By Terry Wilson
Photo: Morningside Panthers
Palm Beach Currumbin hang on to beat Magpies
Palm Beach Currumbin 2.3, 9.5, 12.9, 13.11 (89)
Western Magpies 4.0, 5.3, 9.4, 13.7 (85)
GOALS, Palm Beach Currumbin: J. Croad 4, A. Dawson 2, M. Johnson 2, T. Cornish 2, A. Crossley 1, Z. Callinan 1, B. Denton 1. Western Magpies: J. De Winter 5, J. Goodall 3, A. Corrie 2, R. Harwood 1, R. Easton 1.
BEST, Palm Beach Currumbin: Z. Harrison, N. Crowley, J. Emblem, J. Burge, T. Cornish, C. McBurnie. Western Magpies: J. Goodall, R. Harwood, T. Ielasi, R. Easton, L. Mitchell, J. De Winter.
PALM Beach Currumbin’s premiership coach Chad Owens rated Western Magpies “as good as any side we have played” after a thrilling win at McCarthy Homes Oval on Saturday.
After conceding the first four goals of the match, then strangling the life out of the home side in the second term, Palm Beach just held on to win by 13.11 (89) to 13.7 (85) in a real finals-type clash.
After the home side started with a bang, the Lions returned fire with a hot streak that netted them seven unanswered goals in the first and second terms, then 11 of the next 12 goals scored.
This put them 39 points up at the three-minute mark of the third term before things turned around.
After being urged by coach Brydan Morgan to up the ante, the Magpies responded with eight 0of the final 10 goals of a match that lasted three hours.
The delay came in the third quarter when young PBC defender Callum McBurnie was knocked out and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.
PBC coach Chad Owens said McBurnie spent the night in hospital but was given the medical all-clear the next morning.
The Lions also lost smart rover Brock Askey with back problems in the third term.
“After a hard game the previous week (when they lost to Morningside), to lose a couple of key players hurt us a bit,” Owens said.
“Especially against a side like the Magpies. They’re a damn good side, as good as any we’ve played.
“They have a good mix of talls and their midfielders are all strong. It was a really good midfield battle, a really hard contest.”
Big defender Jackson Emblem had a great game for the Lions in an ominous performance heading towards the finals.
Versatile tall Nick Crowley was another standout used as a ruckman, then a defender in the tight closing stages.
“And our midfielders workrate was huge through Tyler Cornish, Jesse derrick, Jason Burge and Zac Harrison,” Owens said.
Whatever Morgan said to his troops during the half-time break clearly worked because up to that point the Vultures were being outplayed and outworked.
“In the second quarter, in particular, they (the Lions) won the contested possessions,” Morgan said.
“They had numbers running rampant and were hard to stop, so we evened up those numbers.
“At half-time it was all about bringing our contested numbers, our workrate because we did not match Palm Beach at all.
“In the second quarter it was all about our workrate and contested numbers were too low.”
It was a result, Morgan said, that makes things that bit harder for the sixth-placed Magpies to make the finals.
Still sixth on the ladder, the Magpies are now two wins out of the top five but with only Morningside and Surfers paradise to play of the current topfive.
Best for the home side were forward Jakob de Winter (five goals), Jack Goodall in defence and in attack after half-time, ever reliable on-baller Ryan Harwood and Tom Ielasi, who played a run-with role on Jason Burge.
Cats claw out a dour derby decision over the Dees
Broadbeach 3.3, 5.6, 6.10, 7.11 (53)
Surfers Paradise 2.3, 6.6, 6.6, 7.7 (49)
GOALS, Broadbeach: N. Kempe 3, M. Fowler 2, B. Neal 1, X. McMahon 1. Surfers Paradise: B. Haberfield 3, T. Howard 1, J. Curtis 1, T. Ellard 1, C. Haberfield 1.
BEST, Broadbeach: L. Nelson, X. McMahon, E. Panozza, J. Royes, R. Dienjes, D. Eames. Surfers Paradise: S. Jewell, A. Jones, C. Filewood, P. Rankin, M. Doran, H. Newton.
IT was like watching two average heavyweight boxers circling each other, throwing the odd jab or two but getting nowhere near landing a knockout blow.
That’s was what the big Gold Coast derby between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach turned out to be when the neighbours locked horns at Sir Bruce Small Park on Saturday.
“That is a good analogy,” said beaten Surfers coach Brad Moore after Broadbeach outslogged the Demons to win by 7.11 (53) to 7.7 (49).
It was a clash between second (Broadbeach) and third on the ladder, it was a traditional Coast derby and it had plenty of importance attached, yet the sides turned on a dour, colourless display.
“It was an arm wrestle,” Moore said. “Both teams knew what was on the line.”
Yet in such a low-scoring affair – it took 27 minutes for a goal to come in the third quarter – neither side seemed to want, or had the ability, to deliver the telling blow.
It may be an odd way to describe events but it was a riveting game, yet it was a very ordinary game as well.
It was good in that the scores were close throughout and it was a gripping finish with a boundary throw-in deep in the Surfers attacking zone with seven seconds remaining.
But it was a clash that lacked any real highlights and when skills were way down on what the two clubs usually provide.
“I think the pressure was pretty intense, it was finals-like football with a lot of errors made,” Moore said.
“Only seven goals each? You’d think both sides defended well.”
Where Surfers lost the game was through poor discipline. The Demons gave away three goals from 50m penalties which, in the final analysis, was deadly.
So, too, was a butchered kick-in from a behind that gifted talented youngster Nick Kempe his third goal of the match, the only goal of the third term.
“Now we’ve slipped to fifth,” Moore said. “We have a week off to assess what we take out of that game although I was pretty happy with the overall performance.
“It’s just that we let ourselves down with poor discipline and poor decision-making at crucial moments.”
The bonuses as far as Broadbeach coach Brett Andrews was concerned what that the players gave 150-game celebrant Nathan Quick reward for his loyal service, that Luke McGuane made his return to his junior club and that victory kept the Cats in with a sniff of a minor premiership.
That issue could be resolved next weekend when Broadbeach play Palm Beach Currumbin in a significant derby in the Lions den.
On a day when standout forwards were as scarce as hen’s teeth, Brody Haberfield (two goals for Surfers) and Kempe (three for the Cats) were exceptions to the rule.
Sam Jewell, playing on McGuane, half-back Alby Jones, fellow defender Cody Filewood and on-baller Paddy Ran kin were best for the Demons.
For the successful Cats, on-baller Liam Nelson was outstanding, as were big utility Ryan Dienjes, skipper Evan Panozza and utility Jimmy Royes.
Vultures too strong for undermanned Tigers
Mt Gravatt 3.8, 7.14, 11.15, 15.19 (109)
Labrador 2.0, 4.1, 6.5, 8.5 (53)
GOALS, Mt Gravatt: S. Stubbs 5, R. Estall 3, B. Telford 1, Z. Stone 1, A. Smith 1, H. Taylor 1, J. Coghlan 1, N. Tronc 1, C. McGuren 1.
Labrador: A. Clarke 3, D. Goode 1, B. Retzlaff 1, C. Portelli 1, Z. Brain 1, J. Graham 1.
BEST, Mt Gravatt: J. Coghlan, M. Hart, J. Leahy, J. Crawley, C. McGuren, S. Stubbs. Labrador: H. Greentree, B. Carter, A. Clarke, Z. Brain, B. Retzlaff, J. Graham
MT Gravatt overcame an early bout of inaccuracy before running away from Labrador in their clash at Dittmer Park on Saturday.
Starting with five straight behinds before they switched on the radar, the Vultures rediscovered some of their better form with victory by 15.19 (109) to 8.5 (53).
Once they got rolling the Vultures always held the upper hand against a team coach Daniel Webster acknowledged are really struggling with a significant turnover of players.
“They were very undermanned, they had a lot of young guys in there,” Webster said of the Tigers, who were down by only nine points early in the second term before the home side cut loose.
“They’ve obviously has a massive turnover of players – I believe they could be up to 50 in the number of players they’ve used this season.”
The inaccuracy factor was a concern for Webster, who said if the Vultures had kicked straighter in the first quarter the game would have been all over by then.
“We had so much ball in our attacking half, but we couldn’t score,” he said.
But it was inevitable that the Vultures would land a much-needed victory and four precious premiership points that keeps them well in the race for a top-two finish for the finals.
The Vultures now play Sandgate and Morningside before a bye in what shapes as a crucial part of the season for their finals top-three aspirations.
“The best thing was we had a good, even contribution across the board – and we need to do that,” Webster said.
leading the way for the Vultures was Jack Coghlan on a wing, first round Rising star Award nominee Joel Leahy, Mitchell Hart on defence on Bryce Retzlaff and Jack Crawley at centre half-back.
It is interesting at times to compare coaches’ best players because both Hart and Retzlaff, the Tiger skipper, were among their coaches’ best players despite lining up on each other.
As Labrador continue to try to salvage something out of a wretched season, they had some good signs from some of their younger players, this time first-game Hayden Greentree and Bradley Carter while dual best and fairest winner Adam Clarke was up to his usual high-standard performance.
Abey’s Morningside milestone a winner
Morningside 4.3, 8.7, 13.10, 19.12 (126)
Wilston Grange 2.3, 5.4, 6.4, 7.5 (47)
GOALS, Morningside: W. Wolbers 4, K. Abey 3, S. Godfrey 2, J. Rayner 2, E. Mallan 2, A. Evans 1, A. Mitchell 1, P. Mollison 1, D. Cameron-Reeves 1, T. Jeffrey 1, B. Dale 1. Wilston Grange: A. Chapman 2, L. Mason 1, J. Coulter 1, C. Luers 1, B. Terrell 1, A. Hughes 1.
BEST, Morningside: A. Evans, D. Cameron-Reeves, P. Mollison, S. Godfrey, N. Beck, J. Rayner. Wilston Grange: F. McIvor, I. Corvo, S. Gribble, A. Chapman, H. Leong, J. Coulter.
MORNINGSIDE made their veteran forward star Kent Abey’s milestone occasion a fitting occasion when they comfortably beat Wilston Grange on Saturday.
It was Abey’s 300th seniors appearance for the Panthers, who celebrated in style by beating the Gorillas by 19.12 (126) to 7.5 (47) at Jack Esplen Oval.
Unfortunately, Abey’s day was marred by a couple more injuries to key players although Morningside have next weekend off with a bye.
“We picked up a couple more injuries so we’re looking forward to the week off,” coach Steve Wildschut said.
“Daniel Frame spent Saturday night in hospital with a back issue, Nathan Kinch did his calf again and Lachlan Niland-Rowe strained his hammy again.”
The Panthers were never going to let down their milestone man Abey but they did look to be briefly in trouble when the Grange kicked three of the first four goals of the second quarter to be only three points down after 20 minutes.
If Abey’s milestone was ever a distraction the occasion is now a part of history.
“It’s good to get it out of the road, get it done and move on,” Wildschut said.
“We’ve ticked the box, we have had the win, we have had the celebration so now it’s time to get on with it.”
Morningside moved up to fourth on the ladder, now ahead of Surfers Paradise but trailing Broadbeach (second) and Mt Gravatt (third) in the race for a finals double-chance.
Abey kicked three goals on his special day although two of those came after he was moved to a wing to get him onto the game.
“Kent was quiet early, but we decided to let him run around a bit on a wing,” Wildschut explained.
Very much in-form Ash Evans on the ball and ruckman Peter Mollison were again prominent for the winners and Cameron Reeves and Sam Godfrey picked up the slack left by the injury to Campbell Wearne.
For Wilston Grange Fletcher McIvor, Isaac Corvo, Sam Gribble and Alex Chapman were the pick.
