By AFLQ Media
AFL Queensland have today announced the Gympie Cats as the final addition to the QFA Division 3 competition for season 2019. The Cats will join the Jindalee Jaguars in making Division 3 a ten-team competition.
The Gympie Cats have been involved in both the AFL Wide Bay League and QAFA ‘B’ North competitions in recent times but have longed to join the more southern competition.
Gympie President Jason Bromilow said the opportunity to join the QFA was fantastic for his club.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for our club moving forward to go to the South East Queensland competition. It’s an opportunity for us and our players who want to play against in high quality competition,” Bomilow said.
“Travelling won’t be a drama for us. 55% of our players live South of Gympie so to travel south won’t hurt us at all. I know the team is looking forward to playing against the city boys which will be exciting.”
“Our committee have set ourselves a five to seven-year plan to make sure we’re in division 2 in five year’s time. We want to be consistently in division 2 and then down the track, maybe we can get up to division 1.”
In 2018, Gympie and Pomona joined forces for their foray into the AFL Wide Bay League which saw them fielding seniors and reserves for the first time since 2002. This proved to be a very successful season on-field, clinching the senior premiership by 31 points over the Hervey Bay Bombers.
Reflecting on that day, Mr Bromilow said the premiership triumph was reward for the efforts from all at the club.
“It was sensational. There’s nothing better than winning a Grand Final in any division. All of the hard work and efforts the team and committee put it, it was an amazing result.”
AFL Queensland’s State Football Operations Manager, Barry Gibson, said the addition of both Gympie and Jindalee is a positive for the QFA competition.
“We now have three evenly balanced senior and reserve grade competitions featuring promotion and relegation across Divisions 1, 2 and 3, with each comp now having ten teams.”
“Gympie have been steadfast in their view that the club’s long-term future is much more secure playing in a completion south of Gympie, so we look forward to them seizing this opportunity and putting in place the building blocks that ensure their long-term suitability in the QFA.”
Gympie will continue to field a Women’s side in the AFL Wide Bay competition.
With Gympie’s entry confirmed, the QFA Division 3 competition will field 10 clubs, playing 18 rounds commencing on April 6.
The 2019 QFA Division 3 Seniors Competition will include the following clubs:
- Griffith Moorooka
- Gympie
- Hinterland
- Ipswich Eagles
- Jindalee
- Kedron
- Moreton Bay (new for 2019 – former QFA Division 2 club in 2018)
- Pine Rivers
- Redcliffe
- Wynnum
