Our team was strong and with the hope of winning back to back championships. We had been preparing for months, we had bonded and weren't just a team....we were team mates.
You could feel the excitement of all th coaches and the girls on Wednesday at our last training before the big tournament. I think Cherie was the most excited of us all as she had been talking about it for weeks.
FRIDAY...
This day had finally arrived, I'm sure all my teammates had been busy packing the night before like I had. We gathered as a group at the Jet Star terminal and were soon on a two hour flight to Cairns.
Upon arrival at Cairns airport we coudl feel the surging heat. A quick bus trip and we were soon in our allocated rooms. We quickly settled in as we knew that time was limited. At our team meeting we were informed of the disappointing news that Papua New Guinea were not able to attend the carnival due to visa restrictions.
At the North Cairns Football Club (Watson Oval) we boundary umpired the North Queensland vs Cape York game whilst checking out the competition. Due to a chewing gum incident, one particular player needed a quick change of clothes. "We hope this isn't the start of a new trend".
In a typical Aussie tradition, we attended a group BBQ kindly put on by the North Cairns Women's team. Even though it seemed like we had done nothing we were all pretty tired from the plane trip and after a quick team meeting it was off to bed.
SATURDAY...
Some found it extremely hard to wake at such an early hour for a buffet breakfast at the resort dining room. If only breakfast could be this good everyday!
After a short check to make sure everyone was accounted for it was time to get down to business and play footy. A double header was going to be hard but if any team could do it, it was the SEQ Flames.
Even though they were only ten minute quarters it seemed to last a lot longer and soon we were cheering for victory against Cape York. Although the score didn't reflect it, it was a very hard and physical game with Cape York giving us a few hard knocks, the backline did a great job with only 1 point scored against us.
It didn't seem like we even had time to breathe before it was time to play our second game against North Queensland. It was nice to see some familiar faces from our fellow players from the Queensland School Girls team. Still we needed to play our game. A minor injury to one of the North Queensland girls didn't stop us from kicking our way through to victory yet again. We felt like we were on fire. Boundary umpiring the next game was very educational for some of the girls who had never done it before.
After a refreshing recovery swim it was time to put our footy gear back on and head out for our third game. Cape York came out firing determined to show us what they could do. A sensational 40m kick after the third quarter siren will be a memorable moment for all. That certainly showed the skill level of the SEQ team. At this stage we were pretty l ucky with only one injury being a possible concussion, but it's footy.
We were currently undefeated and were looking good for the next days game. After dinner, domestic duties and a team meeting it was again time for a well earned sleep.
SUNDAY...
After yet another delicious breakfast and our usual preparation we gathered our emotions and warmed up for our final game, against North Queensland.
The team had had such a successful carnival that no matter what happened in this game we were all winners. I felt so proud to be part of this wonderful experience. Footy is in our blood and to be part of a team of females that show exceptional talent in a male dominant sport is one for the history books.
Even though we won our final match our team suffered many injuries and I hope that those injured teammates are feeling better.
Four out of four games - how can we top that next year?
After presentation of our gold medals and the naming of the All Star Team (congratulations to those who made this team) our happiness was etched with sadness at the thought of having to finish the carnival that we had worked so hard for and board and the plane back to Brisbane. We had shown guts and determination and we were bringing home the gold.
A HUGE thank you must go to AFLQ and Julia for supporting this opportuntiy, to Fiona and Tara for showing us your skills and making us the team we are. To Cherie for caring for us, you not only look after us but it's almost as if you are one of the players. To all the parents who supported our ambitions. To Cairns Colonial Resort for allowing us to stay at your wonderful resort it was greatly appreciated. To all the umpires who gave up their time to be at the tournament because without you there would be noone to run the games and take control. And last but not least to all the players for making it such a memorable weekend. YOU"RE AWESOME!!
by Montana Dove
Website Editor