Live stream: Catch all the action from the two-day AFLQ Schools Cup North Queensland finals

There were dominant performances and thrilling last-gasp grand final wins from North Queensland’s best at the AFLQ Schools Cup. Check out the schedule, watch the REPLAYS.

Ryan Catholic College was dominant in the AFLQ Schools Cup North Queensland Schools Championships primary girls’ competition, beating Tagai State School 7.6 (48) to 1.0 (6) in the grand final.

Phoebe Gordy kicked a goal on the final siren – her second in as many minutes - to end the match in style.

CATCH ALL THE ACTION FROM DAY TWO IN TOWNSVILLE

Gordy and Khaleesi Cruize Wilesmith were powerful up front for the Townsville school throughout the day as the girls remained undefeated to book their ticket to the state finals on the Sunshine Coast.

While almost all of the 18 primary school fixtures across both boys’ and girls’ divisions throughout the day were tightly contested, Ryan’s girls were able to dictate the play in all four of their games.

Ryan’s lowest winning margin was 24 points and their lowest match total (27) was more than every other team’s highest total, besides Tagai State School’s girls’ team’s 30 points against Farnborough in the semi-final.

Tagai had fought their way into the final after upsetting Farnborough 5.0 (30) to 4.1 (25).

Meanwhile, Whitfield State School took out the primary boys’ champions of North Queensland when an incredible last-gasp goal by Ky Burston put his school’s nose in front at the death to defeat Ryan Catholic College 4.4 (28) to 3.6 (24).

Ryan kicked their way to a handy lead in the third quarter, but they were holding on for the entire final quarter when the ball fell into Burston’s breadbasket as Ryan tried to work the ball out of their own 50.

The young midfielder quickly played on and barrelled the goal of the game from a long way out to snatch his team victory.

Whitfield had beaten Ryan earlier in the day by one point, forcing the Townsville school to play their way through an elimination semi-final against Bowen State School before the decider.

Caleb Burns all-but sealed that result for Ryan with a great goal from about 30m out early in the second half to guide his team to the 3.4 (22) to 0.2 (2) win.

The AFLQ Schools Championships continue on Wednesday with secondary schools action.

REPLAYS

BOYS

Whitfield v Ryan Catholic College (Primary boys grand final)

Bowen v Ryan Catholic College (Primary boys)

Ryan Catholic College v Bowen (Primary boys)

Mackay West v Bowen (Primary boys)

Mackay West v Whitfield (Primary boys)

Ryan Catholic College v Whitfield (Primary boys)

Mackay West v Bowen State School (Primary boys)

Whitfield v Bowen State School (Primary boys)

Mackay West v Ryan Catholic College (Primary boys)

GIRLS

St Margarets Mary’s College v Moranbah (Junior Girls)

Ryan Catholic College v Tagai (Primary girls grand final)

Cannonvale v Farnborough (Primary girls)

Farnborough v Tagai (Primary girls)

Farnborough v Ryan Catholic College (Primary girls)

Cannonvale v Tagai (Primary girls)

Ryan Catholic College v Tagai (Primary girls)

Cannonvale v Farnborough (Primary girls)

Tagai v Farnborough (Primary girls)

Cannonvale v Ryan Catholic College (Primary girls)

PREVIEW

Ryan Catholic College have high hopes of returning to the AFL Queensland Schools Cup finals this year with three teams contesting this week’s North Queensland Championships in Townsville.

The school won the local finals in primary school boys and girls, and opens girls, to progress to this stage.

Every game of the North Queensland Championships will be LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on Tuesday and Wednesday on KommunityTV, available with your subscription to this masthead

Ryan Catholic’s primary school girls made the state finals in 2022 and the team’s coaches, Vanessa Brage and Leonie Bonke, believe an unrivalled preparation will give their squad an advantage over their opposition.

The primary school teams will play a round robin on Tuesday before a grand final to determine to regional champion.

Check out the full LIVE STREAM schedule below.

Brage and Bonke coordinate the school’s impressive Aussie rules academy – an ambitious program that aims to make Ryan Townsville’s premier nursery of the 18-a-side code.

Brage said a full-year focus on football provided aspiring players an environment they could thrive in.

AFLQ, KTV kick off huge schools partnership in Townsville

The successful Ryan Catholic College's primary team of 2022.

“All the staff who work through the academy are dedicated, especially in the primary school,” Brage said.

“We train all year from the start of the school year all the way up until the last week, so they see a lot of footy and those kids that stay at Ryan all the way into the junior and senior school, they continue through that program.

“It comes back to the dedication of the coaches, and the dedication of the parents to actually get their kids there every week.”

While the primary school academy typically involves students from years four to six, this term they’ve reduced the squad to just the older two years to prepare them for the challenges to come at this week’s regional finals.

“We’ve decided since coming back this term to make it just years five and six, to make sure that those who are at training have high enough skills to prepare for the high level of skill that we’re going to see next week,” Brage said.

Ryan Catholic College coach Vanessa Brage.

“A big thing for us this year will be making sure we go into every game with 100 per cent and we are ready to play that entire game, and start fresh each game so we’ve got fresh legs and good attitudes.

“I just want the girls to really enjoy playing footy and find that passion and that love for the game.”

The schools championships begins on Tuesday with the high school divisions continuing on Wednesday.

Originally published as Live stream: Catch all the action from the two-day AFLQ Schools Cup North Queensland finals