Morningside 7.9.51 defeated by Labrador 11.9.75

Saturday, we got our first look at a finals like game in 2015, and I loved it.

It was tough, it was physical, it was contested, and there was a lot to play for, but in the end, Labrador was better for longer, and have all but locked up the minor premiership in 2015.

It wasn’t the most attractive game of footy you will ever watch in your life, there weren’t too many plays that will make the end of year highlight reel, but it was two teams putting the opposition under as much pressure as possible, and leaving everything out there.

It was a scrappy start, and it took O’Donnell 10 minutes to kick the opener for the Panthers, but that’s when both teams settled a little bit.

Brain responded with one off the deck for the Tigers, in a quarter that went goal for goal.

At the first break, Morningside were seven-points up, and looked the stronger side.

Abey, in game 250, got his one and only at the start of the second; Bantoft held him well all day.

The story of the quarter was the every time Morningside would get a run on, Labrador were able to peg them back with a couple of quick ones and level the scores back up. It was a hot footy in the middle though!

At half time, the Panthers held a two-point advantage.

Labrador came out with one goal in the second half. Pressure.

Like a pack of wolves looking for a feed, they hunted in packs. It was unbelievable.

They were getting numbers behind the footy, clogging up the Morningside forward fifty, but were also shutting down the switch from half back.

The main difference in the quarter, and the game for that matter, was Morningside’s inability to hit a target inside 50, or get a clean entry, the pressure was just too much.

In a three goal to one quarter, Labrador held an 11-point lead at the last change.

Josh Baxter’s goal in the opening minute of the last was pretty much enough to seal the deal.

They kicked four goals to the Panthers two in the last, running out 24-point winners.

Adam Baird and Zac Brain were unbelievable for the Tigers all day. They really give them a bit of x-factor in the middle and across half forward.

The midfield battle was pretty even all day it must be said. Nash and Hackett both stood up for Morningside and cracked in for four quarters.

Labrador racked up another win, and will be hard to beat come September, but Morningside are in a better position now than they were first time these two teams met.
Bring on September.

Coach’s thoughts:
David Lake – Morningside

“Defensively I thought we were good, but we just couldn’t find a way to get through them up forward.

“I’m not disappointed in the effort, I thought our effort today was really good, we just didn’t find a way to goal.

“Our challenge is to find a better way forward. My only disappointment in the day is the four points, I’m not disappointed in the way we went about it. We were durable, our hard edge continued, they just scored more than we did.”

Steve Daniel – Labrador

“That was finals footy. It may not be the best spectacle but it’s all about pressure from both sides.

“Full credit to Morningside, they tried to stop our outside run and they did it fairly well early on. We just had to change our structure a little bit and hang on to the ball until we found the right option.

“It’s really tough to beat Morningside here so we are really happy.

“We felt up until half time a number of our players weren’t contributing. A few of our more senior players had to step up, and I think they did in that third quarter.”

Sandgate 12.7.79 defeated by Mt Gravatt 20.17.137

The going has been tough for Mt Gravatt this year, especially with some key injuries of late, but on Saturday they got rewarded for sticking fat.

Their 58-point win over Sandgate not only puts them a game clear of the Hawks, but leapfrogs them over Surfers Paradise on the ladder.

The Vultures run and carry was too much for a Sandgate side ravaged by injury to some of their best players who are impossible to replace.

Jordan Maynard kicked the first goal of the game for the Hawks, before Zac Stone responded for the Vultures.

Mt Gravatt went on to kick the last four goals of the quarter, including two from Andrew Smith, who finished with five for the afternoon, to take a 19-point lead into quarter time.

The second quarter started much the same as the first ended, with Murphy and Jamieson hitting the scoreboard for the Vultures.

The Hawks ended up evening up the quarter, thanks to two goals from Lochie Laing, but the big news was Aden Rutledge going down with a groin injury, ending his day.

At half time, Mt Gravatt were still 19-points up.

The third quarter was when the game got blown wide open.

The Vultures booted eight goals to two in one of the most impressive quarters of football Mt Gravatt have played all year.

It’s what they have been building for; the run, the link up, the spread. Blokes like Jesse Green and Todd Carbone were instrumental.

At three quarter time the margin was out to 60-points.

Sandgate won the last quarter five goals to four, but the damage had been done.

Mt Gravatt ran out 58-point winners, and banked win number four for the year.

Jesse Green was best on ground, and Ben Daley kicked five in his first senior game of the year. Not a bad little cameo.

Alex Craft continued his hot streak of form for the Hawks; they just needed a couple more of him.

Coach’s thoughts:
Graham Adams – Sandgate

“We are struggling a bit at the moment to be brutally honest. Injuries are hitting us hard, we just going through a tough patch, but Mt Gravatt played well, they were good yesterday.

“With all our young bodies, we are just starting to feel it a bit now, towards the end of the season.

“I just think they finished off their chances a lot better than what we did. Our turnovers hurt us, making vital errors in vital parts of the ground.”

Brad Pollock – Mt Gravatt

“It was just great to get a win, it’s a good pick me up for the boys, a nice reward for effort.

“There is no doubt they were a little bit undermanned, they gave it their all, but I think our run and spread got the better of them. The third quarter it really opened up for us and we were able to put the game away.

“We have a few out as well, so the pleasing thing is that guys are coming in playing the team game. We are really all trying to play as a unit and I think that’s starting to show. “

Surfers Paradise 10.15.75 defeated by Broadbeach 11.10.76

I said on Friday this one was a toss of the coin, and didn’t it live up to it.

Broadbeach have taken local bragging rights for the rest of the year in a one point thriller, kicking the last two goals of the game in the dying minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

It was the Cats who started the game the better.

Trent McIntyre kicked the first of the game for the Demons, but Broadbeach kicked the next four.

At quarter time, the Cats were up by 19-points.

Haydn Kiel showed how handy of an inclusion he was this week in the second quarter, with two very important goals.

In a four goal to two quarter, Surfers dragged themselves right back into the contest. It was a six-point ball game at the long break.

James Royes was thrown onto the ball in the second half, and had an immediate impact. His big body over the football really got the ball moving the Cats way, but it was the Demons who made the most of the opportunities in the third.

At the last change, it was all locked up at 57-points a piece.

Moscher-Thomas kicked the first of the last quarter for the Cats, but goals to McIntyre and Filewood saw the Demons skip away to an eight-point lead.

Taylor Hayley goaled for the Cats and brought the game back to two-points, it was on.

The game needed a hero, and the Cats found it through Clay Moscher-Thomas.

His goal at the 25-minute mark gave the Cats a four-point lead with only minutes left. Not bad for a late inclusion.

The Demons’ had all the play in the last two minutes, the ball was locked in their forward half, but they just couldn’t pinch a goal. They kicked 2.6 for the quarter.

Bryce Tomlinson took a mark right on the Surfers goal line, cleaed the ball, and the siren rang,. The Cats were one-point up.

Heartbreak for the Demons, relief for the Cats.

Are they still a sneaky finals chance? You just never know.

Coach’s thoughts:
Peter Young – Surfers

“We just needed some composure at the end. We have lost four or five now by a kick, so as long as we learn from this, we will be better for it. Next year those four or five games you win.

“Our run was a lot better. We won our fair share of the footy. They started well but then we got on top of them.

“Our pressure was up as well. The signs are there.”

Brett Andrews – Broadbeach

“We nearly threw it away. It reminded me a bit of the Palm Beach game.

“With six out and three pulling out of the starting side, I was proud of that.

“James Royes was fantastic. He’s our next midfielder.

“Our backline was excellent. Our tags worked for most of the day.

“It was all over with five minutes to go, but we found a way to win, it was pleasing, that’s what I’ll take from it.”

 
Western Magpies 19.10.124 defeated Palm Beach Currumbin 7.10.52

It’s not a bad time to be playing what your coach describes as the best half of footy for the year, especially if that gives you outright second position on the ladder, and that’s what the Magpies did on Saturday.

They put the Lions to the sword early, winning the footy on the inside and then beating them on the outside, setting up win number 12 for 2015.

It was an onslaught early. Even without Val Pope, who was a late out, the Magpies kicked the first six goals of the game, which included two to Dickfos, to be up 41-1up, before Schnieder and Bannister goaled for the Lions.

At quarter time, the margin was 28-points.

The second quarter was just as impressive as the first. Cal Carseldine was running riot in the middle, and the Magpies were just pushing the Lions around when over the ball.

Dickfos kicked the first two of the quarter, and the Magpies had added another five majors before Stubbs finally found one for the Lions.

Majors to Jaenke-Cain and Copland in red time gave the Magpies a 63-point half time lead, and the game was pretty much cooked.

To Palm Beach’s credit, they came to play in the second half; the output was much better.

Stubbs kicked the first of the quarter, and the Lions evened up the contest.

The third was a four goal to three quarter in the Magpies favour, which gave them a 68-point three quarter time lead.

The sting was out of it in the last, and the contest slowed up a lot.

Derrick kicked the opener for the Lions, before Copland and Thompson put the Cherry on top.

When the siren went, the Magpies were 72-point winners, and are as close as ever to getting that all important home final first week.

Coach’s thoughts:
Glenn Humphrey – Western Magpies

“We were very happy with yesterday, particularly in the first half, we broke them right open and ran the legs off them.

“We won the stoppages, got first use of the football and were able to share it really well. I wasn’t overly happy with our second half but the job was already done by then.

“Their attack on the footy and their work rate was a lot better in the third quarter, but we continued on with what we were doing but we weren’t as clean as we were in the first half. “

Chad Owens – Palm Beach

“It was just another really bad opening quarter, and it cost us dearly.

“They were all over us. They were too physical, too big, and more discipline than us. They outnumbered us at the contest and then ran away in waves.

“You question that if you can do it in the second half, why can’t you do it in the first. That’s our problem, we haven’t been able to string four quarters together.”

Wilston Grange 17.17.119 defeated UQ 13.7.85

Hear that? That is the collective sigh of relief from the Wilston Grange supporters. Their top three dreams are still alive.

The Gorillas had to claw, scrap and fight there way past a gallant UQ today, who certainly lost no fans in the process; but they got the job done in the end.

Grange jumped out of the blocks a bit better.

McDonnell kicked the first of the game for Wilston Grange, but Dolphin got the instant reply for UQ.

At quarter time, the Gorillas were 17-points up, but had five extra scoring shots for the quarter.

UQ, kicking with the wind, took the game on in the second. Darren Pfeiffer spoke about how quickly they can score in the Friday Forecast, and that’s certainly what they were showing.

Once in control of the footy in the back half, they took off, playing that high risk, high reward, slingshot style of footy.

They kicked six goals for the quarter, but Grange still managed five of their own.

At half time, the Gorillas were up by 13-points.

Like a bad smell, UQ refused to go away in the third, despite being massive underdogs. When their game plan worked, it worked.

Matt Judd and Nick Kent were superb all day.

What they were struggling with however, was Matt Trewhella.

After starting down back, Trewhella swung forward with an immediate impact.

He had a major contribution in the second half, to finish with seven goals for the game.

At three quarter time, the Gorillas were just five-points in front.

When the game was on the line, Wilston Grange’s big dogs stepped up to the plate.

Brittain, Kuret and McMahon went to work in the middle, and the clearance stats swung heavily in favor of the red white and blue.

The Gorillas kicked six last quarter goals to one to run out 34-point winners.

Results will need to fall their way, but they are still in the hunt for a double chance.

Coach’s thoughts:
Matt Trewhella – Wilston Grange

“We had a lot of possession we just didn’t use it well, and then when they had possession they utilised it very well. They went end to end very quickly and kicked some terrific goals.

“We were able to kick some goals late and put them away.

“Our clearance work was terrific in the last quarter, and our forwards were being hit lace out. That was probably the difference, but it wasn’t until the last quarter that we were actually able to play the way we wanted to.”

Darren Pfeiffer – UQ

“Once you get three quarters down in the last quarter you’ve got to try some things, and sometimes they come unstuck.

“We played some good footy though. Our ball movement was really good, but probably in the last quarter we stopped spreading and running a little bit.

“To their credit, they got on top around the stoppages and took a few big grabs one on one that hurt us.

“We knew we could score if we could get it over the back, so that run is the way we have got to plan in terms of the personal we have got.”

By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles