SOUTHPORT has smashed all sorts of records in a phenomenal Round 1 performance to open the Sharks’ QAFL Women’s flag defence over the weekend. The Sharks produced a mindboggling 32.27 (219) to 0.0 (0) victory over Yeronga South Brisbane to send an ominous message to the rest of the competition.

While Yeronga South Brisbane is tipped to be a lower ranked side due to its rebuilding nature, the win was emphatic at Leyshon Park as Southport showed no mercy across the four quarters. Aside from teh third term where the Devils kept the Sharks to four goals, the other three terms were nothing short of one-sided traffic.

By quarter time, the lead stood at 63 points with a 10-goal opening term, which grew to a mammoth 118 points at he main break. With the tighter third quarter it only went up by 30 points due to the 4.6 scoreline added by the reigning premiers, before getting back to business in the most dominant term of the lot. Producing 21 scoring shots, Southport booted 10.11 (71) in the final term to make it a 219-point win, though left quite a few potential goals out there as well.

Boasting a team that would be as strong as any state league side in the nation, the Sharks have a mix of elite young talent, experienced state league players and those previously eligible for AFLW Drafts but have just missed out. Unsurprisingly, some of the stat differentials are off the charts.

Southport had 408 disposals to 148, a whopping 72 more inside 50s (77-5), 34 more clearances (51-17) helped by 49 more hitouts (54-4) and clunked 39 marks inside 50 from a total of 71. That total included 20 contested marks. The Sharks also almost doubled the contested possession count (155-86) and racked up 257 uncontested possessions to 41.

The individual match stats are just as impressing, with the lowest disposal winner for the Sharks coming at 11, with 11 players recording 20 touches or more, and all bar four players picking up at least 15 disposals. By comparison, just two Devils had 20-plus touches and four reached double-figure disposals.

Carlton and St Kilda father-daughter prospect Sunny Lappin produced one of her best games at the level, doing as she pleased with 28 disposals, five marks, eight clearances and 10 inside 50s, teaming up well with league best and fairest winner Steph O’Brien who helped herself to 28 disposals, 21 hitouts, six clearances, nine inside 50s and two goals.

Potential top five draft prospect Georja Davies worked well with O’Brien in the ruck, amassing 26 hitouts from 17 touches and four inside 50s, while fellow first round talent Alannah Welsh booted three goals, and had 20 touches, five marks and four inside 50s. Among the other big ball-winners were Maighan Fogas (28 disposals, two goals) and Kierra Zerafa (27 disposals, five goals), while recruits Tyla Crabtree (21 disposals, seven clearances) and Olivia Meagher (21 disposals, five clearances) were vital on the inside.

It was a tough day out for anyone in Devils colours, but Goldie Poultney (23 disposals, three marks, four tackles and two spoils) and Charlie Hellier (20 disposals, eight tackles) tried hard all match while Lekaiya Rabbitt (12 disposals, seven tackles) and Clancey Sutton (14 disposals, foru clearances and three tackles) were named among the best. It was a rough first up result for the young side, but Southport is the benchmark team in the competition, and the Devils will surely take plenty of learnings from the clash.

YERONGA SOUTH BRISBANE 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 (0)
SOUTHPORT SHARKS 10.3 | 18.10 | 22.16 | 32.27 (219)

GOALS:
Yeronga: Nil.
Southport: M. Baldwin 5, K. Zerafa 5, M. Hunt 3, L. Alder 2, M. Fogas 2, L. McDonald 2, O. Meagher 2, S. O’Brien 2, M. Watt 2, A. Welsh 2

BEST:
Yeronga: G. Poultney, L. Rabbit, C. Sutton, M. McHugh, K. Rowe
Southport: S. O’Brien, G. Davies, S. Lappin, T. Crabtree, K. Zerafa

AROUND THE GROUNDS

In a battle of the brand new teams in the QAFL Women’s, Morningside got the chocolates over Moreton Bay Lions on the road, with the Saints winning 5.7 (37) to 3.0 (18). Laura Roy racked up 29 disposals for her new side and booted a goal to help steer the visitors to victory.

Reigning runners-up Bond University also got off to the right start with a great win over University of Queensland, 7.10 (52) to 1.1 (7). While still missing Ava Usher due to her knee recovery, fellow State Academy members in Bronte Parker and Annabelle Foat both impressed, while Shannon Nolan (26 disposals, 12 clearances) was clearly best on ground in the win.

Showing how much can change in an off-season, Wilston Grange took down one of the top three sides from the past two years in Aspley, knocking off the Hornets at Graham Road by four points, 7.4 (46) to 6.6 (42). Leading all game, the Gorillas held onto a late fightback from the Hornets to get up, with Tshinta Kendall and Mackenzie Findlay both impressing for the winners. Aspley’s Jasmine Kawa racked up 35 disposals and nine clearances in defeat, while Lucia Liessi finished with 23 and 11 respectively.

In the other match, Coorparoo clearly had Maroochydore’s number, winning 7.10 (52) to 0.3 (3). Lucy Schneider (32 disposals, seven marks) and Grace Roberts-White (31 disposals, four marks and five clearances) were both outstanding, while Roxy Beuzeville (21 disposals, four marks and four tackles) tried hard for the Roos.