The Gold Coast Sunsets have taken out the 2018 AFL Queensland Under 17 Youth Girls State Championships after overcoming the North Queensland Kookaburras in a wet and slippery Grand Final on Tuesday.
The Sunsets were dominant through this year’s competition, winning every one of their four games and conceding just 16 points in the process.
The Gold Coast side completely dismantled their cross-border rival Northern Rivers, winning 120 to nil to launch their campaign.
Wins against Brisbane South and Sunshine Coast then set them up for the clash against the Kookaburras who were also entering the match undefeated.
Sunsets player Emmii-Lee Zanker-Close was one of the competition’s best, taking out the Coaches’ Award and 2nd place in the Best & Fairest.
“I was very emotional yesterday, it was really awesome to be rewarded with that and I was quite shocked,” Zanker-Close said.
“It’s always so fun playing Sunsets, the coaching, the staff, the whole lead-up to the carnival, all the training – everything’s so much fun,” Zanker-Close said.
“To go out and play on the field, all the hard work pays off and it’s awesome to see, it’s so rewarding.”
2018 is the fourth-straight year the Sunsets have taken out the Championships.
They haven’t lost a game in three years at Under 17 level.
Coached by Gold Coast Winter Series captain Jordan Membrey, the young Sunsets have been able to glean plenty of experience to set them up for their own AFLW dreams.
“She’s always so understanding and if you ever have an issue you feel so warmed just talking to her,” Zanker-Close said.
“It’s good because she’s not only your coach but she’s a really good friend.”
While Zanker-Close’s time in the Sunsets guernsey may be up, she hopes the reputation and legacy the team is building at Youth Girls level continues to live on for many years to come.
