Page 69 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

ASPLEY
FINISHING POSITION: 9TH
HOME AND AWAY RECORD: 4 WINS, 9 LOSSES
AWARDS AND HONOURS
CLUB BEST AND FAIREST WINNER: Matthew Payne (Carl Herbert Medal)
LEADING GOAL KICKER: Kristian Bucovaz and Matthew Payne MOST IMPROVED: Jimmy Linton
BEST TEAM MAN: Jack James
MOST COURAGEOUS: Reece Toy
COACHES AWARD: Ryan Thompson
MOST CONSISTENT: Trent Manzone
CLUB RISING STAR: Frazer Eaton
NEAFL TEAM OF THE YEAR PLAYERS: Matthew Payne and Dylan Reid
RISING STARS: Aliir Aliir and Jack James
OPEN STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Matthew Payne
UNDER 21 STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Trent Manzone and Ryan Thomson
UNDER 18 STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Isaac Conway, James Ives, Aliir Aliir, Daniel Brown, Lachlan Niland Rowe, Josh Wagner and Sam Henry
SYD GUILDFORD TROPHY NOMINEES: Mitch McKee and Matthew Payne
SEASON SNAPSHOT
Unfortunately the NEAFL seniors were the only Aspley team not to participate in September action and it would be fair to say that this was not expected at the start of the season.
Finishing the season with just four wins was disappointing however, losing seven games by under two goals really hurt us in the end.
The upside is that we have continually blooded young talent which will be the core of our senior squad over the coming years.
Players such as Blake Gambale, Isaac Conway, Bradie Foster, Frazer Eaton, Daniel Brown, Corey Evans, Aliir Aliir and Tim Higgins all made their senior debut in 2012.
With such a young and inexperienced squad, we can expect continual improvement as the players mentioned above along with many others who are still teenagers, grow in confidence and look to make an impact in 2013.
Twenty-twelve has also seen the resignation of our senior coach of the past two-and-a-half years.
Russell Evans took up the reins halfway through the 2010 season and had immediate results. He also was at the helm in 2011 when our young NEAFL seniors made history by playing off in the elimination final against Morningside.
History will show that 2012 was his last season, but he will also be remembered for making a difference and setting the direction of the State League squad that will hold us in good stead for the exciting years ahead .
Our NEAFL Reserve grade (SEQAFL CUP) made it to the Grand final and Daniel Webster did a superb job as coach of this very young group.
Finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the season was a great achievement with such a young squad and they did not let us down over the course of the final series. While it didn’t go to plan in the grand final, the experience that the players will take out of that game will be invaluable.
We can look to build on our young squad that is continuing to gain experience and hope
for a better result in
2013. With a small
turnover of players expected, selecting specific players to fill our needs will be vital as we prepare for an exciting year under new coach John Blair.
MARK PERKINS CLUB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
AFL Queensland
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