PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN v. WILSTON GRANGE
Palm Beach Currumbin 1.7, 9.15, 11.20, 15.25 (115)
Wilston Grange 4.3, 7.3, 11.6, 13.10 (88)
Another week, another Palm Beach win.
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, and I don’t think anyone down at Salk Oval is complaining.
What they wouldn’t be happy with, is their accuracy in front of the sticks.
15.25, sounds more like a clearance count than shots on goal.
Wilston Grange put last week behind them pretty quickly by started the better.
They were converting with their shots with the breeze, and forcing the Lions wide when they were having a ping.
The second quarter was when Palm Beach started to really put the foot down.
They kicked 8.8 for the quarter to hold a half time lead.
The Gorillas forward line was working well, putting them right back in the contest in the third, but the Lions speed and fitness prevailed in the end.
They were gallant, Wilston Grange, but the Lions were running on top of the ground late. They are the fittest side in the competition.
For the Lions, Emblem put his hand up for Queensland selection with another big game down back, Chisholm was outstanding in the middle, and Ashby, on debut, showed a lot on the wing, finishing with two goals.
Brittain was on song after a week off, and Eaton was good down back for the Gorillas.
Both teams will be pretty happy to have the weekend off next week. This game was as quick as it gets. The ball didn’t stop zipping around, and the legs were very weary by the end.
Palmy go into the bye a game clear, don’t think many tipped that a few months ago.
Coaches thoughts:
Chad Owens – Palm Beach Currumbin
“We kicked terribly, it felt like we were in control of the game, but just couldn’t hit the scoreboard early.
“They have got a good forward line, which didn’t help us in the first quarter.
“There is an opportunity here now, we have given ourselves a good opportunity to make finals. Sides are going to see us on top now and want to come for us, so we have got to make sure we keep raising the bar on ourselves, and on our teammates.”
Matt Trewhella – Wilston Grange
“They are a good side. We gave them the 15 minute period in the second where our effort dropped and they got on top of us, and we couldn’t get back in the game.
“We were competitive, but they just held us off. I thought we finished well, and I thought our effort was much better than last week.
“They are young, their work rate is high, and their execution was good.
MT GRAVATT v. SURFERS PARADISE
Mt Gravatt 4.6, 10.7, 14.9, 18.15 (123)
Surfers Paradise 2.4, 6.8, 7.8, 8.9 (57)
Full recap: https://aflq.com.au/live-145pm-mt-gravatt-vs-surfers/
Beating arguably the most in form team of the last month is a big deal.
Beating them by 11 goals, with only two on the bench after half-time is sublime.
Mt Gravatt dominated Surfers Paradise on Saturday, and it all started in close.
They dominated the contested ball, they were getting first use via Andrew Smith, and they didn’t allow Surfers to run in waves like we have seen in recent weeks.
They started with the breeze, opening up a handy lead, and didn’t stop.
Surfers wrestled back control late in the second quarter to give the game a pulse, but that was quickly put to bed after the main break.
Despite losing Moncur and Eddy to injury, their run and carry was relentless.
Mick Hamill and Jesse Green were outstanding in the middle, and Crawley stood up late when Moncur went down.
Surfers just couldn’t get going in the game, they looked a bit flat.
Brodie Haberfield was good off half-back, Danny Green looked dangerous, but they just had a few blokes down.
Mt Gravatt just firmed as one of the top two teams in the competition.
Coaches thoughts:
Brad Pollock – Mt Gravatt
Shannan Tate – Surfers Paradise
“I think they just beat us at the contested footy. We had a few blokes down.
“They beat us on the inside, which allowed them to get their outside game going, and they played a really good brand of footy.
“I think if you said at the start of the year we would be 5-3 we would have been happy with that. All is not lost, we are still positive, we have played some really positive footy, so just need to play that more consistently.”
LABRADOR v. BROADBEACH
Labrador 1.1, 7.7, 10.7, 12.13 (85)
Broadbeach 1.7, 2.7, 7.11, 10.14 (74)
It might not have looked it early, but this was a Saturday classic down the coast.
Broadbeach had all the play early, they started much better than previous weeks, but just couldn’t hurt the Tigers where it counted.
They had the first seven scoring shots of the game, but not one of them was a goal.
That meant, when the Tigers had the breeze at their backs in the second, they could really put the blowtorch on them.
Their midfielders were all kicking goals. Davey, Budarick, Thorsen, that’s where it started.
When Baxter kicked the first of the second half, the Tigers looked like they were going to run away with it.
Broadbeach had other ideas.
They kicked the next four to breathe life into the game, and put a little bit of doubt into Labrador’s mind.
They got their running game going, and they started hitting targets, which was why they got to within two-points early in the last quarter. Everyone at the ground was thinking they couldn’t, could they?
But the Tigers backed themselves in.
They weathered the storm, they took back control, and they made sure of the result.
Kapun Morris kicked two clutch goals in the middle of the quarter to ice the game, the Tigers were home.
Mills was outstanding coming off the backline, and the midfielders all chipped in.
The Cats will rue the first quarter, but will be proud of how they fought back. Searl is in fine form, as is Ryan Dienjes. They just need to piece together four quarters.
All of a sudden, the Tigers are back in the five…
Coaches thoughts
Perry Meka – Labrador
“We are getting a few back still into the side, and they are continuing to learn to play with each other.
“Take nothing away from Broadbeach; it was a good game of footy.
“Our midfield probably got on top in the third quarter to give us a bit of a break, which was the only difference between the two sides.
“There were some really good signs. We have got the week off, and then Palm Beach, so bring it on.”
Brett Andrews – Broadbeach
“1.7 just killed us. I thought we controlled the game but they were just smoother.
“My blokes gave plenty of effort, we took plenty out of it.
“Last week we threw it in, this week we fought back.
“We wasted opportunities. Where we lost it was the delivery inside 50. It was a good loss if you can have one.”
UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND v. SANDGATE
University of Queensland 1.6, 7.7, 12.11, 14.13 (97)
Sandgate 3.3, 8.6, 9.13, 12.17 (89)
The monkey is off the back.
UQ are on the board in 2016, thanks to a win over the Hawks.
It was a sea-sawing battle all afternoon, where the wind was playing havoc, pushing the ball across the far side of the ground.
Sandgate made the most of it in the first, but UQ got it back on their terms in the second to go into half time five-points down.
Sandgate were up in the midfield battle all afternoon, through the likes of Overington and Beaven, but the Red Lions’ defensive unit was working well.
UQ made their move at the start of the third, kicking five in a row to skip away to a 23-point lead, but a late one to Fuller just before the three quarter time siren made it interesting.
Sandgate refused to roll over. They kicked the first three of the last quarter to take the lead, and had all the momentum.
But to their credit, a young Red Lions side showed a heap of poise and composer, to kick the last two, and pinch the game.
George Hannaford was the man yesterday. He broke a tag early and ran riot, supported well by his partner in crime Harry Milford.
Carlson’s four goals were very important, as was Begley’s role down back.
The Hawks didn’t get the result they were looking for, but it could have gone either way.
Cracking game of footy, and every team in the comp is now on the board.
Coaches thoughts:
John Tootell – UQ
“It was up and down all game, and the wind was making it very tricky.
“It wasn’t the pretties game to watch, but it was a great character building win for the boys.
“We just don’t give up. They just keep fighting the game out no matter what. It was a real team effort that pulled us together to get over the line.”
Graham Adams – Sandgate
“Yesterday Uni outplayed us.
“They were harder at it all day than we were, and we just couldn’t capitalise on those half chances around goals again, we kicked too many points.
“They took their opportunities, and that’s why they won the game.”
WESTERN MAGPIES v. MORNINGSIDE
Morningside 4.2, 8.6, 13.8, 18.12 (120)
Western Magpies 2.3, 3.6, 7.9, 8.10 (58)
Morningside are back in victory lane, and they have done it in convincing fashion.
They set the tone early against the Magpies, and finished off the job late, something that hasn’t quite been the case in recent weeks.
After a few lean weeks, Kent Abey is back in town, bagging seven goals for the afternoon, including three in a row in the second quarter, which really broke the game open.
He also kicked the Panthers last two of the third quarter, and opening two of the last to put the result beyond doubt. When they needed a goal kicker, he was there to stand up.
The Magpies were in the contest early, and went head-to-head with the Panthers in the third, but there was just parts of the game they couldn’t hold the damn walls.
Morningside got their link up game going, they controlled the stoppages, and won the corridor battle, which was always going to be the key.
They also hunted in packs, refusing to give the Magpies any cheap possessions.
Beer was good in the ruck for the Magpies, and Sondergald continued his good year, but as a whole, they were outclassed.
It puts the Panthers back in third sport going in to the bye. They would have taken that at the start of the year.
As for the Magpies, they only sit outside the five by percentage, but need to refresh and recharge in the week off, and load up for a big back half of the year,
Coaches thoughts:
Nathan Clarke – Western Magpies
“We were just beaten around the ball today. They won the footy, and had too much space in their forward line.
“We really just couldn’t get going today.
“We are in a bit of a pre-season phase at the moment, with the way we are trying to play, so we will work at it over the bye week.
“The beauty of the competition at the moment is that it’s so even, we are still right in it, so we will strip it back a little and reset.”
Matt Walder – Morningside
“That was our most complete performance of the year, thus far. We have had five previous wins, and we have had elements where have been either down or finished games off, but today we were good from start to finish.
“The times they challenged us, we responded, and didn’t allow them back into the game.
“It was a combination today. Our contested footy we were on top, and we led the tackle count as well.
“Our ball use going forward was a hell of a lot better, which gave our talls and smalls the opportunity to put a score on the board today.”
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles
