Submitted by Chris Yeend.
NOOSA v PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN
Ladder
Noosa – 3rd – 5/2
Palm Beach Currumbin – 6th – 4/2
TALKING POINTS
DID THE RAIN LAST WEEK DENY PBC A BIG OPPORTUNITY?
There is no doubting that the Lions were starting to build a nice body of work before rain postponed its match with Broadbeach. After one poor quarter, and let’s face it, one player (Adrian Williams) stood in the way of perhaps taking down Redland-Victoria Point at home in the wet, we had an exceptional opportunity to really see just how PBC was placed against the bench mark and reigning premiers of the competition, Broadbeach. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas.
GREAT TEAM WORK BETWEEN CLUBS ENSURE GAME TAKES PLACE
The clash between Noosa and Mt Gravatt was originally scheduled to take place at Dittmer Park, Mt Gravatt. Some quality team work between the Tigers and the Vultures less than 48 hours before kick off ensured the match was moved to Noosa so that both teams could battle it out in the wet. We love seeing this and fans were treated to some spectacular football in the wet.
Check out some of the highlights from the lens of Craig Slaney Sports Photography
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS MATCH FOR BOTH SIDES?
PBC would feel confident that it could survive the longest trip in football and return home with the four points, and it should. Noosa on the other hand needs to establish a solid win against credible opposition. If you gaze into your crystal ball and look to the later stages of the season, whoever loses this contest could be the one that misses finals, especially with Wilston Grange and Maroochydore still in contention.
VERDICT
Palm Beach Currumbin go in just as favourites in this one in a tight contest. The way it performed against RVP in its last hit-out gave a terrific insight into how much this team have improved and perhaps have just a little bit more expectation. Noosa has gone on a tear this season and to win five matches from its opening seven games is nothing short of sensational. PBC has just that little bit more experience with Liam Jones and Tyler Cornish perhaps in the top 10 best players in the competition this year that make will make a big difference in this game.
LABRADOR v REDLAND-VICTORIA POINT
Ladder
Labrador – 5th – 4/2
Redland Victoria Point – 2nd – 6/1
TALKING POINTS
LACHLAN HENDERSON v MATT HAMMELMANN, ANOTHER DREAM MATCH UP
This is a match-up worth salivating over. Former AFL star Lachie Henderson lines up at full-back on one of the best forwards in the competition, Matt Hammelmann. Henderson has been in great touch this season with key roles in defense and ability to press forward. He enjoyed 16 touches last week and laid seven tackles which is good numbers for a player of his size. Hammelmann has 32 goals on the board this year but has just five in three games against teams in the top six.
This is a big step for the super star forward, especially playing on a ground that doesn’t necessary generate high scores. He needs three or four goals in this game to establish a bit of extra confidence in big matches, and to get one up over Henderson.
WHO WINS THE MIDFIELD?
Labrador’s midfield accrued some outstanding numbers in the wet that would even make the RVP midfield feeling just a little nervous. Ellis-Yolmen (41 touches, 10 clearances, 8 tackles), Boston (35 touches, 28 contested possessions and four tackles) and Tom Simpson (28 touches, 7 clearances and 10 tackles) were in outstanding touch.
On the other hand, RVP’s gun midfielders Brock Aston (29 touches and 11 clearances), Caleb Frankes (26 touches, 10 tackles and 16 clearances) and Jack Rolls (20 touches, 14 contested possessions and six tackles) were gutsy in the thrilling two-point win over the Hornets.
This game could be played on the MCG in perfect conditions, and these two midfielders would play hard, contested football that would be fitting of a perfect wet weather day. They are both so tough and it is being played on a ground where contested football is more suited to the style of play, which suits both teams on this occasion. RVP still has the best midfield in the competition, but Labrador is starting to build that trio that can match them.
HOW IMPORTANT WAS LAST WEEK’S WIN FOR THE SHARKS?
If anyone was going to really challenge the Sharks, it had to be the Hornets. They were outstanding in the wet and the Sharks had to play their best contested football to win and hold off a fast-finishing outfit. To hardly score in the second half and win at home in those conditions against a quality opposition, it can either build a team or take a bit out of them the following week. It definitely built this team.
VERDICT
Labrador at home are always tough to beat and despite RVP’s run this season, it may just have a bit of a challenge on its hands. Two tough games in as many weeks, a third against another quality midfield, RVP will be tested like it hasn’t before. It’s hard to go against them for what it’s achieved this year, but there is some spark at Tiger Land after a sluggish start and it may just be enough to get them over the line by eight-points.
BROADBEACH v SHERWOOD
Ladder
Broadbeach – 1st – 6/0
Sherwood – 12th – 0/6
TALKING POINTS
LUCAS JELLYMAN TURNER WILL BE A STAR TO WATCH
One of the best names to call in all of football will be a key force for Broadbeach at centre-half-back. The St Mary’s NTFL premiership player will showcase outstanding run, quality marking over-head and magnificent field kicking. He is going to have the challenge against Sherwood’s Josh Coombes but it will be well worth watching. LJT adds something to this already incredible line-up that will make it incredible exciting to watch and even more challenging to beat.
WHO ARE WE WATCHING FOR SHERWOOD AGAINST THE REIGNING PREMIERS?
The addition of Aaron Maricic into the forward line adds a lot of quality spark for the Pies. With more than 50 games of Senior football as a Pie, he can find the goals and find plenty of the ball. Bruce Reville is an outstanding midfielder and almost won the game for the Pies against Palm Beach Currumbin a few weeks back. Luke Mitchell has potential and the one-two-punch duo of Jack Goodall and Jaspa Fletcher add quality in the midfield. This is a great challenge for this squad and they’ll definitely take a lot of positives playing against the best team in the competition.
NUTTING AND MONCRIEFF, HOW DO THE PAIR WORK IN THE FORWARD LINE?
This is going to be an interesting test for both players. Will we see Moncrieff play further up the ground and Nutting deep inside the forward line, or will both players push deep towards the goal square and lead in different directions? The latter seems the likely option because of the forwards, Sam Jasper has the motor to press up the ground and into defense. The question is therefore asked, will Sherwood coach Adrian Fletcher push the likes of maybe a Maricic, Sterling Mitchell or even ruckman Ethan Harris to clog up some space inside its defensive 50 and deny the clear run for Nutting and Moncrieff? It makes for fascinating viewing.
VERDICT
Broadbeach will be too strong here but there has been some incredible, and to be fair, not-surprising improvement from Sherwood. After a frustrating start and with injuries, there has been some great performances on the field in recent weeks, and like Morningside did a few weeks back, will push Broadbeach for long stretches of the game.
WILSTON GRANGE v ASPLEY
Ladder
Wilston Grange – 7th – 4/2
Aspley – 4th – 4/2
TALKING POINTS
DOES THE LACK OF GAMES HURT THE GORILLAS?
After its impressive win against Maroochydore, Wilston Grange had one week off, followed by a slog at home against Sherwood and then its match with Surfers Paradise postponed due to weather. If that game went ahead, we would have seen this team really flex its muscles and showcase just how much improvement it has shown this year and perhaps head into this testing clash with four wins on the trot. Lack of football hurts, and not being able to access the ground makes it more challenging, but we’ve seen enough from this team that there is no monkey-business going on, they are a fair-dinkum top six side, and they need to show it here.
HOW MUCH DID THE LOSS TO THE SHARKS LAST WEEK HURT?
Aspley were left kicking itself after a missed opportunity in the wet on the road at The Tank. A poor second quarter had it chasing tail for the remainder of the game and it just fell short by two-points in a game that it wasn’t favoured to win. The loss doesn’t hurt them, they proved themselves to be a quality outfit against the best contested midfield in the competition and nearly won. Nearly isn’t good enough when it comes to wins and losses but Aspley did gain a few extra admirers last weekend.
It’s not surprising its midfield didn’t win lots of the ball, but when seven players combined for 80 contested possessions across their combined 114 touches, at 70-percent contested disposal, you know that their ball winners are going to win a lot more of the hard ball than the opposition as a collective and coaches love that.
CAN THE BRENT MOLONEY LEAD HIS WILSTON GRANGE TEAM TO VICTORY?
At its absolute best, Wilston Grange will no doubt genuinely believe that Aspley is beatable. That win against Maroochydore on the road a few weeks back was one of the best performances from an emerging team, perhaps for the season. Matt Payne will win more than 35 touches and Aspley don’t have the midfield power to out-run him, so expect him to be a factor and with Bowles commanding half-back, and Eagles doing great things up forward, Wilston Grange at its best is a genuine chance here.
VERDICT
Aspley will win a tough contest but it will be a key one for both teams as the game will be more open and more free flowing than in recent matches, particularly for Aspley. The Gorillas are going to fight until the end and the result of this match to your neutral fan will be very interesting.
MAROOCHDORE v SURFERS PARADISE
Ladder
Maroochydore – 8th – 2/4
Surfers Paradise – 10th – 0/5
TALKING POINTS
MAROOCHYDORE MUST WIN THIS GAME, CORRECT?
If the reigning Grand Finalists stand any chance in re-building its season, it must make a season defining statement against the Demons. Josh and Hamish Govan combined for 60 touches last week and Sam McLachlan had 24 touches and nine tackles; this trio always deliver. Alex Jacobs had 18 touches in a career-best performance to win the Rising Star award for the QAFL this past week, but it needs more. Bury is elite, Ben Thomas and Lachy Robinson are stand-outs. It just needs more from its bottom six or seven players. This isn’t the side from last year, but there is still so much potential in this list.
SURFERS PARADISE NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT HERE
Like in the previous Talking Point, there is still so much potential in this list that should combine to cause headaches for the teams above it. Surfers Paradise is not a winless, 10th placed team. It is better than that, and the results to start the season just don’t reflect what this team can do. With Maroochydore fighting for its season, there is absolutely no reason why this team cannot send its opposition crashing out of the hunt.
WHO ASSISTS MITCH SCHOLARD UP FORWARD FOR THE ROOS?
It was in this fixture at the start of the season where Ben Thomas kicked five-goals in a best on ground performance for the Roos in the 55-point win. He has kicked three goals in four games since and in tough conditions. Ben Thomas is the sort of player that thrives in tough conditions; kicks goals out of no-where and does incredible things for a player of his short stature. There is absolutely no reason why he cannot leap up again and take centre stage, Maroochydore is counting on him.
VERDICT
Maroochydore will be desperate to win and keep its sliding finals’ hopes alive. We won’t see the 55-point margin from earlier in the year, it will be far closer.
MORNINGSIDE v MT GRAVATT
Ladder
Morningside – 11th – 0/5
Mt Gravatt – 9th – 1/5
TALKING POINTS
THE PANTHERS MUST BE ITCHING TO GET BACK ON THE PARK
With previous matches scheduled against Labrador and Sherwood that were postponed due to the weather, this Panther outfit would be desperate to get back on the field and continue that solid form that they displayed against Broadbeach.
While Morningside was never really in the hunt against Broadbeach in its last outing, there were certainly plenty of positives in the team with Downie, Moncrieff, Swann, Dadds Barry and Jeffrey all putting in bold showings. The margin was 50-points, and even that wasn’t a reflection of how hard this team competed.
WHERE DOES MT GRAVATT MAKE ITS MARK ON THIS GAME?
Craig Malone will be a key in the ruck and Gavin Grose in the backline will be vital. The midfield will embrace the experience of a flatter track that will cater for its run and movement up forward. The Vultures lost the tackle count by just eight last week against Noosa with young gun Harry Milford laying a team-high 10. Fletcher Gay-Brown is a handy runner from half-back and will get better with each performance. He may take the job on Nathan Colenso to help free up Grose.
CRAIG MALONE IS NEARLY UNSTOPPABLE IN THE RUCK
Malone recorded a staggering 57 hit-outs against Noosa, a team that registered just 11 for the entire game. The Vultures are blessed with the best tap ruckman in the competition, they just need to get first hands on the ball and win the centre clearances. Unfortunately they do take on a Morningside line-up that does have Barry, Swann and Dadds who can win enough ball through the midfield and read the taps from Malone. Do the Vultures need to change tact and have Malone purely thump the ball forward as far as he can, just to mix things up?
VERDICT
Morningside to record its first win of the season in a highly entertaining and enjoyable clash.
Catch this match on Cluch TV
https://cluch.tv/afl/afl-queensland/qafl/
