QUEENSLAND will carry good form into round two of the NAB AFL Women's Under-18 Championships, after closing out two tight matches last weekend.
The team overcame Western Australia by 10 points and NSW/ACT by just three points in matches played at Blacktown International Sportspark in western Sydney.
Queensland coach Michael Gugliotta said he was pleased with the way his squad backed up against Western Australia on Sunday, after a tough affair against NSW/ACT on Friday night.
"The match against NSW/ACT was a close, hard, match in the wet and the girls responded really well," Gugliotta said.
"We challenged them against Western Australia to really use their foot skills, to look inboard and attack the corridor, which they did.
"The tackle pressure, which is a Queensland trait, kept us in the match and caused numerous fumbles from the (opposition) girls."
Gugliotta said midfielder and Brisbane Lions academy player Gabby Collingwood was the most consistent player over the weekend, while NAB AFL Women's Academy members Kalinda Howarth and Arianna Clarke were also strong.
Ruck Lauren Bella, Kitara Farrar and Tahlia Hickie were some of the "surprise packages" for Gugliotta.
Queensland now has seven weeks until round two of the carnival and Gugliotta said his squad would have a solid training block.
"It will allow us to get some fitness into girls coming off injuries, sharpen skills and develop our game-plan further," he said.
Western Australia put in a dominant performance against NSW/ACT, winning by 87 points.
Forward Kate Bartlett kicked nearly half the Black Swans' total score, finishing with seven goals.
Rosie Deegan, Courtney Hodder, Sabreena Duffy, Mikalyla Bowan and Sarah Garstone were in Western Australia's best in both matches.
NSW/ACT's best across the weekend included Alyce Parker, Haneen Zrieka, Jordan Jolliffe and Emily Hurley.
Collingwood, Howarth, Clarke (all Queensland), Deegan, Garstone (both Western Australia) and Zrieka (NSW/ACT) will be eligible to be drafted at the end of the year.
Vic Country and Vic Metro play their first game of the championships on June 17 in Geelong.
The second round of the championships – involving the two Victorian teams, Queensland, Western Australia, NSW/ACT and a combined Allies side (made up of the best from Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory) – kicks off on July 10 in Queensland.
NAB AFLW UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Game 4
Queensland 3.6 (24) defeated NSW/ACT 3.3 (21)
GOALS
QLD: Dunne, Farquharson, Yorston
NSW/ACT: Quinlivan 2, Allen
BEST
QLD: Collingwood, Bella, Blair, Yorston, Farrar, Clarke
NSW/ACT: Zreika, Parker, Hurley, Quinlivan, Priftis, Delgarno-Fixter
At Blacktown International Sportspark
Game 5
Western Australia 15.9 (99) defeated NSW/ACT 2.0 (12)
GOALS
WA: Bartlett 7, Bowen 2, Duffy 2, Deegan 2, Karadada, Yarran
NSW/ACT: Jolliffe, Doyle
BEST
WA: Hodder, Deegan, Duffy, Bowen, Bartlett, Garstone
NSW/ACT: Jolliffe, Parker, Zreika, Tarrant, McKay, Steel
At Blacktown International Sportspark
Game 6
Queensland 6.8 (44) defeated Western Australia 5.4 (34)
GOALS
QLD: Howarth 3, Hickie 2, Brehmer
WA: Yarran 2, Smith-Bin Omar, Deegan, Bartlett
BEST
QLD: Brehmer, Bella, Abbott, Howarth, Farrar, Hickie
WA: Dowrick, Deegan, Hodder, Duffy, Bowen, Garstone
At Blacktown International Sportspark
