Sport
14 May, 2024
Lions beat their Demons
The Moreton Bay Lions remained second on the Queensland Football Association Women’s (QFAW) Div 1 ladder after trouncing the lowly-placed Surfers Paradise Demons at Red Rooster Park last Saturday.
Surfers scored all of its points in the third term before Moreton Bay ran out 12.4.76 to 1.2.8 victors, with the Lions having seven different goal-kickers.
Lions coach Shane Dawes said a key focus leading into the game was slow starts, which had been the team’s Achilles heel.
In perfect conditions, the Lions showed their running ability and ground speed as they overwhelmed the Demons early, and scored four majors from six shots in an electrifying opening quarter.
Acting captain Taylor McCosker, ball magnet Ebony Otto and the robust Jaymee Park ensured the footy stayed in the Lions’ forward line where the forwards had their most cohesive game.
The league’s leading goal-kicker Emily Watson slotted a couple of majors, and pressure forwards Shauna Kelly, Tahlia Benson and teenager Emmy Brady caused havoc for the Demons’ defence.
A 26-point quartertime margin was nearly doubled by the long break as Moreton Bay rotated extra players through the midfield.
The backline was impenetrable, with Bayley Woollett leading the resistance and being ably supported by Kiah Thompson, Chantelle Page, Jade Hanan, Jordi McGinn and Courtney Page.
Surfers put in a renewed eff ort in the third term as the sides had a stalemate with only one goal each, while the Demons also landed a couple of behinds.
Dawes said the young Lions side was maturing week by week, as evidenced by a solid final stanza.
Immense forward pressure resulted in Watson’s fourth goal and a couple of long goals on the move by first gamer Olivia Wenck and utility Kiah Thompson.
Meanwhile, Moreton Bay won the reserves game on forfeit.
