VICTORIA Metro has beaten Queensland by 17 points on Day 3 of the 2015 AFL Youth Girls National Championships in what was a grand final preview for Friday at Bendigo Bank Stadium in Mandurah, Western Australia.
Both Vic Metro and Queensland had beaten Western Australia and Vic Country in their opening two matches respectively on Monday and Tuesday at the Youth Girls National Championships.
Vic Metro didn’t play Lauren Hojnacki, Georgia Gourlay, Brittany Bonnici and Monique Conti with at least three of them likely to come back in for the grand final, but still were able to record the 8.5 (53) to 5.6 (36) win over Queensland.
Vic Metro got on top with three goals to nil in the third quarter to end up winning by 17 points to take that momentum into the grand final on Friday, but Queensland will have been buoyed by scoring the only two goals of the last quarter.
Madison Prespakis and Sarah Dargan kicked two goals each for Vic Metro with Katherine Smith, Deanna Berry, Amy Arundel and Taylah Clayton kicking singles.
Prespakis, Smith, Taylah Clayton, Courtney Jones, Taylah O’Hagan, Berry and Arundel were among the best players for Vic Metro.
Madeline Coe, Isabella Freeman, Tayla Harris, Tashina Ketchup and Kelsee Sills kicked the goals for Queensland with Hannah Davidson, Sills, Tahlia Randall, Harris, Grace Krautz and Arianna Clarke among their best players.
It was an exciting first quarter with both teams looking to build some confidence ahead of the grand final after both teams had impressed on Monday on Tuesday to guarantee their place in the Pool A grand final.
It was goal for goal throughout the first quarter with Metro opening the scoring before Ketchup answered for Queensland. Berry then put Victoria back on top before Queensland responded and then Metro got the lead again thanks to Arundel.
Queensland regained the lead to start the second quarter with a goal to Sills but Vic Metro got the last two goals of the half to take a 14-point lead into half-time.
Vic Metro then kicked the only three goals of the third quarter to open up a game-high 33-point advantage before Queensland then hit back with the only two goals of the last term courtesy of Coe and Harris.
VIC METRO 3.1 5.4 8.5 8.5 (53)
QUEENSLAND 2.1 3.2 3.4 5.6 (36)
GOALS –
Vic Metro: S Dargan 2, M Prespakis 2, K Smith, D Berry, A Arundel, T Clayton.
Queensland: M Coe, I Freeman, T Harris, T Ketchup, K Sills.
BEST –
Vic Metro: K Smith, T Clayton, C Jones, T O’Hagan, D Berry, A Arundel.
Queensland: H Davidson, K Sills, T Randall, T Harris, G Krautz, A Clarke.
