Bull Sharks v Aspley at The Canal.
Last time they met:
QAFLW Grand Final at Brighton Homes Arena.
Bull Sharks won 10-6 (66) to 2-5 (17).
After a slow and uncharacteristically sloppy start, the Bull Sharks came to life in the second quarter. Ava Usher got the ball rolling with Bond’s first goal of the game and from there they were never headed.
They kicked another two goals and kept the Hornets to a solitary point to head into the rooms with a 15-point half time lead.
The Bull Sharks put great stock in their fitness, and it proved decisive in the second half as they ran their opponents into the ground.
By the time Tara Harrington slotted a goal late in the game the margin had swollen to 49 points.
What’s changed:
It will be a vastly different Bull Sharks side to the one that lifted the silverware last August.
Best on ground in the Grand Final, Havana Harris won’t play. She is on Suns Academy duties with Tara Harrington and Nyali Milne while Usher is injured. All were listed in the best players that day.
Kiara Bischa is no longer with the Bull Sharks having been drafted off the back of an exceptional Grand Final performance in keeping Aspley’s key forward and the competition’s leading goal-scorer from converting any goals.
The opposition:
Aspley are fast and offensively minded and playing a game style that is very similar to the one Lovell has embedded into his Bull Sharks. If this season’s form line is anything to go by, they may be moving the ball quicker and more efficiently than the girls from Bond.
The challenge:
Aspley have become the most damaging outside running side in the QAFLW and if Bond are to win, they must win the ball at the source.
Controlling both possession and territory is the key and plenty of work has been put into stoppage work this week. Lovell will also demand a high level of pressure from his half forwards because the Hornets have demonstrated how damaging they can be with their rebound off half back.
The final word:
This will be a great test for us. The best players from our Grand Final winning side aren’t with us this week and I want the girls to see the opportunity in that. To be able to challenge for premierships consistently year after year, we need to build depth and be comfortable relying on our structures rather than talented individuals.
With Andy Lovell.