A HALF-dozen goals from double bottom-age talent Georja Davies has helped the Gold Coast Suns Academy get off to the perfect start in the AFLW Under 16 Championships. The Suns Academy proved too good for the Sydney Swans Academy, running out 11-goal winners in the first of three games at Bond University.

The first term was an arm-wrestle, with the Swans kicking the first major 12 minutes into the contest via Grace Parsons, which was countered by Lilly-Ann Ryder a few minutes before the first break. The teams headed in with 1.2 (8) apiece on the scoreboard, but that would soon be broken wide open.

After impressing in the ruck, Davies was switched forward for the second quarter – swapping with Dekota Baron (who kicked one major that term) – before slamming home three goals in the term to blow the margin out to 28 points. The Swans were held scoreless in the quarter as the likes of Ava Usher and Sunny Lappin took control in the middle, with a strong clearance differential.

Kiera Yerbury and potential Swans father-daughter prospect Tallulah Kirk both picked up seven disposals as they battled the best they could in the quarter, but by the main break, it was 5.6 (36) to 1.2 (8).

An early goal in the third term to Davies was her fourth of the contest, after a Lappin contested mark and set shot goal from 25m out. Madeleine Quinn would respond with the Swans’ second major of the contest, but goals to Alannah Welsh and Mikayla Nurse extended the lead out to 51 points at the final break. Lila Micheletti found her fair share of the ball in the quarter as she bravely defended in defence alongside Lauren Appleby.

Finishing off her day in style, Davies kicked another two goals to take her tally to six for the day as the Suns kicked the first three majors to blow the lead out to 12 goals. In the dying moments of the match, the Swans had a rare inside 50 and a neat kick in front of Savannah Newton saw her mark on her chest. She nailed the set shot with a minute left on the clock, ending the game with the scores at 86-20.

Davies shone with 28 disposals, 10 marks – three contested – four tackles, 19 hitouts, two clearances, three inside 50s and 6.1 for the day. She was among the stars with Usher (28 disposals, six marks, seven tackles, seven clearances and eight inside 50s) and Lappin (27 disposals, two marks, seven clearances, two inside 50s and 1.3). Baron also slotted 2.3 up forward, while skipper Sienna Burnham finished strong with a nine-quarter final term to finish with 17 touches for the game.

For the Swans, Yerbury was the most prominent ball winner, picking up 24 disposals, three clearances, four inside 50s and laying 10 tackles. Appleby and Micheletti combined for 37 disposals, eight marks and 13 rebound 50s, while Kirk ended her day with 14 touches, three rebound 50s and seven tackles. Amaia Wain and Quinn were the other prominent ball-winners with 15 touches apiece.

SUNS ACADEMY 1.2 | 5.6 | 9.11 | 12.14 (86)
SWANS ACADEMY 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.2 (20)

GOALS:

Suns: G. Davies 6, D. Baron 2, L. Ryder, S. Lappin, A. Welsh, M. Nurse
Swans: G. Parsons, M. Quinn, S. Newton

RMC BEST:

Suns: G. Davies, A. Usher, S. Lappin, D. Baron, A. Welsh
Swans: K. Yerbury, L. Appleby, L. Micheletti, A. Wain, G. Parsons

IN OTHER RESULTS…

The Brisbane Lions Academy made light work of GWS GIANTS Academy, cruising to an impressive 110-point win. The Lions piled on six goals to one in the first term, and went on to blow the margin beyond 100 points at the last change. To the GIANTS’ credit, they were more competitive in the final term only conceding three goals while adding one themselves, eventually going down 19.12 (126) to 2.4 (16).

Incredibly, the Lions Academy were led by a stack of 2008-born future stars. Zoe Petrides had a day out, booting three goals from 25 touches, six marks and 11 inside 50s. She was well supported by fellow Under 16s bottom-agers Molly Ferguson (21 disposals, nine marks and two goals) and Daisy Minz (19 disposals, three tackles, three inside 50s and two goals). Stella Scott (five goals from 18 disposals and six marks) was the dominant goalkicker for the Lions.

Katie Taylor worked hard in the GIANTS midfield en route to 21 disposals, three marks, six clearances and two inside 50s, while Isla Wiencke had 18 disposals, tow marks, three clearances, seven inside 50s and five tackles. Up the other end, the pairing of Darcie Prosser-Smith and Morgan Stevens (both bottom-agers) combined for 27 disposals and 15 rebound 50s.

In the final game of the triple header, Tasmania posted a strong 75-point victory over Northern Territory to cap off Pool B of the AFLW Under 16 Championships. The girls from the Apple Isle had a tough fight on their hands in the first half, level with the Thunder at quarter time and up by only a point at the main break. Tasmania put the foot down in the second half as they piled on 12.5 to 0.3 to storm to a 15.10 (100) to 3.7 (25) win.

Priya Bowering was unsurprisingly the top ball winner for the Map, with 2007-born star, who has already impressed at Coates Talent League level, racking up 32 disposals, six marks, five clearances, seven inside 50s and 1.2 in the victory.

Jorja Haberle had 25 disposals, five clearances, five inside 50s and three tackles, while bottom-ager Evie Ward finished with 21 disposals – 20 kicks – four marks, two inside 50s and two rebound 50s. Up forward, three Tasmanian players kicked three or more goals with Harriet Bingley and Mischa Barwin both slotting four apiece, while bottom-ager Alice Bowering kicked the three.

For the Territory, over-ager Poppi Gikas had the 15 touches, four marks, six tackles and two inside 50s, while Amber Wunungmurra kicked a goal from 14 disposals, three marks, four inside 50s and two rebound 50s. Highly touted youngster Marika Carlton impressed through the middle with 12 disposals, three marks, two tackles, two clearances, four inside 50s and five rebound 50s, while Demi-Lee Braun and Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn was influential in midfield.

UP NEXT …

Two of the day one winners face off in Gold Coast Suns Academy and Tasmania, while the Brisbane Lions Academy takes on Northern Territory. Those two gams are a part of a double-header at Heritage Bank Stadium (previously Metricon Stadium), while the Swans and GIANTS Academies face-off in Blacktown.

Pool A action begins tomorrows with Vic Country hosting Vic Metro at Deakin Reserve in Shepparton, with both sides then heading to Arden Street 10 days later to face Western Australia and South Australia respectively. The carnival will conclude with Western Australia taking on South Australia on Sunday, April 30 in Perth.