniors’, (Coorparoo) is a really strong side,” Jackson said.
“I remember when we played them last year they were always competitive and very well-matched to us so it will be a really interesting game.
“Hopefully we’ll come out on top but it’ll just come down to who wants it more on the day.”
The backline defender says the team is indebted to the unconditional support that the Bond AFL club has offered throughout the season.
“I think our club spirit is a massive contributor to our success,” she said.
“While other teams can be more skillful than us, at the end of the day I think our culture and connectedness is what holds us together really well.
“The support, the coaches and everyone around us are so supportive and want us to do our best and I’m hoping we get to say thank you with a win.”
Women’s senior game: 4.45pm at Giffin Park
Men’s senior game: 2pm at Bond University Oval
Women’s reserves game: 3pm at Giffin Park
Men’s reserves game: 12pm at Bond University Oval