Morningside 20.9.129 defeated Broadbeach 12.11.83
Morningside were just too big, too strong, and too quick for Broadbeach yesterday.
They put the foot down in the first three quarters before the rain hit, to ensure they picked up where they left off before the bye.
Broadbeach were in the contest early, but a few costly free kicks handed any momentum they had over to the Panthers.
Faure spent some more minutes in the midfield for Morningside with immediate impact, kicking one of the Panthers six first quarter goals, putting them 19-points up at the first break.
The next two quarters were typical Morningisde. They ran in waves, they spread well, and they had a variety of goal-kickers.
Abey was proving a handful up forward with three before half time, and Morningside were up an about.
They came out of the sheds at half time 40-points up, and put the foot down.
They kicked the first six of the second half, for a game high 76-point lead, before McConnochie and Pantic brought the margin back to 53-points at the last break.
As the rain started to fall, Broadbeach stepped up, and Morningside put the cue in the rack.
The Cats won the last quarter, with five goals to three, but it was a case of too little too late.
Morningside were eventual 46-point winners, and importantly, got through the game injury free.
Coach’s thoughts:
David Lake – Morningside
“We were about 60 points up at three quarter time, and then it started raining, and to be honest, when the rain came they kept playing and we didn’t.
“From our point of view, we had some of our best transitions of the year but I thought it might have been undone by a skill error or something.
“At times it was the best we have moved the ball, particularly in the first three quarters.
“We had a few that didn’t play but we always thought we had enough to get the job done.”
Brett Andrews – Broadbeach
“Physically I think we pushed them. First quarter was really good but silly free kicks probably gave them three goals early, so scoreboard pressure was gone.
“The structure stopped when we had the win, which hurt us. We blacked out for about five minutes, and the game was over.
“Their speed and gut-running got us in the end.
“Their run and carry got us, and they just don’t panic. Under pressure, they just feed it back to the next wave.
“There are still a lot of positives to take from today though.”
Palm Beach Currumbin 11.17.83 defeated Surfers Paradise 10.6.66
It was wet and it was muddy. Getting your body over the footy was always going to win out yesterday, and that’s exactly what Palm Beach did.
The win, which snapped a three game losing streak, is pivotal in the bigger picture of 2015.
Daniel Green opened the scoring for the Demons, in conditions that were always going to be difficult for key forwards.
It was hard to split the two teams for the rest of the quarter. A goal to first gamer Samuel Stubbs, who would finish with three for the day, meant it was just a two-point game at the first change.
The Lions came out roaring in the second. A goal to Beston and two to Hamilton within the first ten minutes of the quarter put them up by 16-points, but a couple to Corbett and Foster late meant there was eight-points in it when the headed into the sheds to dry off.
Surfers Paradise lost ruckman Matt Green in the first half, which hurt their chances in the long run.
Jesse Derricks and Todd Bryant were running amok in the middle, and the third quarter was all Lions.
They kicked four goals to one, but it could have been much worse for the Demons, with an inaccurate Lions kicking nine behinds for the quarter.
It was Palm Beach assistant John Charles who mixed things up a little in the third, noticing a few areas of weakness in the Surfers lineup and adjusting accordingly.
They were on top because they used the ball better, they were stronger in the middle, and they played to the conditions beautifully.
The margin blew out to 33-points at the final change.
The Lions may have eased off in the last, but the job was done. Surfers kicked the last four goals of the game, but it wasn’t enough.
Palm Beach got over the line by 16-points, and got their season back on track.
Coach’s thoughts:
Chad Owens – Palm Beach
“We took our foot of the pedal in the last quarter but we put ourselves in a position where we could a little bit.
“We had nine changes; I don’t know many teams that could win with that many.
“We just thought we had good contributors right across the ground, we could have blanketed ten players for best on ground today.”
“I thought that’s where we won, we got on top in the middle.
“Todd Bryant turned up and saw the conditions in the middle and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Peter Young – Surfers Paradise
“They won the contest inside and they played some really good footy. Their decisions with the footy were good and our decisions were poor, so full credit to them.
“Conditions were terrible, but they played those conditions well. We tried to put some bigger bodies inside to help that but it didn’t work.
“We haven’t beaten them since 2006. That’s 19 in a row so psychologically that does hurt. The players built it up so much because they wanted to win that I think they tried too hard.”
Western Magpies 17.9.111 defeated Sandgate 7.10.52
It’s probably not one for the end of season highlight reel, but the Magpies made it five on the trot yesterday with their win over Sandgate.
It was everything we expected. Physical, contested, and brutal.
The game seesawed early. Neither team were able to get a good look going forward, and it took 20 minutes for Tom Michael to kick the opening goal of the game for the Magpies.
After a bit of a spray from Glenn Humphrey at quarter time, the Magpies definitely started the better in the second.
When Luke Scott and Tom Michael kicked one each early, the warning light was on for the Hawks.
The Magpies weren’t over using it, they played the percentages, and they looked after the ball by foot.
When the Hawks needed a goal they fond it through Haynes, and it really changed the momentum.
Tom Overington was everywhere. His poise with football in hand was the difference.
All of a sudden it was Sandgate who were on top in the middle, as they dragged themselves back within five-points at the major break.
Someone must have taken a can opener to the game at half time because it opened up big time, and the Magpies reaped the rewards.
Dickfos got off the leash in the forward line, kicking three in an eight-goal to two quarter.
The highlight came with 16-year-old first gamer Riley Easton got on the end of one to kick his first senior goal, and they came from everywhere to get around him.
At the last break, the Magpies were 40-points up, and the game was iced.
Dickfos kicked another three last quarter goals to take his tally to seven for the day, and the Magpies won the quarter by 19-points, to run out 59-point winners.
They are turning up the heat in 2015.
Coach’s thoughts:
Glenn Humphrey – Western Magpies
“I wasn’t happy with our first half at all, I thought we allowed them to dictate how the game was being played.
“The second half we went back to what we know works. We open sides up with our spread and run and carry, and winning contested football.
“To their credit, they fought really well in the first half, and if they keep working at it they will be a good side and press a few sides this year.
“Riley is a good kid, and he is only going to get better from here on after his first run, so look out for him in the future.”
Graham Adams – Sandgate
“I felt like without having a ruckman really hurt us. Their ruckman dominated I believe and gave their smaller on-ballers more use.
“We competed, but I thought they spread the ball really well. I thought until half time we were good but we just fell away in the second half. The third quarter was the one that knocked us, but they were really good.
“There was some positives, and I’ve got to keep reminding myself we have got a young group and take the positives and move on because we are going to have these patches.”
Wilston Grange 18.9.117 defeated Mt Gravatt 11.12.78
Wilston Grange will walk away from yesterday with the four points, but for at least a half, they were really pushed by a gallant Mt Gravatt.
The Vultures were on top early. They were cool calm and collected with the ball, and were opening the game up nicely.
They kicked three of the first four, including two to Crawley, and were right in it.
The Gorillas hit back late, kicking the last five of the quarter to go be 17-points up at quarter time.
The Vultures refused to go away in the second. Skipper Frazer Neate was having a big impact through the middle, and Crawley was becoming a huge factor up forward.
The margin at the long break was just five-points, and it was really anyone’s game.
Unfortunately for the Vultures, they lost Neate to injury during the break, which made their task that little bit harder.
Like any good side does, the Gorillas made the adjustments they needed to, regaining ascendancy.
Declan Bevan imposed himself on the game after a very quite first half, kicking five for the quarter.
Trewhella added a bit more strength and size around the ball in the third, and it paid dividends.
Wilston Grange ended up kicking nine goals for the quarter, and skipped away to a 43-point three quarter time lead.
The Vultures fought out the game well, highlighted by Crawley kicking his seventh early on in the final quarter, but the lead was just too much to eat into.
The Gorillas did what they needed to do, cementing that spot in the top five, as September gets closer and closer, but yesterday could have been a real turning point for the Vultures.
Coach’s thoughts:
Matt Trewhella – Wilston Grange
“It was a really tight first half. After half time I made a few positional changed and the weather suited the stronger on ballers. We put our nuggety, tackling on-ballers in the middle.
“The bigger bodies were hard for them to match up on, and once we got our structure right we got on top, but it was a terrific game.
“They controlled the ball early. Around the stoppages we were overcommitting and they had the numbers when it came out.
“It was more important for us that we stuck to our structures in the second half. When we go away from them we are a totally different side.
Brad Pollock – Mt Gravatt
“The boys played pretty well I thought. It was a pretty good game of footy overall, they were just a bit stronger, and that was the only difference.
“We had a few inexperienced skill errors at crucial times. It was a two-goal ball game until just before three quarter time.
“As far as we are concerned, it’s a turning of the corner we think.
“There’s a lot more positives, we started playing the style of footy we are training for. It didn’t always come off, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Labrador 15.21.111 defeated UQ 8.5.53
The top team up against the bottom, but it didn’t play out like that.
Labrador got the win pretty convincingly in the end, but UQ were far from disgraced when they travelled down to the coast.
Labrador’s kicking in front of the sticks was again an issue, whereas UQ were making the most of their opportunities.
The Tigers kicked 2.6 in the opening term, to UQ’s 2.1 to make it a five-point ball game at the first break.
There’s no doubt they were on top again in the second, but the radar just wasn’t on.
UQ’s defensive set up was forcing them out wide or long for their shots on goal; there weren’t many cheap ones today.
Davey and Baird were getting a ton of it, but a five goal to two quarter, which included 7 behinds, was all they had to show for it
The Tigers led at the main break by 30-points.
With UQ losing Wilkinson, Brennan, and Mauch to injury, legs would become an issue.
The third quarter was a much tighter affair.
Zac Southern was going to work for the Red Lions, and Pfeiffer was accumulating a bit of the footy as well.
The teams couldn’t be split in the third, both kicking 2.3.
Labrador had the legs in the last quarter,
Featherstone took it upon himself to ensure the Tigers remain undefeated in 2015, kicking four of his five goals for the day in the second half, and steering Labrador home by 58-points.
It was a comfortable win for Labrador in the end, but it wasn’t one-way traffic.
Steve Daniel’s men keep getting the job done week in week out so far this year, sitting pretty at the top of the table for at least another week.
Coach’s thoughts:
Steve Daniel – Labrador
“We were probably a little disappointed with how we went about it today as a group. Winning ugly is still winning though.
“I thought UQ were really good today. Their intensity around the football was quite good.
“We were winning through the midfield but a couple of our forwards didn’t make the most of their opportunities.
“Away games we seem to kick pretty straight, but at Labrador at times we seem to be a bit messy. I’m not sure whether there is something in the breeze in Labrador or not.
“We were jsut impressed as a group on how UQ fronted up. They just had a crack.”
Darren Pfeiffer – UQ
“I thought our endeavor all day was really good. We brought the pressure like we wanted.
“We had a good third quarter, and we kept it in our forward 50 a lot which was good, and stopped them from being able to bring them out so that was really positive.
“I think being 30 points down and three quarter time and being in a position to be able to win was positive. They had a lot of scoring shots but it was good to stay in the game.
“We can work on that and have a good week on the track.”
By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles
