Coorparoo will be up against the Aspley Hornets at Giffin Park to kick off the action in round nine for the State Association division one. Both sides had solid wins last week and are running into some good form after a slow start to the year. The Kings have now climbed into the top five for the first time this season following their 3-1 record in the past month, and the addition of former Mt Gravatt premiership player Shane Morrison will make life difficult for the Aspley backline. The Hornets have been improving steadily and were able to take the four points against Wynnum last week. Lachlan Harris was in fine touch as he moved to the unfamiliar centre half back role, while newcomer Chris Rolfe impressed again with a best on ground performance and the gritty Beau Eickenloff constantly tested the Wynnum midfield.
Wynnum will travel to Keith Surridge Oval on Saturday to take on Alex Hills in an important match for both teams. The Bombers weren’t good enough last week against the red hot Coorparoo Kings but are still only one win away from top spot. Stuart Fishwick and Alex De Hayr have continued to be impressive for Alex Hills in recent weeks, and no doubt the rest of the team will want to make up for their loss from last week and look to climb the ladder. The Vikings were able to make the scoreboard respectable in the last quarter against Aspley, but the damage had already been done and for the majority of the contest as they were completely outclassed as key midfielder Willy Broome was tagged out of the game and the run through the midfield subsided as the match wore on. If they allow the Bombers to do the same this week the outcome may not look so favourable.
Yeronga will be at home on Saturday as Caloundra make another one of their long road trips to Brisbane. Last week the Devils were pushed all the way by Robina and only just managed to hold on for a four point win. Shane McGrath was brilliant while Chris Glen was also very handy, booting three much needed goals to help his team get over the line. The Caloundra back six have been exceptional so far this year, so there will be a lot of pressure on the Yeronga forwards to put a good score on the board with the limited opportunities they may have. The Panthers have been coasting since round two, winning their past seven games in a row. Shaun Clarke has been showing why he is one of the most dominant ruckman in the competition in the past month, while Aaron Picken, Mitch Hyde and Jake Weller continue to be impressive in a formidable team.
Robina are at home on Saturday and will play the UQ Red Lions. The Roos are trying their best to stay off the bottom of the ladder but recent solid performances have not been converted to wins. Last week they put up a mighty effort against Yeronga, kicking 10 goals in the final quarter to give them a shot at an upset. It wasn’t to be but James Palmer was brilliant around goals, finishing with five majors, while Ash Sharrock was best in the heartbreaking defeat. The Red Lions are back to their winning ways with Hugh Millikan kicking five goals to put him on top of the competition with 34 so far this season. The lacklustre Robina defence has leaked the most points out of any team in the competition so far this year, so Millikan and Luke Wray will want to take advantage of this and pile on the points early to keep clear of the fast finishing Robina outfit.
Kenmore and Kedron will do battle at Western Districts Oval on Saturday to close the round nine proceedings. Caloundra were able to get the better of Kenmore last week by five goals, with Dan Wayne and Andrew Plummer the best in a losing side. The Panthers were also able to shut down the dangerous Tim Plummer which made the victory a lot easier, and no doubt this will be a priority for Kedron. The Lions gave up a half time lead against UQ in round eight and ended up going down by 25 points. The disappointing effort after the main break will need to be rectified if they are to beat Kenmore, however Dan Duffield was again brilliant for Kedron, and Steve Jamieson chimed in for another three goals to take his season tally to 25.
