The U18 Gold Coast Stingrays have won their first game of the Australian Post State Championships against a gallant Sunshine Coast Power at Coorparoo on the weekend. After a slow start the Stingrays were made to work for a hard fought come from behind victory, to eventually run out 5 point winners.
After a confidence boosting win last Tuesday the Power looked the better of the two teams early kicking with the wind and getting away to a 3 goal lead in the first quarter.
The Stingrays small brigade found their feet in the second term with Joe Barrile, Ben Dovey and Michael Barnes getting plenty of the ball, but the team failed to captilise kicking 1 goal 5 behinds while managing to keep the Power to 2 behinds.
The third quarter proved very even with both sides kicking 3 goals each but the Stingrays again wasted opportunities kicking another 5 behinds to go with their 3 goals. Trent Manzone and Lanze Magin lifted a gear and Todd Panoho provided plenty of run from defence for the Power while Joel Wilkinson did the same for the Stingrays.
The final quarter saw the fresher Gold Coast get on top but poor kicking for goal nearly saw them lose the game kicking 2 goals 7 while the Power also had their chances but couldn't convert in front of goal.
The Stingrays will now have plenty to play for when they take on the Western Taipans at Zillmere on Wednesday night, with a win sending them into the Grand Final on Sunday.
2009 “Australia Post” State Under 18 Development Championships
Round Two Results
Game 1 Gold Coast Stingrays 6.18.54 def. Suncoast Power 7.7.49
Goals: Stingrays – Adam Oehlman 1, Bryce Retzlaff 1, Josh Milani 1, David Meli 1, Adam Clarke 1, Joe Barrile 1 Power – Jack Parkes 2, Peter Labi 1, Jed Turner 1, Garry Kiele 1, Mitch Schoalrd 1, Shaun Guthrie 1
Best: Stingrays - Regan Salter, Josh Milani, Michael Barnes, Joe Barrile, Ben Dovey, Bryce Retzlaff Power – Lanze Magin, Trent Manzone, Mitch Scholard, Todd Panoho
Game 2 South Eastern Bushrangers 13.14.92 def. Country Kookaburras 4.5.29
Goals: Bushies – Jack Angus 3, Brandon Stewart 2, Mitch Harley 2, Blane Delbridge 1, Jake Evans 1, Troy Jamieson 1, Damien Hewitt 1, Daniel Mowat 1, Chris Thompson 1 Kookaburras – Matt Sondergeld 1, Michael Lovell 1, Mitch Nicholson 1, Nathaniel Congoo 1
Best: Bushies – Brad Rees, Mitch Harley, Ethan Reading, Jack Angus, Frazer Neate, Byron Spurling Kookaburras – James Power, Stanis Susave, Billy Moorehead, Matt Hungerford, Jye Bohm
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