By Ant Wingard
Image: Highflyer Images
Maroochydore has reclaimed their place atop the QFA Colts Maroon competition with a steadfast 39-point win over Coorparoo at Leyshon Park.
After falling to Southport in the competition’s Grand Final one year ago, the Roos rewrote their wrongs of 2018 to claim the Premiership with a measured and methodical performance on the big stage.
In a back and forth battle against the Kings, Maroochydore never appeared to run away in a landslide win but their three to four goal buffer throughout most of the match helped seal a comfortable 16.13 (109) to 12.5 (77) win.
Despite Maroochydore eventual triumph, it was Coorparoo who emerged early in the game as the most dangerous side.
The Kings booted the first goal of the game just seconds after the opening bounce, where they won the game’s first clearance before they took a contested mark inside 50 and duly converted his opportunity.
Coorparoo soon added another in quick succession as the south Brisbane side looked by far the more potent team.
But just as quickly as they had kicked two early goals, Maroochydore – who had finally found their footing after a sluggish opening ten minutes, booted four goals to one to round out the term.
Maroochydore’s lead at the first break was quickly extended through Harry Mccosker before the two sides traded goals throughout the second term.
It was a theme that was present throughout much of the contest – Maroochydore would hold a two or three goal lead and while Coorparoo looked dangerous and always loomed ominously, the Kings could never add a run of goals to cut the deficit.
The third term belonged solely to the Kings, who rallied from more than four goals down after Maroochydore’s Lachlan McDonald opened the scoring early in the term to put the game again up for grabs.
Coorparoo booted five goals to two in the term – a fitting narrative in the proverbial premiership quarter – to cull the lead to as little as two points.
The spark for the Kings’ comeback was their dominance around the clearance with their ability to win the ball out of the centre and pump the ball inside 50 the difference between the two sides in what proved to be a crucial third stanza.
But in much the same way as the opening term, Coorparoo’s run of dominance was quickly extinguished as Maroochydore booted a late goal in the third and two goals early in the fourth to once again stretch their lead.
The Roos once again threatened to all but seal the win but a literal goal-saving and likely premiership saving tackle from Louis Cosmo Coorparoo kept the Kings in the contest.
Instead, that task was given to Lockie Stewart who converted his set shot in the fourth to ensure the premiership would remain on the Sunshine Coast.
QFA Colts Maroon Grand Final
Maroochydore: 4.3 7.9 10.11 16.13 (109)
Coorparoo: 3.0 5.2 10.2 12.5 (77)
