Girls Win First Final

The season continues on for the Subiaco Rogers Cup squad, thanks to a fantastic 32-point victory over Swan Districts in the 1st Semi Final at Pentanet Stadium on Sunday.

The game was defined by Subi’s pressure; while almost all the playtime in the first three quarters was in the Swans’ half of the ground, Subiaco kept them totally scoreless until the second term. Subi also made use of every opportunity they had, with most inside 50s resulting in a major score. Final scores sat at 8.4.52 to 3.2.20.

Up forward, the girls were unstoppable, a dominance which is largely owed to full forwards Taya Strickland and Layla Quinn-Schofield. Strickland walked away with 5 goals to her name, while Quinn-Schofield accumulated just as many assists and a goal of her own.

“Playing with her feels effortless,” Strickland said of Quinn-Schofield. “I genuinely feel like she can read my mind - I'm starting to think we are the same person! We both know how to play together and get the best out of each other.”

Outside of the forward line, Maggie-Jean Adamson-Holmes also made an impact on the game through the ruck.

“She’s definitely one of our most valuable players,” Strickland said. “She dominates the taps while also laying the hardest tackles you’ll ever see. She set us up for a good game with her ruckcraft and defensive pressure.”

Kaiya Paull also had a good day, celebrating her 50th game in her Rogers Cup career.

“Being in the Rogers program for 4 years now, I’ve been able to see the progression of our team in person. How far we’ve come, from the bottom of the ladder [Subiaco finished second-last in 2021, 2022 and 2023 consecutively] to now being in the Preliminary Final… It’s surreal,” Paull reflected.

“And a shoutout of course to Taya Strickland,” Paull added. “Kicking 5 unreal goals, one of them over her head!”

“I really enjoyed the backwards goal, that was a bit of a cheeky one,” Strickland admitted.

With this victory, Subiaco finds themselves in the Preliminary Final at Revo Fitness Stadium, where they’ll face East Fremantle on Sunday for a chance to be in the Rogers Cup Grand Final.