by Grace Knight
The Bull Sharks displayed outstanding skill and dominance in a 73-1 victory over the Wilston Grange Gorillas at The Canal on Saturday.
The 10.13 (73) to 0.1 (1) round 10 win propelled the team into second place on the ladder ahead of next week’s top-of-the-table clash with Southport.
How it unfolded
Bond were strong from the beginning, scoring their first goal within two minutes and setting the tone for the game.
Director of AFL and senior women’s coach Andy Lovell had implored his troops to start well, and they responded by booting 2.5 in the first quarter.
Despite Wilston Grange’s defensive pressure, the Bull Sharks remained on the front foot and the second quarter mirrored the first as they asserted their authority in every aspect of play. This time their conversion was better as they kicked 3.1 to take the half time score to 36-0.
The game was effectively over but Lovell wanted his side to stick to the task and there was no sign of a let-off as they widened the gap to an impressive 62-0 at the final change.
It wasn’t until the dying stages of the final quarter that Wilston Grange managed to kick their first point.
An area for improvement was kicking accuracy Lovell will want to clean up as the side heads towards the business end of the season.
Standout performers
The Bond defensive line was bolstered by outstanding performances from Paris Lightfoot and Kiara Bischa who thwarted the opposition’s advances time and time again.
Josie Mccabe, Jasmyn Davidson, and Courtney Sexton made significant contributions in midfield, controlling the flow of the game.
Isabella Iverach and Havana Harris’ also proved to be a mighty asset to the Bull Sharks’ forward lines each contributing three goals apiece.
What they said
Lovell was delighted with the team’s performance which was bolstered by the return of six Gold Coast Suns academy players.
“It was a great win for us,” Lovell said.
“Having our six academy girls back in the team is a real asset and we’ve definitely got some synergy back now.”
Lovell commended the team’s defensive structure and improvement in scoring opportunities compared to previous weeks.
“Defensively we were fantastic. Wilston Grange were only able to score one point and it came in the last couple minutes of the game.
“Also, our ability to share the ball and actually score going inside 50 was much better than it was last week, so I’m really pleased.”
In other games
The Bull Sharks’ reserves women also emerged victorious in their match against Wilston Grange with a dominant 108-6 scoreline.
Wilston Grange kicked their only goal in the first quarter of their match.
The Bull Sharks men’s teams had byes.