WA took home the silver medal in the 17/U division and bronze in the 19/U, becoming the only state to bring home two medals.
17/U
The 17/U team, who placed third in Darwin last year, knew they wanted to go further in 2024, and that is exactly what they did.
They started off their campaign with a mammoth 50 goal win against the Northern Territory, Halle Richards impressed with her 36 goals.
Round two was a close one against New South Wales, with WA claiming a one-goal win which was decided in the final minutes.
Day two was huge for WA, taking a 10-goal win against Victoria and a one-goal loss to South Australia, despite shooting duo Richards and Grace Millichamp’s teamwork in the goals.
Thursday was a one match day as WA defeated Tasmania by 15 goals, keeping control of the ball the whole match to maintain the lead.
WA took down Queensland on Friday with a 16-goal win, as well as defeating the Australian Capital Territory by 29 in the afternoon.
Their finals campaign began on Saturday against Victoria, ensuring their place in the Grand Final with a five-goal win.
The Grand Final was both a nail biter and a heartbreaker as the 17/Us took home the silver medal after going down by two to South Australia.
In what was a close match for the entire four quarters, South Australia’s four-goal lead in the third quarter was enough to get them over the line. Although disappointing to not get the win, the silver medal is an outstanding achievement for the team, and motivation to go one further next year.
17/U Team
Goalers: Halle Richards, Grace Millichamp, Tess Taylor, Teagan Begovic (Vice Captain)
Midcourt: Clara Wigley (Captain), Charli Hynes, Christe-Lee Griesel, Emily Rivers
Defenders: Kate Cunningham (Vice Captain), Ivy Dodd, Ebony Stewart, Ava Buselich
HEAD COACH: Guy Keane
ASSISTANT COACH: Nicole Mann, Ellie Sanzone (Scholarship Coach)
19/U
The 19/U division this year was particularly competitive, making each state earn every win.
WA started the tournament with two tough losses, going down to Queensland by nine and New South Wales by seven.
The team turned the tough start around on Wednesday, beating South Australia by five, many thanks to Aitaua Enari’s 29 goals. The afternoon saw another huge win for WA, defeating the Northern Territory by 42 when Aisha Marcombe stunned with her 39 goals.
Thursday’s 14-goal win against the Australian Capital Territory highlighted Morcombe and Chloe Ramsay in goals and set the team up well for the remainder of the competition.
A one-goal win over Victoria opened Friday’s competition. Goal Attack and West Coast Fever Training Partner Georgie Cleaver was on fire with 19 goals, and the day ended with a 17-goal win over Tasmania.
After finishing the preliminary rounds in third position, WA faced New South Wales in the semi-final. NSW proved too good to record a 10-goal win, despite the best efforts of the girls in yellow and black.
The last day of finals for the 19/U team was the bronze medal play off against Victoria.
Shooting duo Morcombe and Cleaver championed their team to victory, taking the lead in the third quarter after an even game.
The bronze medal was a fantastic result for the squad who faced tough competition and rose above for such a successful result.
19/U Team
Goalers: Aitaua Enari, Aisha Morcombe, Georgie Cleaver (Vice Captain), Chloe Ramsay
Midcourt: Charisse Rond, Maya Kenny, Tayla Styles, Stephanie Towie
Defenders: Scarlet Jauncey (Captain), Rebakah Aynsley, Kianah Davey, Grace Jooste
HEAD COACH: Karly Guadagnin
ASSISTANT COACH: Melanie Rainey
