MATCH OF THE ROUND
SANDGATE vs. UQ
Saturday may 16, 2:00pm – Lemke Road
Live blog from 1:30pm
The Hawks and Red Lions are both presented with a huge opportunity to grab a win this weekend.
Both sit one and three; so a win not only gives them the four points, but also guarantees them of being a game ahead of their opposition, the old eight point game.
They will go about it very differently tomorrow. The Hawks will look to lock down in the middle, and the Red Lions will try and get the ball outside and run.
Sandgate coach Graham Adams knows how big this game is.
“It’s pretty important for our development for us to win,” Adams said.
After a tough loss against Morningside, he is confident the boys will bounce back tomorrow in front of their home crowd.
“(The feeling) is very good, we believe we are still heading in the right direction, and we are hoping tomorrow that we can show that,” he said.
“We have done a fair bit of (contested work), and we like playing on our ground because it’s a nice big open ground, I think it suits our style of footy.
“If you let those guys run they are a pretty good footy side, so we have got to try and counteract that.”
Keep an eye out for Connor Stackelberg up forward for the Hawks; the youngster has given them a real target in their last few games.
UQ have had two weeks to dissect their loss to Palm Beach.
Darren Pfeiffer believes if they play the way they want to, they can match it with anyone.
“The boys have trained really well this week, and are excited to get out there. Two weeks of not playing footy is always pretty good motivation,” Pfeiffer said.
“Every game, if we can play good football the way we know we can for a sustained period of time I’ve got confidence that we can beat anyone.
“Same thing goes this week, if we play well enough for long enough we give ourselves a chance, but if we don’t we will be on the receiving end.”
UQ are definitely not the tallest team in the league, so need to bring the ball to ground and move it swiftly out wide to win.
“We will just be looking to run the ball, work really hard at spreading and maintaining possession, it’s going to come down to work rate,” he said.
This one is a toss of the coin, whoever gets the game on their terms the quickest should walk away with the four points.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 5 – SANDGATE VS UQ
PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN vs. LABRADOR
Saturday May 16, 2:00pm – Salk Oval
The wheels at Palm Beach are starting to turn.
After their last two games, they have proven they will be there abouts again in 2015.
One thing is for sure though; they will know where they are at following tomorrow’s game.
“It’s huge. The boy are feeling good and have been waiting for a big challenge, this team is undefeated so it’s just really good to see where your at really and to see if what we have been doing works or not,” coach Chad Owens said.
When you come up against a forward line that boasts names like Baxter, Daniel, Lappin, Fraser, Perry-Bolt and Featherstone, you have to restrict the amount of times it goes in there.
“We are just hoping to make it a real tight, in close game, if they get running it’s game over so we’ve just got to negate the scoreboard as much as we can and make it a low scoring affair,” he said.
Ritchie, Marshall and Harrison are all big inclusions for the Lions, but as are the swings and roundabouts of football, Carr Emery and Spencer all leave holes in their absence.
This weekend marks the first of three huge weekends for Labrador, with Morningside and Wilston Grange to come.
Coach Steve Daniel’s eyes are firmly on this week though.
“They have been playing some really good footy, so it’s a real danger game for us, so the boys, as they are every week, are really looking forward to the challenge,” Daniel said.
“We realise it’s a real important game for us in the scheme of things. To get those early games in the bank is really important because you just don’t know what the future brings.
Daniel acknowledged that the forward line is performing well, but you’ve got to get it in there somehow.
“Everyone talks about the forward line but they miss a very valuable contribution which comes from the midfield. If you don’t get enough forward entries your forwards can’t do anything,” he said.
There might be a bit going on between the two boxes this week, as two mates try to get one up on each other.
“The focus this week is, Chad Owens is a really good friend of mine, so it’s to beat Chad,” Daniels jokes.
Palm Beach have been good, but unless they lock down early, Labrador will kick away this weekend.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 5 – PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN VS LABRADOR
WESTERN MAGPIES vs. SURFERS PARADISE
Saturday May 16, 2:00pm – Chelmer
Sometimes the bye comes at a good time for teams, sometimes it’s less than ideal.
Both these teams had momentum shifting wins in their last game, so it will be interesting so see if the break has halted them in their tracks, or they come out as they finished last start.
The Western Magpies are in the unenviable position of having three weeks between games following the bye and a wash out.
It’s something coach Glen Humphrey is very cautious of.
“It is something that we are going to have to work on and focus on for the start of the game, making sure that we are switched on and meet whatever they throw at us,” Humphrey said.
They took a lot from their win over Broadbeach last game, it all clicked.
“The focus this week is backing up what we produced against Broadbeach,” he said.
“It’s been a good lead in, the fact that we have had a bit of spare time.”
The break has done a lot recovery wise for the list as well.
“We’ve got nine players from our last selected side coming back from short term or long term injuries, so we have been able to boost our playing group which has instilled a lot of confidence into the group,” Humphrey said.
Headlining that list in Chris Hunt, who this week will play his first game for the season, and Tom Michael from Redland, who will line up at center half forward. They are two massive inclusions at each end of the field.
When they have been on this year, it’s their contested work through the middle that has stood up. They will look to ramp it up this weekend.
“If we put a high price on the football while denying the opposition the ball I think that’s going to be a big thing for us,” he said.
Surfers got on the board against Mt Gravatt last round. They had their backs against the wall in the first quarter, but fought back well in the second half.
If they are going to stay in the hunt in 2015, they need to replicate that intensity from the first bounce on Saturday.
“We would have liked to play last week to keep the momentum up but it will be a good contest,” coach Peter Young said.
“Obviously our starts have been a problem all year, so we need to start well. We have been finishing off games really well so it’s the starts we need to fix.”
Like Humphrey, the Demons will look win the ball on the inside, and it will be players like Cassidy Haberfield who will go to work in the engine room.
“It’s a smaller ground up there so our inside mids need to try and get in there and win the footy,” he said.
“We have got good spread, we have got a strong forward line, so if we can get the ball in deep we should be okay, we are averaging something like 28 shots on goal a game.”
Trent McIntye will be the focal point going forward for the Demons following his six-goal haul against Mt Gravatt. The Magpies will have to limit his influence.
This one is going to be won in the CBD. Getting your hands on the footy first is going to go a long way to winning this game.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 5 – WESTERN MAGPIES VS SURFERS PARADISE
WILSTON GRANGE vs. BROADBEACH
Saturday May 16, 2:00pm – PBI Oval
Wilston Grange has had a few weeks to think about this one.
They impressed in their big win over Sandgate under lights in round 3, but haven’t been able to get out there to back it up since.
“Everyone is feeling good after the two weeks off, and the level of training this week has been terrific. In terms of our side, it’s very strong this week,” coach Matt Trewhella said.
There will be a very familiar face to Queensland footy fans in the red white and blue when they run out this weekend.
Albert Proud, ex Brisbane Lion, will pull on the Wilston Grange jumper for the first time.
The Gorillas success this year has been around their strength over the footy, and that’s about to increase ten-fold.
“Eric Kuret is away for a couple of weeks so it’s one in one out. Having played against (Proud), I’m well aware of the physicality he brings, so that is what we trying to instill in all the guys, even at training his attack on the ball in ferocious,” Trewhella said.
Broadbeach may be down on form in 2015, but Trewhella won’t be taking them lightly.
“I think they are a team that is down on confidence, but they are the teams I’m weary of, the shackles are off,” he said.
“We didn’t beat them at all last year, so I definitely won’t be underestimating them.”
For two quarters last week, Broadbeach took it right up to Labrador. When they were on, the pressure was there, they linked up well, and hit the scoreboard.
Now it’s about producing that for four quarters.
“We have trained well, freshened up well with a pool session, they seem excited and keen but we have just got to find some consistency in our footy,” coach Wayne Petterd said.
“We understand that when we are up and about we can mix it with the best, but when we are not up and about the opposition score far too heavily in a short time against us.
“They are playing good footy at the moment, probably in the top three in the comp. They are a big side so we can’t get to playing contested footy, I’m expecting a really tight contest.”
After a few weeks off, there could be a few rusty boys in the Gorillas line up, Broadbeach will have to capitalise early.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 5 – WILSTON GRANGE VS BROADBEACH
MORNINGSIDE vs. MT GRAVATT
Sunday May 17, 2:00pm – Jack Esplen Oval
When Mt Gravatt is on, their pressure is through the roof.
They proved that last week in the first quarter when they turned Dittmer Park into a pressure cooker against Surfers Paradise.
They have to be able to produce that level for a full game, and if they don’t this week, Morningside will put them to the sword.
With a week off last week, they focus was on building the bond between the team before Sunday’s game.
“I think that our key objective over the last two weeks has been to get everyone on board playing as a team, bringing everyone together a bit because we have got a lot of new players and it’s taking a while to gel,” coach Brad Pollock said.
“We have had a couple of good weeks on the track so we will do pretty well this week.”
The style of footy is there, so are the individuals to do it, it’s just a matter of getting it all to work at once.
“We have had patches of good footy and then we have slipped into individual bad habits, so our performance has fluctuated in all our games,” he said.
“The first quarter against Surfers is the type of footy we want to play consistently.”
They will have to do it without Andrew Scott this week, but Tim Douge and past premiership player Mick Hamill will add some real poise and class to the lineup.
Morningside are putting the foot down in 2015.
Two big wins in the past two rounds has reminded everyone just how good they are, and this week, they will look to give themselves the best possible lead in to their clash with Labrador next week.
“We have got a big ten days coming up, last night we trained really well, so that was the start of our preparations for it,” coach David Lake said.
“The focus this week is on that intensity. We were a bit flat last week in the first half, so we will be looking to come out with that intensity we finished with last week from the start on Sunday,” he said.
Skipper Kent Abbey has been in real good form the last few rounds, and you just get the feeling he is about to grab a game by the throat and kick a bag. The Vultures are hoping this week won’t be it.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 5 – MORNINGSIDE VS MT GRAVATT
By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles
