This is a story of determination, resilience, and teamwork - our Girls Grammar AFL team’s incredible day out at the AFL Street Smarts Secondary Schools Cup.
This year, we pulled together a team of 15 players, even though a full team requires 19. For most of us, it was our first time playing AFL, and with just two training sessions under our belts, we took to the field.
Our first game was against TCC, a team that had QLD players galore, and the team that had made it to state finals last year. With no subs, we faced them head-on, surprising them with our athleticism and determination. By halftime, they had only managed one goal. They came back stronger in the second half as we began to tire, but we used our Girls Grammar spirit and just kept working for each other. The final score, 1-39, did not do testament to how well we played. Alissa did a great job shutting down their QLD players in the mid-field, earning herself some much-deserved talent identification from the Gold Coast Suns Academy coach.
With newfound confidence, we moved on to our second game against Rocky High. This time we were down to 13 players, as two of our Year 12 students, Tinella and Lara, had to leave for an exam. Despite the challenges - including some minor injuries that left us playing 13 vs 11 at one point - we scored our first goal. We fought hard, witnessed some incredible moments, but ultimately lost by a narrow margin, 15-25. Our lack of experience foiled some opportunities to take this game out, but we learnt new things in each game and took them into the next.
Before our final game, the weather kept us on our toes - rain, then blistering and oppressive heat. We faced Chanel College, a strong team that had travelled all the way from Gladstone. As Clare pointed out, "They wouldn’t come this far if they weren’t good." But we didn’t let that shake us. With Lara and Tinella back, we adjusted, switched positions, and played our best footy yet. Kaylyn shut down plenty of attack and with her athleticism and speed, also catching the eye of the Suns academy coach. While going down 6-29, we left the field with our heads held high, proving we could take on anyone.
All the opposition teams were so supportive. We were given many compliments about how tough we were to play and that after seeing our first game against TCC, everyone was dreading taking us on, which was very uplifting to hear.
A huge thank you to Levi and Mrs Doherty for coaching us and to Mrs Curtis for supporting us, we had such a fun day out and appreciate your efforts. This was the first Girls Grammar AFL team in eight years, and I can confidently say - it won’t be the last!
Kate and Alissa
Year 11 students
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