In round seven, Tasmania and Victoria came face to face in their final rostered game of the 17/U competition. Victoria exceeded to take an early lead, capitalising off the first three centre passes. Tasmania responded quickly, keeping the Victorians within arm’s reach.
Scores sat 7 to 5 goals at quarter-time, with Victoria maintaining the lead. Both teams charged hard into the second quarter, keeping the pressure on across the court.
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Tasmanian goaler Tyrah Bacon provided her team with an early boost, shooting with great accuracy. Victoria settled to find their rhythm, setting up some effective cross-court plays though, and by half time Victoria had a 19 to 12 goal advantage over Tasmania.
The Victorians hit the gas in the third quarter, rattling their Tasmanian opponents. With great composure and consistency, Victorian goaler Mikayla Phillips was a key part of her team’s advance.
The Victorian athletes were dynamic and adjusted to the game as it played out. Their attacker’s ability to switch into defensive mode worked to give them the upper hand and highlight their versatility.
Tasmania did not lose their fighting spirit, playing every minute of the final 10 minutes to outscore the Victorians in the final quarter. Victoria remained strong, beating Tasmania 36 to 26 goals.
Victorian 17/U head coach, Tracey Brereton, said it was a tough game for her team against a powerful Tasmanian side.
‘Tassie played a fantastic game,’ Brereton said.
‘We just had to grit it out, play tough and get it together.’
Brereton commended the hustle from her athletes saying, ‘we had the willingness to pull away when Tassie kept coming at us.
Similarly, Tasmanian 17/U head coach Andrew Jackson said he was proud of the way his team kept Victoria under pressure.
‘Victoria is one of the best teams in the competition and we worked hard to match them,’ Jackson said.
In the fifth round of the 19/U competition, Queensland and ACT brought the heat in a physical contest.
Queensland made their mark early in the game, testing their ACT opponents. Ashleigh Ervin and Lillyana Rennie put on a stunning defensive performance for Queensland, fielding several remarkable rebounds and intercepts between them.
The end of the first quarter saw Queensland out in front, 7 to 5 goals.
Not wasting any time, Queensland came out firing in the second quarter. Their dominance was evident across the court, as almost all players took valuable intercepts across the quarter.
Queensland goaler Naomi Solomana was a strong and reliable target in the goal circle for her team. This cross-court dominance helped the Queenslanders catapult to a 21 to 7 goal lead by half time.
Determined not to let Queensland take an easy win, the ACT remained unwavering in effort. ACT goaler Hayley Matthew put in an impressive second half, executing her role exceptionally. Teammate Milla Papallo also played her part as a gritty wing defence.
Despite ACT’s tenacity, Queensland took a convincing win, finishing on 41 to 19 goals.
ACT 19/U team captain Poppy Hancox applauded her team’s relentless efforts throughout the game. Hancox said her team would work to improve on this in tomorrow’s game.
‘We had a really strong start but lost our communication towards the end,’ she said.
Captain of the Queensland 19/U team, Ashleigh Ervin, said her team had a strong game plan and were able to execute this against the ACT.
‘Our mindset was to get as many goals and intercepts as we could, and we did exactly that,’ Ervin said.
Round six of the 17/U competition saw New South Wales come out on top against Victoria, finishing 40 to 20 goals. South Australia took a close win over Western Australia, 38 to 30 goals. Queensland managed a sizeable defeat of the Northern Territory, finishing 54 to 14 goals. Tasmania finished on top against the ACT, winning 32 to 15 goals.
The final round of the day for the 17/U teams began with Western Australia taking out their game against the Northern Territory, 42 to 19 goals. In a tight thriller, Queensland held off South Australia to finish 32 to 29 goals. New South Wales finished round seven on a high, defeating the ACT 41 to 20 goals.
In the 19/U competition, South Australia fought off Queensland to come away with a 37 to 25 goal win. New South Wales came away on top in a close competition against Victoria, winning 39 to 35 goals. Western Australia managed to beat the ACT, 46 to 28 goals. Tasmania were victorious against the Northern Territory, finishing on 36 to 35 goals in a nail-biting contest.
Queensland’s 19/U team started round seven with a win, beating the ACT 41 to 19 goals. Victoria succeeded against Tasmania, taking a 41 to 21 goal win. South Australia conquered Western Australia, ending the game on 48 to 29 goals. In the final game of the day, New South Wales dominated the Northern Territory, winning 59 to 18 goals.
