Broadbeach 11.9.75 defeated by Wilston Grange 13.11.89

Broadbeach had it all to play for yesterday, but Wilston Grange gatecrashed the party.

The Gorillas’ win keeps their top three dreams alive, and puts the final nail in the coffin of Broadbeach’s season.

When the game was open, Broadbeach looked the most dangerous, when it was slowed down and played inside, the Gorillas were just too good.

Brad Percy, with his first possession of the year opened the scoring for the Gorillas, and then they went ballistic.

They had three goals in five minutes, and six for the quarter, kicking with the aid of a breeze, to lead at the first break by 21-points.

While the Cats were outplayed early, and allowed the game the be played to quickly while defending the breeze, the message was still positive at quarter time, and they came out firing in the second.

Daffy kicked one within two minutes, but Bradie Foster, arguably best on ground all day in the ruck, responded instantly against the flow of play.

It was all one-way traffic for the rest of the quarter. Broadbeach kicked the next five from everywhere possible to hit the front for the first time all day, and give the home crowd something to smile about.

At the main break, the Cats held a two-point advantage.

The same two teams ran out after the break, but the aesthetics of the game changed dramatically.

Instead of shootout, it became a scrap.

Wilston Grange slowed the game down, stopped the outside run of the Cats, and used the ball a lot better by foot.

Both teams were doing well getting numbers back, which created a lot of stoppages, meaning there were only three goals kicked for the quarter.

Wilston Grange wrestled back a four-point advantage at three quarter time, but with the Broadbeach coming home with the wind, the Gorillas needed a strong start in the last.

That’s exactly what they got.

The Gorillas started playing slingshot footy. They got numbers back, and then once the ball was turned over, they managed to get their runners out the back of the contest.

Hugh Campbell burnt his direct opponent to kick the first of the quarter, before Christie was hit on the lead by a 50 meter Albert Proud bullet, and all of a sudden it was a 16-point ball game.

When Williams kicked the Gorillas third of the quarter following an off the ball free kick, you could see the Cats deflate, they knew that was the game, and the season.

When the siren rang, the Gorillas were 14-points up, and still in the mix for an all-important double chance in the post-season.

The Cats were gallant, but the better team on the day won.

Coach’s thoughts:
Brett Andrews – Broadbeach

“Just like the Western Magpies, we had them for a half but as soon as the going gets tough we expect someone else to do it. Everyone tries to get a kick instead of playing to the structures.

“It was a real disappointing day, but maybe our expectation of this group is a little bit too high. We now know where we are at; we are sixth fighting for seventh instead of fifth.

“They were scoring at ease in the first quarter, I knew we would come back we always do, but we were like a racehorse that can’t lead, we just can’t hit the front.”

Matt Trewhella – Wilston Grange

“We just started to use the ball better in the second half. They got numbers behind the ball; we did a lot of work on Thursday about holding the ball, maintaining possession.

“Our forward pressure was minimal in the second quarter, and once we started to lift that, it had a ripple effect down the ground. Then the perceived pressure also lifts, and they start worrying a little bit about what they are going to do with the ball.

“After we kicked those three goals in the last, they were huge, it was a matter of holding on after that.”

Labrador 25.14.164 defeated Palm Beach Currumbin 11.8.74

Just in case you were wondering, Labrador is still the team to beat in 2015.

They went out and dismantled Palm Beach yesterday, a team who was in red-hot form coming in.

The Tigers tore the game open early with their contested prowess, they spread well, and most importantly, they put it on the scoreboard.

Interestingly, for the first time since round three, Labrador had their starting midfield, Davey, Hicks, Thorsen, Baird, Clarke all playing together, and they didn’t miss a beat.

The Tigers set the tone from the opening bounce, kicking seven opening quarter goals to Palm Beach’s two. It was a long way back for the Lions.

The game was played at a cracking pace in the second. Palm Beach kicked four for the quarter, but Labrador kicked eight.

Their lead at the main break was 55-points, and it was all over red rover.

Like he has done all year, when Fraser, Lappin or Perry-Bolt haven’t played, Josh Baxter stepped to the plate and was dominant up forward.

The second half was much the same as the first. The Lions fought it out, but The Tigers won every quarter for the game.

Both teams’ benches were impacted in the second half.

The Lions lost Shaun Wilson to a head knock and Matt Peters to a hammy, and the Tigers were without Young and Hicks to injury, and Ryan Davey had to leave at three quarter time for work.

Baxter kicked 7, Thorsen was phenomenal in the middle, and Warren was good on the outside.

Bannister finished with three for the Lions, and Schnieder was good, but they were just outclassed for the entire day.

The Tigers ran out 90-point winners, and sent a statement to the rest of the competition.

Your move, Magpies and Panthers.

Coach’s thoughts:
Steve Daniel – Labrador

“Two weeks ago against Surfers Paradise I thought we started getting back to doing the basics really well, and I thought we executed that today.

“Contested footy was something we focused on. WE thought the game was going to be won there, and we had to make sure we were better in that particular area.

“We don’t look at it (as making a statement), we just wanted to keep heading in the right direction, and doing the things we thought we hadn’t been doing in a little while.”

Chad Owens – Palm Beach

“They were unreal. We didn’t play to instruction in the first quarter, and as a result we were six goals down at quarter time.

“They just outnumbered us at contests, had more run, and out pressured us, and then they hit the scoreboard to make it really hurt.

“With a young group you are going to have your ups and downs, we need to rebound quickly, we are not going to sit around and cry about it, we have got to get ready for the Western Magpies. “

Mt Gravatt 14.9.93 defeated by Morningside 10.14.134

It wasn’t a walk in the park, they had to earn it, but Morningside were too polished for Mt Gravatt yesterday.

An injury ravaged Vultures, who honoured one of their favorite sons, Ferg Reid yesterday, threw everything at the Panthers, but Morningside showed why they aren’t prepared to hand Labrador the cup just yet.

It was on for young and old early.

Abey signaled his intentions within the first three minutes with his first of the afternoon.

That matchup provided Brad Pollock with a headache all afternoon without his fullback, Mitch Hart.

The Vultures kicked the next three through Nash, Estall and Green, showing they were up for the fight.

At quarter time, Mt Gravatt was four-points up.

Tim Douge kicked the first of the second, but after that, the Panthers turned it on.

They booted the next five of the quarter to go into the sheds 21-points up.

The hard-nosed attack around the football, something they have been working on for a few weeks now, was coming to fruition.

Jesse Green and Rhys Estall, the Vultures best two all day, kicked the first two of the second half to bring them back within nine-points, but that was the closest they would get for the rest of the day.

Mueller down forward was allowing Abey the freedom to kick his six, and Kinch was also pushing hard forward.

At three quarter time, Morningside’s lead was out to 26-points, and they looked very comfortable.

The last quarter was nice and open, but it was the Panthers who had the better legs, running out 41-point winners.

Jesse Green was given the Ferg Reid Medal of Courage for his performance, but a special mention must go out to Rhys Estall, who was in a moon boot all week.

He left everything out on the field for his mate Ferg. He was never going to miss this one.

Morningside’s win sets them up beautifully for a top of the table clash with Labrador this week, that’ll be a cracker.

Coach’s thoughts:
Brad Pollock – Mt Gravatt

“We were in it early, then they just had that little bit of class to clean up on our blunders and that was probably the main difference in the game.

“We had our chances, we created opportunities, but made errors and those turnovers created goals for them.

“That was as good as I’ve seen Abey play in a long time.

“I was proud of our boys, they fought it out all day and we are really starting to get places with our group, and getting games into the kids.”

David Lake – Morningside

“We knew they would have a crack, and have a crack they did. Our boys had to be fairly hard nosed, but we got the job done, I thought we were pretty smooth in transition today.

“I was pretty happy, I thought we were a bit tidier with the ball in hand, and we we had some good passages of play.

“I thought that hard edge we spoke about Friday, for periods of the game, we really had that.

“We are getting closer to our line up, everyone got through, I’m happy.”

Surfers Paradise 9.7.61 defeated by Western Magpies 16.14.110

Experience. That was the difference.

Yesterday we saw a team coming into their prime, and a team who are building.

The Magpies ticked off another box in season 2015 with their win over the Demons yesterday, to stay level on points with Morningside in second.

It was a pretty scrappy start. The Magpies were winning the footy, but couldn’t put the score on the board, allowing the Demons to hang around.

Val Pope kicked the first of the game in the first minute of the game, before Brown opened the Demons account five minutes later.

Goals to Easton and Hunt late gave the Magpies a 14-point quarter time lead.

The second quarter was a case of goals gone begging for the Magpies.

They kicked 3.5 to Surfers’ 3.2 for the quarter, which included some very gettable shots sliding wide.

Noa Corbett was playing outstanding football for the Demons. He put his head over the ball time and time again, and was really keeping them in it.

At half time, the Magpies lead was 17-points.

The third quarter was when the Magpies finally put their dominance on the board.

They controlled the footy, choked any Surfers forward thrust up, and were splitting the big sticks.

Drew Mitchell, who is making a habit of kicking goals from the midfield, snagged two, as did Dickfos, in a seven goal to two quarter, to extend the lead to 50-points, and ice the game.

The last quarter saw the Demons play with a lot more freedom. They took it on, and weren’t worried about making mistakes.

When it worked, it looked good, winning the last quarter by a point.

In the end, the Magpies were 49-point winners, building nicely for the business end of the year.

Coach’s thoughts:
Peter Young – Surfers Paradise

“They are a good side, their set up and structures around the stoppages are really good, I love the way they go about it.”

“Hopefully our young group can take something out of that.

“They stuck at it today, we were good in the midfield but they controlled that much of the footy we didn’t get a chance to run.”

“We just need to take the game on a bit more, and not worry about turning it over.”

Glenn Humphrey – Western Magpies

“It was a bit of a scrappy game early but after half time we got away. We pretty much had control, but we couldn’t get the scoreboard pressure that we wanted, hence they stayed in the game until half time.

“We converted well in third quarter which blew them out of the game.

“We won the ball, controlled the football, but just kicked a number of points in the second quarter that were all getable. To their credit they stuck at it and we snuck away bit by bit.”

UQ 17.12.114 defeated Sandgate 13.15.93

It’s been a while between drinks, but the UQ boys have win number two on the board.

Today, UQ beat Sandgate at their own game, the contested footy with big bodies.

Both coaches spoke in the Friday Forecast about how important the start was going to be, and a truer word has not been spoken, it was the difference.

UQ came out of the blocks the better.

It was goal for goal early, but two late ones to Hannaford and Robinson for UQ gave them a handy 16-point lead at the first break.

It was tough and tight in close, as you would expect at St Lucia, but UQ weren’t being pushed around.

They edged forward in the second quarter, but it was a 50/50 contest for the majority.

Nicholas Kent’s goal in red time put UQ 26-points up at the main break, but the challenge was now to stay in the game for the full four quarters.

The story of the second half was that every time Sandgate kicked a goal, or got a bit of momentum going, UQ were able to respond with a goal of their own.

The Red Lions weren’t letting this one slip.

It was four goals a piece in the third, meaning UQ were 23-points up at the last change. That second win was so close they could almost grab it.

When Stackelberg kicked his second of the last quarter, it was a 10-point ball game, and it was on.

UQ held their nerve, and put their late fade outs behind them. Goals to Dolphin Tebbutt and Marshall sealed the deal, they were home.

Alex Craft was massive for the Hawks all day, leaving everything out there, but it wasn’t enough.

The siren sounded, UQ were 21-points up, and winners for the second time this year.

They’ll enjoy this one

Coach’s thoughts:
Darren Pfeiffer – UQ

“It’s been a while.

“We had the wind in the first and got on top which was a real focus for us. We played some good footy up the hill as well.

“It was mainly just playing on and our run and carry. It was probably the best we have spread from the contest this year.

“We made a conscious effort to hunt the footy and hunt the man, but it was our bottom five players that stood up today.”

Graham Adams – Sandgate

“They played very well, and they deserved to win.

“They got the start and we could bridge the gap, and that was the difference in the end.

“They were probably a little bit more polished than what we were, a little bit more hungry than what we were, and across the board they were just better than what we were.

“We all feel shattered with the result, but it’s up to us to turn it around. We have got ourselves into this hole, now we need to get out of it.”

By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles