Ainslie and Eastlake's men were locked in a tight battle at Manuka Oval before the Tri Colours pulled away for a decisive 9.9 (63) to 2.13 (25) victory in one of two AFL Canberra inaugural Pride Games on Saturday.
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Both and men and women first-grade sides got right behind the occasion, donning rainbow-coloured guernseys in their matches to show their support for the LGBTQI+ community. The centre square and goal posts were also sporting a rainbow theme.
Ainslie coach Jordan Doering welcomed the initiative expanding to a round-wide celebration next season.
"Absolutely. Anytime you can support things like this, I think it's really important," Doering said. "It's a privilege to be a part of this type of game and be leaders in the community to support it.
"The boys and the women's teams really got behind it. Even our under-18s wore special socks and jumpers."
With both Ainslie and Eastlake coming off losses, the Pride Game was a chance for each side to get their seasons back on track. Ainslie's Josh Maynard was still recovering from a rolled ankle, bringing Henry Delves into the side with Matt Teasdale named captain.
Eastlake's Liam Thompson scored inside the first minute, however it didn't take long for Ainslie to respond through experienced forward Hayden Armstrong (two goals), winning a holding the ball free and snapping true from the pocket.
The Tri Colours were kept honest by Eastlake, with a modest 25-14 lead at halftime, as the Demons' wastefulness inside 50 came back to haunt them in the third and fourth quarters.
"They came out and had a real crack at us. It was a hard-fought contest and credit to Eastlake, they came to play and it took four quarters to get the job done," Doering said.
In the women's Pride Game, similarly the Tri Colours were in a gripping battle against the Demons until clicking into gear to win by 24 points and remain undefeated.
AFL Canberra First-Grade Results - Round 6
Men
Ainslie bt Eastlake 63-25
Belconnen bt Gungahlin 141-2
Tuggeranong v Queanbeyan, Sunday 12pm at Greenway Oval
Women
Ainslie bt Eastlake 36-12
Gungahlin v Belconnen, Sunday 1.15pm at Gungahlin Oval
Tuggeranong v Queanbeyan, Sunday 2pm at Greenway Oval
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Melanie Dinjaski
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know. If you have a story worth sharing, get in touch!
