QAFLW newcomers put their rivals on notice
AFTER two premiershipwinning seasons with as many losses in that span, the Southport Sharks will make their long-awaited QAFLW debut on Saturday away to the Yeronga Devils.
Established in 2020, the Sharks’ senior women’s program immediately made an impact by winning the QFAW Division 1 premiership, dropping just one game in the process.
The team repeated that same blueprint in 2021, making it back-to-back premierships with a 10-point win over Burleigh in the grand final.
But since its inception the focus has been on an eventual elevation to the state league QAFLW competition and on Saturday, that goal will finally be realised.
“Southport made it clear from the get-go that the goal was to get into the QAFLW,” co-captain Ashlee Flick said.
The first-year skipper has been at the club since the women’s program began and seen first-hand the work behind the scenes that went into getting the Sharks to the state league.
“The best thing about it all is none of the coaching staff has changed (in that period),” Flick said.
Southport sent a statement to the rest of the competition with a big pre-season win over 2021 grand finalists Bond University earlier this month.
The Sharks’ history of results, coupled with that win, has the competition on notice.
In a club captain survey ahead of the opening round, Southport received the second-most votes behind Maroochydore as a likely grand finalist this season.
“We know there’s a lot of expectation from the outside (but) we’re the little sisters of this competition, no one really knows what we’re about so it’s up to us to show them,” Flick said.