WITHOUT a doubt the best contest of the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships, Allies forward Lolita Savala won her side the game and simultaneously decided the title race with her set shot goal moments before the final siren. For the task at hand, the Allies knocked off Queensland by two points, 8.10 (58) to 8.8 (56), but in the process handed the trophy to South Australia who cannot be dismounted from top spot.

Queensland needed to win to keep the dream of a maiden AFLW U18s title alive, but were denied with the final kick of the game. It moved the Maroons to 1-2 for the carnival, and while the Allies went to 2-1, South Australia can only be matched on wins by the Allies and Vic Metro, two sides the Croweaters have already beaten and therefore will finish on top of from a head-to-head perspective.

For the most part it was looking like a thrilling contest, even before the scores started piling up. Just six behinds were kicked in an arm-wrestle first quarter, which still had some end-to-end play from both sides. Queensland had more forward 50 entries, but it was the Allies – through Northern Territory prospect Peggy Rock – who struck first. Moments earlier she was involved in a collision that had trainers keeping a close eye on her, but the bottom-ager showed she was fine in the best way possible by delivering the opening goal of the contest.

She would kick another ripping major out of congestion late in the quarter, as bottom-age tall forward Grace Cooper nailed her first of four goals against the breeze up the Springfield Central station end. Heading into the half-time break with a three-point advantage, the Allies – lead by the inside duo of Zoe Curry and Matilda Lange and outside poise of Frances Walsh – were marginally on top. Molly Ferguson was busy around the ball, while Stephanie Aguinaldo was holding up well defensively.

The third term belonged to Queensland, and after only kicking 1.7 in the first half, the Maroons couldn’t seem to miss, piling on five goals straight to take a 13-point lead into the final term. The start of the quarter saw return blows with Aiyana Pritchard and Sienna Clinch‘s majors cancelled out by Ava Horneman and Evie Bowie, the latter of whom recovered for receiving a late bump to push inside and nail a goal with class. It handed the Allies back the lead, and a long-range set shot behind from bottom-ager Billie Hamilton made it five points with seven minutes remaining in the term.

However the remaining seven minutes belonged to Queensland as Cooper banged home back-to-back majors and fellow 2009-born forward Indiana Scheffler made it three in a row on the stroke of three quarter time. When the siren sounded, it was Queensland on top by 13 points with 20 minutes to decide if the Maroons would potentially battle South Australia for the title.

But the Allies had the breeze and the wildcards aplenty. At the last change, they threw Rose Bell forward and opted for hybrid roles for both Charlotte Tidemann and Majella Day. Tidemann would blast off half-back and create an extra number at the stoppage and then drive it inside 50 to generate scoring opportunities, while Day would push off half-forward to operate between the arcs and be a conduit between the midfield and attack as well.

The plan worked with Tidemann setting up Evie Henley for the first of the quarter, and then Day pounced after two Queensland players crashed into each other leaving the ball loose and goals clear, and that is danger signs for any defence against the Murray Bushrangers tall. The deficit was back to one point in the blink of an eye and it looked like the Allies would easily run over the top of the home side.

However smart Morningside forward Zoe Petrides had other ideas, and after she gave her side some momentum back, and Cooper booted her fourth, Queensland was back where it had started 12 minutes earlier with a 13-point lead. But the Allies continued to charge. It was no surprise to see Curry break through for a vital, team-lifting major in the 14th minute. It cut the deficit back to six points and everyone had the same thought on their mind – was a draw on the cards?

However it would be more of a case of how long the Queensland defence could hold up, trying to drop numbers back to assist while the Allies set up and continued peppering for the best part of five minutes. When Lange clunked a contested mark inside 50 and had her set shot, it looked to be the moment, but it drifted to the left for a behind.

However Day came ever so close to fooling the goal umpire when she tried to claim a mark, play on and snapped a goal with the celebration. While the goal umpire was impeded by the Queensland defenders pointing out it had crossed the line, the field umpire was on the ball and duly informed them of the behind. It was an important behind as it made it five points.

No more than a minute later, it was Walsh’s turn to almost have the match-winning play, combining with Swans Academy teammate Aurelia Russell to launch towards the big sticks. Russell began to celebrate only for Walsh’s kick to cannon into one of said big sticks. Four points, just over two minutes remaining.

The final frantic minutes were hectic, with Asia Single going down sore in a contest and time being stopped, while Queensland cleared the defensive 50 over and over, only for the Allies to repel. Eventually, as she had done all day, it was Curry emerging from the congestion to throw it on the boot. Playing in front, Savala showed fortune favours the brave by clutching onto a mark in the dying seconds. Quickly informed it would come down to her kick, the Swans Academy bottom-ager calmly went back and drained the set shot. Her teammates mobbed her from every where and the siren sounded shortly after.

Savala only had the six touches on the day, but her half-dozenth disposal proved the difference in the match. Curry (23 disposals, four marks, five clearances, four inside 50s, four rebound 50s and a goal) and Lange (17 disposals, two marks, three tackles, seven clearances and two rebound 50s) were enormous around the ball, while Walsh (22 disposals, four marks, two tackles and five inside 50s) showed her class and drive off the wing.

Russell (16 disposals, three clearances and two inside 50s) was her usual evasive self, with Bowie, Isla Judd and Tidemann – particularly late – all having some great run and carry. Ashleigh Barlow and Evie Ward were important out of defence, while Rock made the most of her chances with two goals from seven touches.

For Queensland, Cooper finished with four goals from 12 touches, two marks, five tackles and three inside 50s, being the main goalscoring option on the day. Ferguson (26 disposals, four marks, five tackles and six clearances was again the Maroons’ best, while Petrides (17 disposals, two marks, two clearances and a goal), Aguinaldo (15 disposals, four marks, two tackles, two inside 50s and four rebound 50s) and Summer Browning (15 disposals, three marks and five inside 50s) were terrific. Clinch and Ella Gibson combined for 44 hitouts to the Allies’ 10, with the former’s goal an important one.

QUEENSLAND 0.3 | 1.7 | 6.7 | 8.8 (56)
ALLIES 0.3 | 2.4 | 4.6 | 8.10 (58)

GOALS:
Queensland: G. Cooper 4, A. Pritchard, S. Clinch, I. Scheffler, Z. Petrides
Allies: P. Rock 2, Z. Curry, E. Henley, E. Bowie, A. Horneman, M. Day, L. Savala

RMC BEST:
Queensland: M. Ferguson, G. Cooper, S. Aguinaldo, S. Browning, Z. Petrides
Allies: Z. Curry, F. Walsh, M. Lange, A. Russell, A. Barlow