Glimpses not enough for the RAMS

The RAMS were at their blistering best during the opening quarter of the match, running the ball out of defence and linking up with their forwards further up the ground.

If it wasn’t for an impressive backline by the visitors, the RAMS could have added to their five goal opening quarter as Daniel Robinson (25 disposals, 11 marks) and Lachlan Harper (24 possessions) found plenty of the football.

For the visitors their pressure and effectiveness in front of goal was second to none as forward Shaun Crook showed his brilliance kicking seven goals for the match. 

AFL (NSW/ACT) State Talent Manager Darren Denneman said the side will be looking to turn their form around when they come up against Northern Territory on Wednesday.

“We’ve got four or five significant injuries which may pull us up towards the middle of the week but we’ll see how we go but at the end of the day you’ve got to keep moving forward,” Denneman said.

In front of a lively crowd, it was Queensland that got out to the better start with the away team kicking the first goal of the match before the RAMS responded almost immediately through Dean Robertson.

The RAMS raced out to a two goal lead but Queensland pinned back the points before both sides traded goals to finish the quarter only one point apart.

The second quarter continued with the same intensity as the first and again it was Queensland who got out to an early lead.

The Queenslanders continued their hard running, kicking 5 goals for the term while limiting the RAMS to only one goal to head into the main break with a 24-point lead.

While the RAMS came out determined to fight their way back into the contest they couldn’t capitalise on their forward-50 entries.

Queensland maintained their scoreboard pressure, including a well crafted goal from a tight angle, to race out to a 53 point lead heading into the last quarter.

To the RAMS’ credit they didn’t drop their heads in the final term as the side continued to fight their way back into the game, eventually going down 8.10.58 to 19.14.128.

In one of the most memorable openings to the Championships in recent years saw Welcome to Country, a ceremony celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The South Pacific team followed this up with their own cultural performance recognising their Indigenous heritage and the number of countries being represented in their side.

The opening match of the day saw a mixture of skill and excitement as the World XVIII and the South Pacific team kicked off the division two Championships.

In a tight contest, it was the South Pacific team that got out to an early lead, and despite being challenged in the second half they held on to win by 32 points, 7.12.54 to 3.4.22.  

In the other match, Tasmania overcame a late surge from Northern Territory to win by three goals, 13.11.89 to 10.11.71.