QAFLW 2024: Coast rivals poised to meet in decider as Bond hang on for prelim win over Aspley
A late Aspley surge wasn’t enough to save the Hornets from a straight sets finals exit as Bond clung on to keep their back-to-back flag hopes alive. Details.
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Bond University fended off a fast-finishing Aspley outfit to keep their back-to-back QAFLW premiership hopes alive.
The Hornets kept Bond goalless for much of the second half at Graham Road, but left themselves too tall of a task to conquer after conceding the first two goals of the game and trailing by 15 points at halftime.
“Luckily the siren went when it did,” laughed Bond coach Andy Lovell after his side’s 4.7 (31) to 4.3 (27) triumph.
“We started really well, our first two and a half quarters were outstanding but then they got on top of us for a bit.”
“They got their running game going and kicked the last two goals of the game. It was a pretty low-scoring game because it was an arm wrestle … luckily we’d done enough.”
Leah Kaslar nabbed the first goal of the game inside the opening three minutes after she clinked a mark on the goal line, and the Bull Sharks would lead for the game’s remainder.
The loss was bad news for Aspley who have suffered a straight sets finals exit, but it makes for a tantalising grand final fixture next Sunday at People First Stadium with Southport set to take on Bond in a Coast extravaganza.
The Sharks will be out to claim their first QAFLW premiership against the reigning premiers who are out to defend their crown.
“They’ve finished off the season really strongly, they definitely go in as favourites, so that’s good for them, for us it’s a challenge that I reckon we’re up for,” Lovell said of Southport.
In the Saturday evening win over Aspley, Sophie Balcombe was pivotal for Bond off half back as she blanketed potent forward Kitara Waller (nee Whap-Farrar). It was the second time Balcombe had kept Waller goalless this season.
“Sophie was brilliant and she gave us really good rebound off half back, she was good,” Lovell said.
“I had to give our best six and it was hard to go past our entire backline to be honest, I thought they were brilliant, they held us up all night and defended and rebounded well.
Jasmyn Davidson also played a pivotal shutdown role on Jessica Stallard, while captain Paris Lightfoot, Jemma Blair, Lexi Samuels, and Grace Moodie were all strong down back.
“I thought our contest work was unreal, they’re a really good stoppage team, but we were really well organised around the stoppages,” added Lovell.
“Havana Harris gave us a good, early look at it, I thought she rucked really well.
“Shannon Nolan, Courtney Sexton, ‘CJ’ Landwehr, all our midfielders competed really strongly I reckon, that’s what gave us a good look at it and some good entries inside 50, we were able to score some nice goals.
“We controlled the ball pretty well and got some good forward half entries out of that.
“I felt like in the second half we lost our composure there for a while, that gave Aspley the momentum and they got going, Louise Tyson got off the chain through the middle of the ground and a couple of structures that we practice regularly we just didn’t quite get right.
“But overall our competitiveness and our contest work was terrific, which it’s going to have to be against Southport.”
Bond’s reserves also claimed an emphatic 44-point win over Aspley and will meet Southport in a curtain-raiser at People First Stadium next Saturday.
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