AFL Canberra: Belconnen Magpies battle hard but Queanbeyan Tigers young guns roar in thriller

In an end-to-end contest on Saturday afternoon, it was a handful of decisive moments late in the see-sawing affair that determined the result.

Coming off their victory over second-placed Ainslie last week, Magpies captain-coach James Bennett was disappointed his side couldn't quite go back-to-back with a win over the Tigers.

"It's a tough loss and the feeling in the rooms is that we were right in it till the end," Bennett said.

"At three quarter time it definitely felt like we were in the game.

"We're improving, we're heading in the right direction and the last couple of weeks have shown us we're right up there.

"Maybe it's a good loss to have to really motivate the guys to keep working hard."

Queanbeyan had a rollercoaster lead-up with rain forcing their training indoors this week, and half the squad attending the wedding of former Tigers players Hayden Kelly and Hannah Dunn on Thursday in Jervis Bay.

Dunn is now a seasoned AFLW veteran, having played with the Giants and Gold Coast Suns before being signed this year by expansion team Port Adelaide.

The Tigers and Belconnen, have produced several quality players like Dunn over the years, and 17-year-old Will Kellar is the latest to come through Queanbeyan's ranks, making his first-grade debut on Saturday.

"I think he showed he can play senior footy," Tigers captain-coach Kade Klemke said of the Giants Academy product.

"It's never easy coming to Belconnen. We haven't beaten them here on their home ground many times, so we're rapt to get a win."

Klemke said his side were wary of Belconnen following their performance against the Tri Colours in round seven.

"Definitely the gap is not as big as people think in the competition this year," he said.

"They were really good. The boys switched off thinking we got it done at times, which you can never do in any game.

"I thought Jake May's last quarter was elite - he probably won us the game through the midfield there."

Men

Queanbeyan 13.10 (88) bt Belconnen 10.6 (66)

Ainslie 28.14 (182) bt Tuggeranong 3.5 (23)

Eastlake 26.11 (167) bt Gungahlin 5.11 (41)

Women

Belconnen 8.6 (54) bt Queanbeyan 6.6 (42)

Eastlake 8.9 (67) bt Gungahlin 0.0 (0)

Ainslie 11.18 (84) bt Tuggeranong 1.0 (6)