Photo by Anthony Byron Photography
By Abby Collins
Zupps Aspley Oval will be packed out for one of the most anticipated games of the season so far.
This Saturday, Aspley will take on Morningside and attempt to ensure there are no undefeated teams left in the competition.
The last time these two teams went head-to-head was in Round 13 of last season, where Aspley walked away with a convincing victory, 6.2 (38) to 11.19 (85).
Aspley is looking to repeat history and come away with the win, halting the only undefeated team left in the competition.
Morningside, however, is determined to maintain their perfect record this season.
The Panthers have been in fine form, with stars like Nokia Cockatoo and Tommy Horne leading the charge.
Players to watch in the yellow and brown are captain Brandon Batchelor, Errin Wasley-Black, and Liam Dawson.
These three powerhouse backs put on a show in the first half against Palm Beach Currumbin last weekend and will be looking to present the same kind of pressure.
Cody Stackelberg will also be one to watch, with his tackling consistency regularly stopping opponents in their tracks.
Lining up on the field this week for Aspley will be Ryan Banks-Smith, Mac Herring, William Peppin, Tom Templeton and Andrew Jeffery.
Shuffling of the magnets will see Jasper Craven, Nicholas Dodge, Joel Koger, Macauley Lonergan and Raymond Hill sitting this epic game out.
Some big changes to the Morningside line up are happening this weekend.
Stepping out of this match are Dylan Swann, Kyle Dunkley, William Pendlebury, Darcy Cameron-Reeves, Brad Hodge, Kelly Castle, Cam Lovig, Daniel Lloyd and Ethan Pinchen.
Ready to take the field by force are Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds, Harry Milford, Liam Dwyer, Ben Mccarthy, Wyatt Greenaway, Kai Purslow, Harry Taylor, Zane Pearce, Kris Swan and Marcus Peak.
Morningside Coach Paul Egan is confidence in his team’s depth, despite losing some key VFL players for this round 10 ripper of a match up.
“We lost our VFL guys, but that’s just an opportunity for others to come in their place. There will be a couple of reserves moving up and just an overall shuffle of the decks a bit, some repositioning of players,” he said.
The match promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams eager to assert their dominance.
“Aspley is clearly the yardstick of the competition, hopefully this will be a good showing,” Egan said.
Aspley will rely on their defensive strength and the leadership of Batchelor, Wasley-Black, and Dawson to stifle Morningside’s attacking threats.
On the other hand, Morningside will look to their star players, Cockatoo and Horne, to continue their fine form and lead the team to victory.
Fans can expect a high-intensity game with plenty of action and strategic plays.
With significant implications for the remainder of the season, it’s a must-watch for all QAFL enthusiasts.
