By Beth Newman
It’s been an interesting opening half to the Allied Pickfords Cup season.
Springwood and Palm Beach have been the stand out sides in the first eight weeks, but below that there’s plenty of teams who could make up the finals spots.
Surfers Paradise and Wilston Grange look likely to make up the rest of the top four, and could definitely push for top two later in the year, while Sandgate, Mayne and the Western Magpies are all within striking distance of that precious final fifth spot.
Springwood:
The Pumas recruited heavily this season, and it hasn’t taken long for their new players to make an impact.
Albert Proud and Rhan Hooper have been superstars for Springwood all season and add some much-needed experience to the line-up.
Former Mt Gravatt premiership player, Jake Furfaro, has been another gun recruit for the club, as one of their more consistent players.
Barring injuries, there’s no reason the Pumas can’t continue their strong form line going into the second half of the season.
Their next two games, against Palm Beach and Surfers, are their only games against sides currently in the top five for the rest of the season.
This could be a double-edged sword and the Pumas will ensure that complacency doesn’t creep into their game as finals approach.
RUN HOME:
Palm Beach (H)
Surfers Paradise (H)
Noosa (A)
Burleigh (A)
UQ (H)
Maroochydore (A)
Coolangatta (H)
Sandgate (A)
Palm Beach
Firm flag favourites heading into the season, Palm Beach have proved themselves worthy of a second straight grand final spot.
Nathan Carr leads the competition’s goal kicking, with 36 so far and the Gold Coasters are absolutely stacked with class.
Captain Angus Munro has been solid again, while Tasmanian recruit, Dean Shegog has proved himself in the ruck in recent weeks.
Bar a boil over against Wilston Grange and a thriller against Mayne, the Lions have looked almost untouchable.
Their goal kicking accuracy has been a major concern in the opening parts of the season, though, and their inability to convert could cost them if they get caught in another close game.
After Springwood, the Lions face three more finals contenders in Wilston Grange, Surfers Paradise and Western Magpies as well as a Mayne side on the up each week.
RUN HOME:
Springwood (A)
Coolangatta (A)
Sandgate (H)
Wilston Grange (A)
Western Magpies (H)
Mayne (H)
Noosa (A)
Surfers Paradise (H)
Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise aimed to improve on a slow start to 2012, and they have definitely done that this season, sitting in third at the halfway point.
As a generally smaller side, the Demons excel when they move the ball with pace but have struggled to an extent against bigger-bodied sides like Grange.
That issue will be tested again in coming weeks, with a match against Springwood in round 10 looming.
2012 Duncanson-Todd medallist Jake Ryan has again proved his value to the side, with the small forward kicking an average three goals a game this season.
It will be a tough last half of the season for the Demons, who face Grange, Springwood, Mayne, Magpies and Palm Beach in their final eight games.
RUN HOME:
Sandgate (H)
Springwood (A)
Coolangatta (H)
Mayne (A)
Wilston Grange (H)
Noosa (A)
Western Magpies (A)
Palm Beach (A)
Wilston Grange
Wilston Grange looked to take a step up this season and so far it seems to be going quite well.
The Gorillas’ big bodies have stood up to most challenges, including an upset win over Palm Beach on the coast.
It’s not an easy run home for the Gorillas, thought, who face the Lions, local rivals Mayne, Surfers paradise and the Magpies in their last eight rounds.
As one of the more experienced sides in this year’s competition, the Gorillas have shown they can stand up under pressure, with narrow wins over Noosa and the Magpies.
Their senior players should prove the difference if finals positions are still to be decided in the closing weeks of the season.
RUN HOME:
Burleigh (H)
UQ (A)
Maroochydore (H)
Palm Beach (H)
Surfers paradise (A)
Western magpies (H)
Mayne (A)
Noosa (H)
Magpies
An injury-marred start to the season put the Magpies’ premiership defence on thin ice, but the side is optimistic of an improved second half.
The reigning champs to face three of the top four sides in consecutive weeks, but with more experience coming back into the side, they could realistically claim at least one of these.
The key for the Magpies will be games against sides like Maroochydore and Mayne, who they probably should beat at full-strength.
They can’t afford to drop those games against sides below them on the ladder, because it will only take one loss to put them out of finals contention.
Veteran forward Anthony Corrie has been one of the side’s best, becoming even more valuable among an increasingly young Magpies outfit.
Young gun Brady Allen has also showed plenty in recent weeks, kicking bags of eight and seven in consecutive weeks.
RUN HOME:
UQ (H)
Maroochydore (A)
Burleigh (A)
Noosa (H)
Palm Beach (A)
Wilston Grange (A)
Surfers Paradise (H)
Mayne (A)
Sandgate
The Hawks have exceeded their own expectations to this point in the season, batting well above their average.
Sandgate’s young charges quickly established a reputation for pushing sides, right from their first round match against star-studded Springwood.
It didn’t take long for a couple of gallant losses to transform into wins, and the north siders now sit well in reach of a top five spot, at 4-4.
Small forward Corbin Dickfos has been in electrifying form for the Hawks, while19-year-old, Tom Overington has also had a really strong year.
The Hawks probably had their most disappointing game of the year, blown off the park by Mayne at Lemke Rd.
With most of their players in their early 20s, the Hawks’ major challenge in the back half of the season will be to keep up their intensity as their young bodies cope with a full season of senior footy.
The Hawks face the top three sides in the back half of the season in Surfers Paradise, Palm Beach and Springwood, all away.
RUN HOME:
Surfers Paradise (A)
Noosa (H)
Palm Beach (A)
Maroochydore(A)
Burleigh (H)
Coolangatta (H)
UQ (A)
Springwood (A)
Mayne
Mayne has bounced back from a 0-3 start, winning four of its next five, to be on an even keel at halfway.
The Tigers look a far better side now as an increasing number of players returns to the fold.
Ovens and Murray recruit, Shaun Daly, has really started to find his feet in the side, culminating in a best on ground performance against Sandgate.
Young defender Henry Leong has also been among the Tigers’ best, playing every game in his second year of senior footy, at only 16.
The key for the Tigers as they strive for a finals position will be their final five weeks, a period that includes matches against Surfers, Palm Beach, the Magpies and Grange.
To make finals, Mayne will likely need to take at least two of those if they win their matches against bottom four sides.
A fully fit Tigers could certainly achieve this, so they will definitely be a threat as September grows nearer.
RUN HOME:
Maroochydore (H)
Burleigh (H)
UQ (A)
Surfers Paradise (H)
Noosa (A)
Palm Beach (A)
Wilston Grange (H)
Western Magpies (H)
Maroochydore
Along with Coolangatta, these Sunn Coasters have been hard to get a form read on.
After a dominant showing against UQ in their opening clash, the Roos have dropped games against Sandgate and Noosa, which would have been marked as winnable earlier in the year.
Small forward Jaryd Hill has been strong for the Roos, second in the league’s goal kicking, while 17 year-old Cameron Stevenson has been a solid contributor when free from Under-18 duties.
The Roos could come home with a wet sail, after matches against Mayne, Magpies and Wilston Grange.
RUN HOME:
Mayne (A)
Western magpies (H)
Wilston Grange (A)
Sandgate (H)
Coolangatta (A)
Springwood (H)
Burleigh (H)
UQ (H)
Coolangatta
Coolangatta sent shockwaves through the competition, thumping Burleigh in round one, but have been decidedly less emphatic as the season has worn on.
The Blues are certainly one of the hardest to read this season, competitive against the Pumas but blown away by Grange in their last round.
They could conceivably pick up a few wins in the back half of the year, with a game against Noosa and UQ in the next four weeks.
Home matches against Maroochydore and Burleigh will be must-wins for the Blues.
They probably can’t make finals but have shown plenty of improvement this season, and will look to build on that in the final eight rounds
RUN HOME:
Noosa (A)
Palm Beach (H)
Surfers paradise (A)
UQ (A)
Maroochydore (H)
Sandgate (A)
Springwood (A)
Burleigh (H)
UQ
The students have surprised a few this season by being more than competitive in most of their matches.
UQ has picked up two wins, both one-point thrillers at Oval seven, against Burleigh and Noosa.
But they also found themselves in winnable positions against Coolangatta, Sandgate and even Springwood, before being beaten.
Decimated by injuries in recent weeks, as well as the unique challenge of negotiating Saturday exams for a lot of their players, UQ definitely has a lot of upside.
Probably one of the major positives in their 2013 campaign has been the development of their youngsters.
Former Sunny Coaster, Zac Southern, has been incredible on the wing for his new side, while 19 year-old Jack Pershouse has delivered consistently for the Uni side.
With more experience to return to the side, including a number of their 2012 Division 2 grand final players, the Red Lions will likely be more competitive as the year goes on.
That said, it will be an uphill battle, with games against Wilston Grange and Western magpies kicking off the second half of their year, as well as a second clash with Springwood at Lowe Oval in Round 13.
RUN HOME:
Western magpies (A)
Wilston Grange (H)
Mayne (H)
Coolangatta (H)
Springwood (A)
Burleigh (A)
Sandgate (H)
Maroochydore (A)
Noosa
Noosa’s young side have had a tough year, well in truly in a development stage, as flagged by coach, Wayne Fletcher, before the season.
After losing a swag of players, the Tigers are one of the least experienced sides in the competition, but have showed plenty of fight each week.
As well as two wins, the Tigers went down by a goal or less in their opening two matches, but were shown up by the Magpies and Palm Beach in consecutive weeks.
Captain Peter Trompf has been a rock for the side at centre half-back while courageous midfielder, Caleb Isles, throws his body on the line each week.
Young defender, Jack Tickner, has shown improvement, while 16 year-old Seb Rogers has shown plenty of potential in the competition’s opening rounds.
The Tigers have similar risks to the Hawks, in that a year of senior footy is a long time for a bunch of young bodies.
If they can maintain their energy, the Tigers can at least push some teams later in the year, though with a back half that includes all of the current top five, it could be a bruising eight weeks.
RUN HOME:
Coolangatta (H)
Sandgate (A)
Springwood (H)
Western Magpies (A)
Mayne (H)
Surfers paradise (H)
Palm Beach (H)
Wilston Grange (A)
Burleigh
It’s been an incredibly disappointing first half of the year from Burleigh.
Optimistic in pre-season, the Bombers were shell-shocked by an absolute walloping at the handso f Coolangatta in the opening round.
Since then, the Bombers have slowly regained their footing in the season, and are increasingly competitive.
Burleigh has been in winnable positions against Noosa and UQ in recent weeks, but their composure was lacking late.
Their competitiveness has improved exponentially through the season, but they need to change their losing mentality to be able to convert their intent into four points.
It’s hard to see them winning many games in the back half of 2013, but it’s rare that a side goes through 0-16.
Matches against UQ and Coolangatta loom as the most likely targets for the Bombers, but it will be a tough eight weeks as they face the Magpies, Wilston Grange, Mayne and Springwood.
RUN HOME:
Wilston Grange (A)
Mayne (A)
Western Magpies (H)
Springwood (H)
Sandgate (A)
UQ (H)
Maroochydore (A)
Coolangatta (A)
Premiers prediction: Palm Beach
A lot of things will become clearer after this weekend’s clash between the Pumas and Lions, but I think it will be the Gold Coasters who reign supreme in 2013.
Once they sort out their accuracy issues, they’re one of the more complete teams in the competition.
FINAL LADDER PREDICTION:
I’m not tipping much change in the ladder in these final eight weeks, but I think the Tigers will sneak into the five and Grange will leapfrog the Demons into third as September approaches.
Percentage will play a key role in deciding finals positions, so teams need to take their opportunities against bottom sides to maximise their points ratio.
1. Springwood
2. Palm Beach
3. Wilston Grange
4. Surfers Paradise
5. Mayne
6. Magpies
7. Sandgate Hawks
8. Maroochydore
9. Coolangatta
10. UQ
11. Noosa
12. Burleigh
