Close calls . . .
In Toowoomba’s much-hyped ‘Battle of the Bush’ between the Magpies and Demons, it looked like the game was all over before the main break. The Magpies piled on 13 goals to two in the first half, hitting targets at will through the middle of the ground and looking impressive with their outside run. The score was 71 to 11 at half time.
Then the Demons mounted a counter attack, led by the likes of Kain Ford, Paddy Rankin and Mitchell Comben, who lifted the intensity and swung the momentum of the game back their way. Unbelievably, Surfers kicked ten goals to three in the second half and late in the last quarter, were within seven points of the lead.
A Surfers comeback win wasn’t to be, however, as a late steadying goal to Liam Dwyer for the Magpies sealed their victory and left them feeling fortunate on the bus ride home.
A thriller also played out at Ord Minnet Oval, between the improved Vultures and a stampeding Broadbeach outfit. The two teams shared the lead in a physical contest that saw Mt Gravatt ahead by 16 points early in the last, before the Cats kicked five in a row, including two to Ryan Dienjes.
The Vultures will consider it ‘one that got away’, after coughing up the lead and loosing by a slim 85 to 77 margin, while Broadbeach are smiling like ‘Cheshire’ Cats after making it three in a row.
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Bryce Retzlaff certainly appears to be over his hamstring injury, having a day out for the Tigers against the Hawks and ending up with a gigantic eleven-goal haul. Retzlaff now sits in third place on the league goalkicking table, after the big solo effort.
Solid Vulture Sam Stubbs hit the scoreboard again over the weekend, cementing himself as the leading goal kicker for Mt Gravatt, as well as second in the league overall. At the other end, Harrison Kerr had a standout performance for the Cats, bagging five crucial goals.
Palm Beach Lions Mitchell Johnson and Antony Sercombe kicked five and four goals respectively, in a dominant display against the Gorillas. Wilston Grange young gun Connor Mcfadyen contributed three against the tide.
Magpie Brenton Saunders bagged four, while Jakob De Winter and Sam Copland kicked three apiece against the Demons. De Winter sits on top of the QAFL goal kicking table after six rounds.
Sherrin on a string
Palm Beach made short work of Wilston Grange on Saturday 122 to 54, as standouts Jesse Derrick and Tyler Cornish went about their business, showing why they are part of one of the most dominant midfields in the comp. Derrick worked hard around the ground and Cornish was slick at the contest.
For Grange, returning players Mark Desousa and Brent Moloney were influential, getting plenty of the footy, as was skipper Steve Brittain. Too much was left to too few though, and the Gorillas were overwhelmed.
Playing against the reigning premiers was always going to be a sizable challenge for the Hawks and that’s the way it played out on the scoreboard. The Tigers ran out 91 point winners as Bryce Retzlaff put on a show at Cooke-Murphy Oval. The big tiger was just too strong for his opponents, in the air and at ground level, taking marks on the lead and snapping goals around the corner.
It has to be mentioned the impressive forward also received silver service from a rampant midfield.
Moving on up
Mt Gravatt youngster Zach Stone played another breakout game against Broadbeach, the round four rising star winner was impressive with his ball winning and clearing kicks. Expect him to get better as the season goes on.
Demon Kain Ford was impressive against the Magpies, winning the footy all over the ground, bursting through the stoppages and hitting the scoreboard. Teammate Mitchell Hopkins also rolled up his sleeves and won his share against the Sherwood boys.
Sandgate spearhead Connor Stackelberg provided a target for the under siege Hawks, on a difficult day with limited opportunities. The big forward looks impressive on the lead.
Recap
To get a play-by-play recount of the match of the round, take a look at the live blog below.
By Sean Melrose
Follow @seanmelrose
