SEQ AFL under-17s girls footy milestones girls, season highlights
SEQ AFL under-17s girls footy: Meet the late season milestones girls here and look back on some of the season highlights of 2024.
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There were milestone girls aplenty and a whole bunch of season highlights as the SEQ AFL under-17 girls competition steams toward grand final day at Yeronga this weekend.
QAFLW RESERVES, SENIOR GRAND FINALS
Down on the border, Tweed Coolangatta Allira Palmucci played her 50th game for the club, while Taylish Edwards and Izzy McPherson both soared past the 50 match milestone mark.
It was a huge moment for Palmucci, one of the competition’s best players, and a proud moment for Edwards and McPherson.
Up on the Redcliffe Peninsula, Ameeta Dias passed the 100 match mark for the Redcliffe Tigers.
A wonderful local junior, Dias burst through a Congratulations Ameeta banner which was adorned in the club’s back and yellow colours.
And in inner city Brisbane at the Coorparoo club, there was yet another 100 game milestone player - Lyla Harrison - who achieved the feat in the last home and away round.
Lyla Harrison started her footy career in 2019 as a Roos under-13 junior - with her first match in a practice match against Mt Gravatt filling in for U15s.
She progressed through the age groups and helped her team to two premierships while being named in Met East representative teams and earning a place in the Brisbane Lions Academy.
She also gave back to the club by being a junior age umpire.
“She has shown an unwavering commitment to the Coorparoo JAFC/AFC and it's a great example of what our club path ways can provide to aspiring players,’’ said her coach and father Scott.
“Lyla is a player who wears her heart on her sleeve and will always bring others to achieve more on the field from leading by example.’’
In this story we also feature all the team and personal milestone moments we came across this season
Some personal milestones for Tweed Coast Northern Rivers players:
The 100 game milestone of the champion Billi Hutton and Vulcan original Wren Hynes were special moments around the Northern Rivers, as was the 50 match mark for courageous centre half back Sundara Seymour;
But among some of the other personal highlights were:
+ Bonnie Starling passing 50 matches and Summer Browning 100 games;
+ the personal milestone for Madi Power, one tough Tiger, who completed the 96km Kokoda Challenge in 18, gruelling hours;
+ the day explosive wingers Summer Browning and Maddie Campbell dominated Broadbeach Cats with their transition play out wide was something which stands in the memory;
+ Ballina Bombers junior Heidi Grimster’s ability to break away from the centre
+ Coco Colefax’s Cool in a Crisis defensive ability;
+ the continuing development of Suns Academy girls Browning and Billie Cook were also among highlights;
+ the combination of Grimster, Savannah Hampson and Browning. “These girls have a real synergy going. They command our forward structure and just know where each other are at all times,’’ said club coach Steve Foreman;
+ the in the air skills of Ava Henderson who was tall and fast in front of goal;
+ the hands of Alannah McNally who grabs the ball like she has magnetic powers.
+ How defenders Ella Gonsal, Colefax, Elise Devery and Bella Gleed were about their work;
+ the run and energy of Amelia (Millie) Ella on the field, and her team spirit off it because she volunteers to be a club for runner when not available for games due to Suns’ commitments’
+ the model training of Zoe Hastings and the ability to break a game open of
Maddie Campbell;
+ the leadership of captain Ava Maher, who has played with the Suns 18s team, and the emerging leadership of Jamie Collins;
+ the versatility at both ends of the ground of Eliza Wightley and Matisse Francis, along with the finishing work by Alisha Filtness.
These were just some personal performances in a season which saw all Northern Rivers Tiger player contribute.
Coorparoo season highlight
“The biggest highlight of our season is the friendships that this team has formed throughout the season,’’ Harrison said.
“With a very new side in which players from multiple other clubs have joined with existing Coorparoo players.
“It has been the most cohesive and fun group I have coached. From the first training of the week to the game on Sunday, this group is nothing but supportive, seeking improvement and going out and playing for each other.
“This was shown by a game against Sherwood in which one of our players Lucy Arklay single-handedly drummed up support for a massive Friday night game.
“Senior players, past players, friends, family and others who just wanted to be there created a huge atmosphere for the players in which they came away with a win.
“It was the biggest support for a youth game outside of finals the club has seen.’’
Some Coorparoo personal milestones
Josephine Sorenson: At the start of the season when the squad needed extra numbers to have a team, Josie stepped up from under-15s to help out.
“Josie trained all pre-season but just as the season started had significant health issues which prevented her from playing.
“Once better Josie has remained with the under-17 group and has managed to play the remaining season out, showing amazing growth and improvement as a player,’’ praised Roos coach Scott Harrison.
Improved players:
Lousia Greenwood:
A second-year player who has gone from learning the game to being a lead up target starting at centre half forward.
Kate Bosschieter:
Kate has stepped into a key defender role after the side lost players to injury.
“Kate has improved with not only her intercept marking ability but now takes the game and her opponent on at all times,’’ said coach Harrison.
Other personal milestones at Coorparoo included:
+ Emma Bracegirdle remarkably passed 150 junior games, having played all but one season at Coorparoo.
+ 100 games for Brooke Fingland who started as an Auskick player, including playing Auskick during the halftime of the Lions AFL match at the Gabba.
Season highlights, Maroochydore
A season highlight for the Maroochydore girls came in round 15 against Wilston Grange where the girls were being outplayed and out muscled. by halftime
“Some great discussions were had about playing the Maroochy way and increasing the pressure from our point around the ball,’’ recalled coach Rob Smith.
“All players identified this and they turned the game on its head where all players lifted their work rate, pressure and team play. We piled on four goals to none to change the game.
Personal milestone, Charlotte McFarlane: “This young lady has improved her kicking, ground balls, marking, her work rate but what stands her apart from others is the learning her craft as a forward and her role here,’’ Smith praised.
Season highlights, Redcliffe
The squad fought back from a 0-4 start to finish in the top 4 and make it into the preliminary final. “The growth of the girls as individuals and as a team was enormous,’’ said coach Kim Green.
“It is the largest (growth) I’ve seen in a single season in more than seven years of coaching. They are a special group of players and girls.
Lucy Riddle: Riddle overcame the profound sadness of losing her late father Danny earlier in the year. “Lucy had so much more to deal with and overcome than any other individual, and would be forgiven for not wanting to take to the field at all this year.
“But Lucy stood up and was one of the team’s key players all season.
“Being an integral part of the midfield, she played her heart out week in, week out.’’
Green was close to best on ground in both Redcliffe finals.
Personal milestones:
Aside from Dias’ recent milestone, earlier in the season Redcliffe pair Jessica Williams and Amber Grace Cullen enjoyed their 50th games for the Tigers on the same day.
And the Redcliffe Australian football community also toasted a 100 match milestone for popular under-17 girls players Billie Smart. She was a co-captain.
Other personal milestone moments across the competition were:
Brooke Fingland and Emma Bracegirdle (both Coorparoo)
Fingland celebrated her 100th with a win. She started as an Auskick player and early on, had the honour of playing Auskick during the halftime of the Lions AFL match at the Gabba.
Bracegirdle reached a remarkable 150 game mark after playing most of her footy at Wynnum Vikings.
Amilia Reeves (Moreton Bay) who surged to her own personal milestone (50 games) by bursting through a “Congrats Milly’’ banner.
Reeves was a tremendous asset to the Lions with her ability to be a key member of the back line.
Ava Brown, Bree-Ann Langeveld, Tarryn Parker (Tweed Coolangatta)
Having reported already in this story about Allira Palmucci’s milestone, let’s reflect on earlier in the season when Ava Brown and Bree-Ann Langeveld both passed 50 matches for the club.
This followed the remarkable Tarryn Parker who entered the 100 club. A player with a lovely demeanour, Parker was also outstanding on the wing.
Scarlett Featherstone and Mikhayla Nurse (Southport)
The girls entered rare air by passing 100 matches. This dynamic duo were a part of an exciting young crop of players identified by the Gold Coast Suns Academy. Both played QAFLW.
And merely performing as strongly as they did were personal milestones for 14-year-old trio Grace Cooper, Rhianna Ingram and Scarlett Featherstone who mixed it with more experienced rivals across the season.
Georgia Watterson (Sandgate Hawks)
Captain Georgia Watterson continued her remarkable career at the bayside club by playing her 100th game for Sandgate.
Eva Sceney, Isobel Bradley, Jess Black (Wilston Grange)
Wilston Grange’s Eva Sceney was also a proud 100 match player, with a special banner created in her honour. Joining Eva on the milestone list were Gorillas’ pair Isobel Bradley and Jess Black, both 50 game players.
Chelsea Schubert (Wynnum Vikings)
Chelsea Schubert surged beyond the 50 match mark while another junior, now with Coorparoo, Freyja Atkins passed 100 games of junior footy.
It was a particularly special moment given Atkins lost three seasons of her junior career while living in Canada with her parents.
Edie McCabe, Nickkie Shaw and Eva Sartor (Wests Juniors)
McCabe and Sartor both reached an amazing 150 matches for the western suburbs club.
And celebrating another milestone was 100-game young veteran Nickkie Shaw.
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At the den, two girls were acknowledged for their 50 game contribution to the club, Aoife Piipari and Emily Smyth.
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