By Grace Knight
Bond University will host the Gold Coast Suns in their match-up against Port Adelaide for round five of the AFLW’s seventh season.
The standard of The Canal’s oval and facilities tipped the scales when AFL officials were on the hunt for a replacement location for Metricon Stadium for the September 25 match.
Fox Sports will broadcast live from the grounds.
The Bull Sharks’ reputation as a top tier women’s football nursery has seen them produce 23 AFLW players over the past six years, more than any other club in the country.
Former Bull Shark Shannon Danckert was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns in January for their sixth season. After captaining Bond in 2020 and 2021, Danckert is excited to be back at Bond.
“I’m just really excited to be back on the ground where I’ve played the majority of my footy and the place where I really developed as a player,” she said.
“During my time with the Bull Sharks I was able to learn from some really influential people which significantly improved my career as a footballer and helped me get to where I am today, so I’m really lucky and grateful to be coming back to the ground and I’m looking forward to embracing it.”
Danckert isn’t the only one returning to her Bull Sharks roots. Serene Watson, Lauren Bella, Ellie Hampson and Jasmyn Smith will be part of the Suns squad for the match, while twins Litonya and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap are both signed to Port Adelaide.
Danckert said the team was looking forward to the game.
“With a lot of our team members having played for Bond previously, it’s nice for us to have that sense of familiarity with our old home soil,” she said.
“We’re a pretty adaptable group and we’re lucky enough to be able train here over the coming weeks to get a feel for the ground, so by game day in two weeks’ time we’ll be well and truly acquainted with the venue and ready to give Port a run for their money.”
The Suns will be looking to show their skills against the new club, with Port fielding an AFLW team for the first time this season.
“We take every game as seriously … but being halfway through our season we really want to put our foot down and let everyone know that we’re here to play some serious footy,” Danckert said.
“I think this is a really good opportunity for us to put our brand of footy up against a new club and the significance of this game is that it will really keep setting the tone for how we want to finish the year off.”
Catch all the action at the Canal from 1.10pm on Sunday September 25. There’s room for up to 1000 spectators and entry is free.