Bond University QAFLW Round 1 2024 – Match of the Round Report

Photo by Grimes Film

By Daniel Viles

Hat-tricks to Lucia Liessi and Izzy McDonough took Aspley to a convincing 31-point victory over the University of Queensland at Zupps Aspley Oval in Round 1 of the Bond University QAFLW.

Midfielder Liessi equalled her 2023 goal tally in little more than half an hour while also providing a string of clearances for the Hornets to turn an early 12-point deficit into a 30-point half-time lead.

McDonough’s three goals highlighted a spectacular state league debut at half-forward and ensured that her left boot will be monitored by opposition coaches for the rest of the season.

UQ began in a hurry with Lauren Middleton sidestepping into space before hooking through the opening major. Aspley didn’t enter the forward 50 until the seventh minute and was immediately counter-attacked up the right wing resulting in McDonough giving away a 50m penalty to new Red Lionesses’ tall Coco Garton whose set shot squeaked over the defence.

McDonough, a Jindalee and Kenmore junior who spent 2023 in the QFAW with Redcliffe, owned the next three minutes of the match. Her first goal was the result of a clever handball from former premiership ruck Rachael Anstey which put McDonough and her left foot into space. Her second took just twelve seconds from ball-up to all clear as Anstey, Liessi and Lilu Hung combined to put a rampaging McDonough through for Aspley’s 300th goal since entering the Bond University QAFLW in 2019.

Liessi was already winning plenty of ball from ruck contests, as were the returning Alanna Perry and Moreton Bay recruit Jessica Davy. With seconds remaining in the first term, “Looch” won a free kick just to the left of the posts, drained the set shot, and celebrated hard.

The Hornets’ forward pressure increased noticeably in the second period. Liessi scored two goals with her slightly weaker left foot by supporting ball won at the bottom of contests by Perry and then Rachael Vetter.

Jaimie Bryant, who spent much of the night pressing into the forward 50, handballed Lilu Hung into an empty goal square for Aspley’s sixth, and Jess Stallard performed her classic full forward strong-mark-and-set-shot routine to give Aspley a 30-point halftime lead that they never lost.

UQ attempted to disrupt Aspley’s rhythm in the second half by playing winger Jane Childes as an extra defender, regularly switching Garton and Bridey Condren between full forward and ruck, and widening their attack. They conceded a second goal after Lilu Hung marked strongly from an Evie Long pass, but responded immediately when a Condren turnover and a clever kick into space from captain Madi Crowley-Long put Garton in for her second.

However, thoughts of a comeback were extinguished on the stroke of three-quarter time when a McDonough free kick from 48 metres sailed over the defence and rolled through the sticks.

UQ dominated territory in the final quarter and were rewarded when Condren marked from Jasmine Dekker and played on for her first QAFLW goal.

While not quite providing the four-quarter effort demanded by coach Luke Glacken, the midfield of Liessi, Davy, Perry and Jasmine Kawa may be a better ball-winning unit than last year’s engine room. Their defensive pressure forced UQ’s midfield into rushed kicks that were marked and returned repeatedly by a back five, led by first-time captain Lucy Pengelly, and by ruck Anstey.

The Red Lionesses’ should be encouraged by their strong opening and their resilience when under siege. Childes was everywhere, often making tackles and taking marks in both 50s within minutes of each other. Midfielders Laura Roy and Ashleigh Moyle worked tirelessly and found ways late in the match to get more space and provide better forward 50 entries.

In other matches, Dakota Baron celebrated her debut for Southport with six goals in a 71-point win over Wilston Grange; Bond University began its premiership defence with an 84-point victory over Yeronga; and Coorparoo’s 31-point defeat of Maroochydore featured nine different goalscorers.

Saturday 6 April 2024, 4:45pm at Zupps Aspley Oval, Carseldine

Aspley

Goals: Lucia Liessi 3, Izzy McDonough 3, Lilu Hung 2, Jess Stallard

Best: Lucia Liessi, Izzy McDonough, Lucy Pengelly, Tiarna Ernst, Lucy Thompson, Morgan Lanigan

University of Queensland

Goals: Coco Garton 2, Lauren Middleton, Bridey Condren

Best: Jane Childes, Coco Garton, Laura Roy, Gracie Roy, Lucy McCormick, Ashleigh Moyle

Umpires: Leona Jones; Patrick Reilly

Saturday 6 April 2024, 2pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport

Southport

Goals: Dekota Baron 6, Maighan Fogas 2, Georja Davies, Hannah Davies, Megan Hunt, Steph O’Brien

Best: Dekota Baron, Maddy Watt, Maighan Fogas, Tayla Gregory, Mikayla Nurse, Steph O’Brien

Wilston Grange

Goals: (scoring details incomplete)

Best: Summer Hamilton, Zimra Hussain, Taneka Dhadlie, Keyshia Matenga, Siobhan Senior, Kylie Welsh.

Saturday 6 April 2024, 2:45pm at Leyshon Park, Yeronga

Yeronga South Brisbane

Goals: nil

Best: Chelsea Winn, Sophie Wheeler, Charlotte Millen, Madi Goodwin, Camilla Burnett, Abi Lunson

Bond University

Goals: Bella Iverach 3, Nyalli Milne 2, Abbey Bevan, Arianna Clarke, Imogen Evans, Maisy Evans, Shannon Nolan, Courtney Sexton, Charlotte Taylor

Best: Courtney Sexton, Paris Lightfoot, Imogen Evans, Shannon Nolan, Nyalli Milne, Sophie Balcombe

Saturday 6 April 2024, 4:45pm at Giffin Park, Coorparoo

Coorparoo

Goals: Jenae Govan 2, Jacinta Baldwick, Chelsea Chesterfield, Megan Evans, Kayla Geddes, Emily Harding, JJ McLean, Grace Roberts-White, Lucy Schneider

Best: Grace Roberts-White, Kalei Brighton, Emily Bleney, Megan Evans, Alyssa Gall, Lucy Schneider

Maroochydore

Goals: Hayley Edgar, Ellen Hopkins (scoring details incomplete)

Best: Jessee Sills, Sophie Peters, Jaspar Jordan, Imagen David, Abbey Rankin, Abbey Tognazzini