Community Bank Geraldton GNFL: All-Star clashes see season off to flying star ahead of round one next weekend

Geraldton welcomed back local footy with open arms as three Community Bank Geraldton GNFL All-Stars clashes took centre stage at WA Country Builders Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The league’s top players went head-to-head in three highly competitive matches where the eight best men’s and women’s players were selected to represent their clubs, with a keen focus on the competition’s youth. As an unofficial audition for country week, many players were keen to prove themselves and have a proper hit out against real opposition with months of preseason coming to an end. The men’s clash set the tone for the season ahead, with both sides coming with the youthful exuberance to be expected from sides primarily comprised of players aged under 25. It was a Marquis family affair in the coaches box, as father and son faced off, with Country Week colts coach Gerard Marquis coaching Blue, while a shoulder injury saw Callum Marquis swap his boots for the whiteboard. Ultimately, it was Blue who claimed bragging rights, defeating White 9.6 (60) to 6.10 (46), but a nailbiting final term could have seen the result fall either way. Blue got off the mark quickly, kicking three goals, while White worked hard to lock the ball in their half, firing risky shots but failing to get reward. However, a quick transition from defence early in the second term saw White get on the board. Play was briefly halted as a player for Blue was slow to get up from a heavy knock in a contest. At half-time Blue took a 13-point advantage, with early accuracy giving them the upper hand, but White continued hustling through the third quarter to outscore Blue 3.2 to 1.5 and bring them within two points heading into the final term. A 50-metre penalty saw White hit the front for the first time early in the fourth quarter, but that was short-lived as Blue responded through a set shot. White continued holding the ball in their front half, but were wasteful of opportunities to regain the lead, booting four behinds to put them on level scores. Despite a brave comeback from White, Blue nailed two late goals, including one from a 50m penalty to emerge on top. The women staged a tight battle across the four quarters with only five points separating the two sides as Blue clinched the win. White took a one-point advantage into half-time, with players from both sides showing plenty of grit across both quarters. Northampton forward Selina Kiddle had a strong presence up forward, kicking all four goals for White as Blue mounted a tight defence. Scoring began to open up in the third term, with players continually firing the ball inside 50, but being met with some strong intercepts across the board. However, Blue were able to get ahead, seeing the final score to 5.5 (35) to 4.6 (30). In the day’s opening bout, the future of the women’s competition was on show, as girls from Jayden Schofield’s junior girls footy program played their final match, with White defeating Blue 13.3.(81) to 6.2.(38). With Towns’ Jess Giudice-Nairn coaching Blue and Kiddle coaching White, intent was clear on both sides as they defended with grit and attacked fearlessly. Individual players who made the difference included Town’s Shantay Westburg — also named in the women’s clash — showing flashes of brilliance through the middle and up forward. White’s defence worked well together to shut down Blue’s shots on goals, with Blue having to fight hard for their first major, which came midway in the second term. As White edged ahead, Blue kept their chins up and played a strong final term where they kicked five goals to send the game off on a high note.