By Abby Collins
North Queensland and South Queensland will clash in a fierce battle of the regions at Bond University Oval.
In recent years, North Queensland has dominated this intrastate rivalry, but South Queensland is determined to halt their northern counterparts’ winning streak.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to play North Queensland who have had the wood over us in the last couple of years,” said South Queensland Coach Andrew Cadzow.
“The squad we’ve picked is one we are proud of. They are some of the most in-form players in south Queensland.
“It is exciting to see these boys get the opportunity to play on a higher stage.
“We certainly think we’re going to be very competitive.”
South Queensland has undergone a significant overhaul, retaining only six players from the 2023 team. SQ’s key personnel to keep an eye out for are the likes of Nick Jackson, Beau Harris and Alex McKay.
“Nick Jackson a key back is a very experienced player who’s in red hot form for Labrador at the moment,” Cadzow said.
“Beau Harris is a very competitive onballer and a beast for the Mayne line up this season.
“Another to look out for will be Alex McKay, another onballer and a great leader, he will be in the engine room for us, as he is with his said at Coolangatta.”
North Queensland’s line-up will also welcome a host of new faces.
“We only have about four players from last year in our team, we pretty much have a whole new side,” said North Queensland Coach Wes Glass.
Fitzroy Greenwool, Dan Charlesworth, and Brent McKeown are some to watch from the North Queensland side.
“We have the talent of Fitzroy Greenwool, originally from Cape York,” Glass said.
“He played his Junior games for Cairns but has since been with the Suns Academy.
“He is our forward pocket and a bit of a goal snake; he will be pretty exciting to watch.
“Dan Charlesworth is another good one, he is always a great watch in the midfield.
“And Brent McKeown has the ability to pretty much run everyone down. He is probably the best player we have at the moment.
“He will be looking to dominate the middle.”
The rivalry between the regions remains intense, and this game promises to be an epic north vs south battle that no footy fan will want to miss.
“This game is a great opportunity to promote the regions of North Queensland against South Queensland, we are looking forward to taking them on again,” Glass said.
With both teams boasting talented line-ups, this clash is shaping up to be a physical and fiercely contested affair.
