WEEK One of the 2022 QAFLW proved to be a positive one for University of Queensland (UQ) and Southport as they won their respective matches.

UQ first team through to the big dance

The University of Queensland are the first team through to the 2022 QAFLW decider, after comfortably beating Bond University in the Qualifying Final.

It was a seesawing affair in the opening quarter, with both sides having plenty of scoring opportunities.

It was also a low-scoring affair, with only the one goal kicked for the entire quarter. That goal went to the home side, after Jessica Stallard kicked truly from point blank range inside the first four minutes of the quarter.

As such, at the first break the margin was a single goal in favour of the Red Lionesses.

Unfortunately for the Bull Sharks, their scoring woes continued into the second term. Although they did get the first two scores of the quarter on the board, they were both behinds. On the flipside, the Red Lionesses managed to get two goals on the board through Stallard and Ashanti Jackson respectively, and so their lead was out to almost three goals at the major break.

Bond’s lack of a strong marking target up forward was clear for all to see, and so although the margin was under three goals, it seemed like quite the mountain Bond had to climb in the second half.

Bond Uni’s scoring woes continued in the third term.

Although they had plenty of opportunities, particularly early, they kept running into the same brick wall in the form of Jessi Henning. Henning was a star for UQ across the full back line, playing quite the goalkeeper role and stopping a number of goals.

UQ put two more goals of their own on the board through Stallard again and Stephanie O’Brien, and by the time the teams turned for home, they had one foot in the decider.

Bond finally got a goal on the board inside the first two minutes of the quarter via Gabrielle Deller, but that was where the scoring delight would end for the Bull sharks. UQ piled two more majors on via Ava Seton and Kadie Fletcher as the Red Lionesses cemented their dominant win.

Southport survives elimination battle to move on to Prelim

Southport’s stellar debut season in the top flight will continue at least one more week, after defeating Maroochydore by 41 points in the elimination final.

After a free flowing first quarter, once Southport was able to stop Maroochydore’s run and carry game things started to get a lot easier for the Sharks.

It was a free flowing affair in the first term. Both sides had plenty of opportunities in their respective forward 50s, but it was the Sharks who were able to capitalise on it more then their opposition were.

Goals to Caitlin Miller and Darcie Davies saw Southport take a two goal lead into the first change.

In a stark contrast to the first quarter, the vast majority of the second term was played in Southport’s forward half.

They kept peppering at the goals but shot after shot went wide.

It took 16 and a half minutes for Southport to finally put a major on the board after Davies kicked her second.

Maroochydore managed one foray forward for the quarter, but they certainly made the most of it when Jessee Sills soccered a goal through with a mere handful of seconds left before the final siren.

Southport continued to dominate proceedings in the opening half of the third term, extending their lead out to over 30 points through goals to both Davies (who was up to three goals at this point) and Selina Priest

Emma Day got one back for Maroochydore early in the second half of the quarter, but that proved to be the Roos’ only goal for the quarter as the margin sat at 26 points heading into the final term.

Southport certainly came out of the final break looking like they wanted to wrap things up, and with goals to Davies and Tatum Shaw inside the first three minutes, they certainly did that.