Five things we learned from Suns vs Lions draw
The AFLW world will have to wait 12 more months to find out who comes up trumps in Queensland football after the Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions played out just the fourth draw in AFLW history at Metricon Stadium on Saturday. Here’s five things we learned.
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The AFLW world will have to wait 12 more months to find out who comes up trumps in Queensland football after the Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions played out just the fourth draw in AFLW history at Metricon Stadium on Saturday. Here’s five things we learned.
1. Champion team not individuals
Looking at all 21 players who took to the field for the Suns on Saturday, you’d be genuinely hard pressed to find a player who had no impact on the result. Despite a slow start to the game, when the chips were down, the Suns rose to the occasion. Whether it was brilliant defensive efforts from Lauren Ahrens and Jade Pregelj down back, Captains Sam Virgo and Leah Kaslar showing courage to throw themselves at the ball or Kalinda Howarth having her breakout game up forward, the Suns truly looked like a team and can all say they contributed to the inspired comeback.
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2. Hello AFLW I’m Kalinda Howarth
Howarth has shown glimpses of brilliance in her two game AFLW career but it took until her third match to show the league her full bag of tricks. Drafted to Brisbane in 2017, Howarth always had talent but never got the chance to prove it at the Lions and was delisted after one season. The 20-year-old single-handedly turned the game in the second quarter when the Lions looked like they’d run away with it. Her scoresheet of three goals will grab all the headlines but almost as impressive was her ability to read the ball both in the air and on the ground. David Lake labelled her the ‘Stevie J of women’s footy’ after the match and if that’s the case, I’m buying tickets.
3. Suns desperate at the coalface
The Suns had the second highest amount of contested possessions in Round 3k only pipped by reigning premiers Adelaide. The Suns outpointed the Lions in one of AFLW’s most crucial stats 119-104 which showed their intent to win the ball at the source. Lions assistant coach Daniel Merrett said after the game that his side were ‘second to the ball’ in the second half as the Suns started to gain ascendancy. The Suns also won 25 free kicks to the Lions 18 which is another good indicator that they were first to the footy after half time.
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4. Queensland footy in good hands
While it would have been so good to hear ‘we are the Suns of the Gold Coast sky’ echo around Metricon Stadium for the second weekend in a row, it was almost fitting that the inaugural AFLW QClash ended in a draw. The match of the round had it all. From a one sided first quarter to a last half comeback and a few heavy hits in between, the QClash had it all. Both sides have given so much to Queensland female football and both deserved to win but unfortunately we have to wait another 12 months to find out who gets bragging rights … unless they meet again in finals of course.
5. Suns are a four quarter side
Questions remained regarding the Suns ability to run out an AFLW game following sluggish fourth quarters against the Giants and Richmond but like they have done so many times this season, the Suns put any doubts surrounding their stamina to bed. Trailing by nine points at the final break, it was the Suns who did all the running in the last and very nearly overran the Lions who appeared to put the cue in the rack late. The Suns held their opponents to only one point in the second half in an impressive display of team defence and desperation. Coach David Lake gave full credit to high performance manager Tiernan Gamble after the game and it was well deserved as the Suns pushed until the final siren. Jasmyn Hewett’s second, third and fourth efforts were particularly impressive in the dying stages.
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