AFTER a couple of honourable defeats, the Allies finished off their AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships with a bang, upsetting Queensland for the second consecutive season. As they had done last year, the winless Allies toppled the undefeated Maroons, getting up by six points, 8.9 (57) to 6.15 (51).

After dominating the inside 50s count against Western Australia but still losing eight days earlier, the Allies flipped the script and overcame Queensland having repeat entries and winning the clearances to secure the narrowest of victories. Suns Academy forward Alannah Welsh threatened to be the match-winner for the Maroons in the final term with an outstanding marking display, but only managed to convert two of five scoring shots – and another rushed across the line – in a frantic final term.

Welsh had six disposals and four marks for that 2.3, prompting an opponent change as she got a hold of her defender. Meanwhile it was Sunny Lappin – with 11 more disposals than any other player on the field – who was the driving force for the home side, racking up 28 disposals, five marks, seven clearances and eight inside 50s.

However despite the pair’s impact, it was the even contribution of the Allies through the middle and up forawrd that got the job done, as well as being able to make more of their opportunities. Back-to-back majors in the first term to Allies marking targets Majella Day and Harriet Bingley handed their side the lead at quarter time after bottom-age tall Harlee McIlwain slotted the game’s opener in the first 90 seconds.

Both sides tried to wrestle control with Queensland well ahead through the inside 50s at quarter time, but the work of Morgan Stevens and Grace Tracey as key backs, and the run of Charlotte Tidemann and Molly Thomas helped the Allies transition. Queensland would regain the lead midway through the second after Aiyana Pritchard‘s desperate swinging boot on the goalline was deemed to be good, only for Day to kick a remarkable major from a tight angle.

Tasmanian Mischa Barwin clunked a strong grab at the top of the goalsquare to send the Allies into half-time with an eight-point lead, while her fellow National Academy members Priya Bowering and Isla Wiencke, and bottom-ager Zoe Curry were having an influence on the game.

When Swans Academy wing Frances Walsh won a 50m penalty for encroachment and went to the top of the goalsquare, the bottom-ager were out to a healthy lead, only for Pritchard and then Freya Ross to cut the deficit to two points. The latter was smart to stay alert close to the line after Welsh took a shot that looked good, only for the Allies defender to save the day and get a hand to it. But instead of it bouncing through the goals, it sat up for Ross to soccer home Queensland’s second goalline major.

Day’s dagger just before half-time was clearly not enough degree of difficulty, as the Murray Bushrangers jet threaded the eye of the needle under pressure from the boundary with a perfectly timed dribble. Tasmanian Mia Anderson then goaled, and with a minute to play, Bingley had the chance to make it a 22-point lead with a quarter to play. The home crowd let out a sigh of relief when her set shot sprayed out on the full.

In a somewhat poetic twist though, Bingley would be the one to put the nail in the coffin with a clever snap around her body late in the fourth term to give her team a two-goal buffer either side of some Welsh heroics. The latter would kick the final goal of the game after a Mikayla Nurse set shot fell short and she capitalised on the goalline making it a seven-point margin.

Geere would have a late shot on goal that would go to the line, but as players rose up, it would be saved by the by back of Tracey’s head and shoulders before the Allies were able to rush the ball across. The behind mean Queensland would close to six points with two minutes to play, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats.

Both sides were evidently rushing and making a few errors by foot up until Wiencke did what she had to by bombing the ball long outside of defensive 50. The Allies got it up the other end, had a few repeat stoppages, and despite Rhianna Ingram extracting the ball from centre half-back and looking to begin and end-to-end chain, the siren sounded.

Relief and celebration flooded over the faces of the Allies players as they finished the carnival on a win, while for Queensland, the national carnival title hinges on beating South Australia and having a greater percentage than Vic Metro. The result does mean only Queensland or Vic Metro can win it now, putting a line through the Croweaters securing a third title in four carnivals.

The midfield work of Curry (17 disposals, three clearances), Bowering (16 disposals, four clearances) and Wiencke (16 disposals, four clearances) stood out, while Kiera Yerbury and Barwin were also prolific in moving the ball quickly. Day kicked two remarkable goals amongst three majors, while Bingley slotted a couple of goals, and Stevens (14 disposals, nine rebound 50s) was composed behind the ball.

Aside from Lappin and Welsh, Nurse (17 disposals, five marks, three tackles, five inside 50s and four rebound 50s) and Mia Geere (15 disposals, four marks, five tackles and three inside 50s) were both busy, Aleah Stringer and Sienna Burnham moved well around the stoppages, and McIlwain and Pritchard provided athletic marking targets inside 50. Ingram and Georja Davies used run behind the ball.

QUEENSLAND 1.4 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 6.15 (51)
ALLES 2.0 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 8.9 (57)

GOALS:
Queensland: A. Welsh 2, A. Pritchard 2, H. McIlwain, F. Ross
Allies: M. Day 3, H. Bingley, 2, M. Anderson, M. Barwin, F. Walsh

RMC BEST:
Queensland: S. Lappin, A. Welsh, M. Nurse, M. Geere, A. Stringer
Allies: P. Bowering, I. Wiencke, Z. Curry, K. Yerbury, M. Day