WILSTON GRANGE v. SURFERS PARADISE
Surfers Paradise 5.2, 8.7, 14.10, 20.19 (139)
Wilston Grange 1.1, 6.1, 9.6, 9.7 (61)
FULL RECAP: https://aflq.com.au/live-145pm-wilston-grange-vs-surfers/
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Surfers’ premiership chances, that’s who.
Their last month has been as good as anyone’s. They backed up their hype yesterday.
They dominated the first quarter by running in waves from the backline, and choking any Gorillas forward entry.
Wilston Grange threw everything they had at the Demons in the second term.
They took a leaf out of Surfers book. They started to link up better from the backline, were finding space out the back of the contest, and Tyle Williams one out in the forward fifty was working a treat.
At half time, the game had a pulse.
After half time, Surfers put the foot down.
They had weathered the Wilston Grange storm, and streaked away.
Brodie Haberfield was lunching them off the backline, Woolford was getting a lot of it, Corbett and Green were kicking everything that came their way, and Pope was winning a lot of the ball.
Harrison Fraser also played his best game in the red and blue.
Their last quarter was as good of 30 minutes they have played all year. They looked like they could have kept going for another half.
For Grange, they showed in the second quarter they were capable, but the consistency wasn’t there.
Trewhella was good when he went on to the ball, Richardson and Farry battled away, but they didn’t have enough.
All going well at Surfers Paradise.
Coaches thoughts:
Matt Trewhella – Wilston Grange
“We starter poorly, they got a bit of momentum, and even though we got some back in the second quarter, we had to come out after the break and go on with it… but we didn’t.
“We gave up, and there was a lot of guys down today, it was difficult.
“We didn’t trust each other when making decisions, and didn’t bring others into the game, and it had a snowball effect.
“They are a good side, well balanced, and look like they are enjoy themselves.”
Peter Young – Surfers Paradise
MORNINGSIDE v. MT GRAVATT
Mt Gravatt 4.2, 8.5, 12.7, 16.12 (108)
Morningside 2.2, 7.2, 9.5, 10.8 (68)
When talking about premiership contenders, Mt Gravatt belong in this conversation as well.
Their best is easily in the top three of the competition at the moment, as Morningside found out.
They started like they did against UQ last week, and put the Panthers on the ropes early.
Moncur booted the first and last of the quarter to give the Vultures some breathing space at the first break.
The second and third quarter was when Morningside started to get going, and it turned into a hum-dinger.
Logan was finding a lot of the footy across half-forward, and Nash was working hard.
Chris Murphy and Mick Hamill were elite in the midfield for Mt Gravatt, and Smith was winning the ruck battle.
Half way through the third, a Serruier goal made it an eight-point game, but that was the final blow Morningside landed.
They had spent their petrol tickets getting back in the game, and Mt Gravatt put the foot down.
Moncur kicked eight, which says as much about him as it does the Vultures work around the ground.
They used the space, they won the 50/50 ball, and they were smart about how they went inside 50.
Another challenger toppled, away from home as well. Vultures on fire.
Coaches thoughts:
Matt Walder – Morningside
“We gave away a start again. If you give a side like them the chance to play their game, it’s very hard to get back into it.
“We got challenged, but coming back like that everything has to go right, and it didn’t.
“You have to exhaust every energy level you have to get in front, but they settled, and were able to run away.
“It’s disappointing, we challenged really well for two quarters but not in the critical times.”
Brad Pollock – Mt Gravatt
“It was a really tight game until about ten minutes into the third quarter. After that we slowly drew away from them.
“Morningside are still a very good side, out boys just played out of their skin on the day.
“We just started to get a little but more run called late, and then we had Troy Moncur up forward who kicked out goals straight, and that wins you games of footy.”
SANDGATE v. LABRADOR
Labrador 4.3, 7.4, 11.6, 15.13 (103)
Sandgate 1.4, 5.5, 6.7, 8.10 (58)
Write off Labrador at your own peril in 2016.
Just when they heat was starting to crank up, and the top five were starting to drift off into the distance, they came up with the goods.
After last week’s heartbreaker, they came out with a point to prove in the first quarter, kicking four goals to one.
Sandgate definitely weren’t too far off the Tigers all day; they weren’t dominated by any means, but the Labrador just had that extra 10 per cent across every line.
Sandgate came out and won the second quarter, but just couldn’t peg them back enough.
Goldsmith was giving the Tigers first use around the footy, Matt Daniel was getting a heap of it, and Thorsen and Hicks were working superbly together.
They never blew the Hawks away, but just kept edging further in front, getting the job done in pretty comfortable fashion in the end.
For Sandgate, Lubke was a standout, Daye and Haynes were also very good, but they just needed an extra gear yesterday.
It was a win Labrador needed. 3-4 sounds a lot better than 2-5.
Still alive.
Coaches thoughts:
Graham Adams – Sandgate
“They are a very skillful side, they played really good footy.
“Having a couple of key forwards of that caliber straightens them right up.
“That would have been our worst effort in five weeks, we have got to try and regroup and get it right, we are all disappointed with that.
“I felt like we just missed too many targets all day. We just butchered goals, our skill level was terrible.”
Perry Meka – Labrador
“We are getting some real synergy as a team now. We have got some players back, which is nice.
“They have got a great midfield, they have for years. It was a really good game, and a great midfield battle.
“They kicked four in a row in the second quarter, so we had to reset at half time. Once we did that, we settled, and ran away with it a bit.”
“It’s a big week next week now, it’s a real crunch game for us.”
BROADBEACH v. PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN
Palm Beach Currumbin 3.4, 8.5, 14.7, 18.8 (116)
Broadbeach 0.3, 3.11, 4.14, 7.17 (59)
Palm Beach can’t put a foot wrong at the moment.
They controlled the majority of this one, especially late.
It started with them locking the ball in their forward half for most of the first quarter.
Broadbeach were struggling to find any fluency going forward, but the Lions couldn’t hurt them on the scoreboard.
Broadbeach came back at them in the second, but couldn’t hurt them where it counts.
They kicked 3.8 for the quarter, to the Lions’ 5.1, which made the half time lead nice and cozy for Palm Beach
The third quarter was when the Lions put the foot on the throat.
Higgs and Stubbs were on fire in the forward line, kicking five between them in that quarter alone.
The Cats fought back hard late, but will once again rue a slow start; it’s killing them this season.
Woolley Stephen Thynne and Croad were the catalysts in the middle for the Lions. That’s where it all started.
For the Cats, Josh Searl played his best game in a while, Ryan Dienjes was fantastic and Fitzsimmons and Lancaster played some good footy.
Sitting very pretty in top spot at the moment, are the Lions.
Coaches thoughts:
Brett Andrews – Broadbeach
“When you kick 3.11 and two on the full, you just can’t apply scoreboard pressure.
“They were smarter, they played together, and we were trying to do it ourselves.
“When we have the footy, we are alright, it’s when we don’t have the footy that we are no good.”
Chad Owens – Palm Beach Currumbin
“It was a gutsy performance considering Matt Derrick and Danny Darnett went down early.
“Eventually we just wore them down. We used the width well.
“We have still got a lot of things we need to fix up, but we are going okay. We showed a lot of character today, everyone rolled the sleeves up.”
WESTERN MAGPIES v. UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
Western Magpies 4.2, 8.7, 12.12, 17.15 (117)
University of Queensland 3.4, 5.6, 5.10, 10.11 (71)
The Magpies made sure this one went to script.
A team with a new coach usually wins first up, and that’s exactly what they did.
But they didn’t have it all their own way, the Red Lions pushed them, especially in the first half.
Tagell had three first quarter goals for UQ, and the contest was an arm wrestle.
The Red Lions squared up the scores eight minutes into the second quarter, but their intensity dropped off after that.
The Magpies’ were able to kick the last three of the half, thanks to Staker and Pope, to edge ahead.
Losing key defender Sean Powyer to a hammy didn’t help either.
The third quarter was all black and white. They controlled the stoppages, they restricted any thrust forward by the Red Lions, and they converted.
A four goal to zip quarter sealed the deal.
The Red Lions went back to taking the game on late, but it was too little too late.
If there were in doubts on how the Magpies were going to close this one out, three goals from Luke Scott when he went forward answered that.
The Magpies leaders stood up when it counted. Woods McEvoy Scott, Carseldine, they were all huge.
Hannaford and Begley were excellent again, as was Milford for UQ, but they didn’t have enough mates.
The Magpies are still in the hunt, while UQ just need to find a bit more consistency to get the win.
Coaches thoughts:
Nathan Clarke – Western Magpies
“It was good, we were pretty happy with it. We were fairly workman like, we did what we wanted to do, and it was a good day all round.
“To be honest, it was more me, and the coaching staff getting our rotations and match ups right. The first quarter, I was still getting to know the players and how they play, so it was about getting some knowledge of the boys.
“Once we got that right, and threw a few blokes around, we clicked into gear.
“I thought they were really good for the first 15 minutes, they played a really great defensive brand early.”
John Tootell – UQ
“We just had too many passengers on the day.
“I don’t think the scoreboard reflected the game; they were the better side though and deserved to win.
“They took their chances and we just didn’t. We had some good passages off play, but we didn’t get out heads over the ball enough, and they ran and spread well.”
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles
