Palm Beach Currumbin Australian Football Club has announced the appointment of former AFL champion and Sydney Swans player Daryn Cresswell as Senior Coach of the club for 2012.

AN outstanding third quarter when they shut down the opposition almost completely carried Sandgate to a second successive win in the AFLQ’s Premier division reserve grade grand final on Saturday.

PALM Beach-Currumbin’s most successful coach Craig O’Brien has confirmed Saturday’s Pineapple Hotel Cup grand final was his last in charge of the Lions.

DEFENDING champions Sandgate have the necessary form on the board to make it back-to-back premierships in the AFLQ Premier Division reserve grade competition.

PALM Beach-Currumbin are hoping history will repeat itself when they take on Noosa in the Pineapple Hotel Cup grand final at Fisherman’s Road on Saturday.
It was at the same venue in 2009 that PBC downed Noosa – who had beaten them in the second semi-final a fortnight before – to claim the premiership.

Caretaker coach Greg Seton-Lonsdale has been urged to apply for the vacant 2012 Redland Bombers senior coaching position.

PALM Beach-Currumbin set up a rematch of the 2009 Pineapple Hotel Cup grand final when they overpowered Sandgate by 44 points at Len Peak Oval on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
PBC took the preliminary final by a comprehensive 20.15 (135) to 13.13 (91) and will now play 2010 premiers Noosa in the grand final at Fisherman’s Road on the Sunshine Coast next Saturday.

Preliminary finals draw:
Seniors: Palm Beach-Currumbin v Sandgate
At Len Peak Oval, Kirra, 2pm Saturday.
Reserves: Palm Beach-Currumbin v Western Magpies
At Len Peak Oval, Kirra, 11.30am Saturday.

SANDGATE kept their premiership dreams alive when they downed Western Magpies in a thrilling Pineapple Hotel Cup first semi-final at Chelmer Oval on Sunday.
Last year’s grand finalists took the nail-biter by 16.12 (108) to 15.12 (102) to earn a crack at Palm Beach-Currumbin in the preliminary final on the Gold Coast next Saturday.

SUNSHINE Coast powers Noosa wrapped up a third successive grand final appearance after they downed Palm Beach-Currumbin in a muddy second semi-final at Weyba Road on Saturday.

SANDGATE captain-coach Ben Long has thrown down the gauntlet to cross-city rivals Western Magpies by suggesting they are the side under most pressure for the Pineapple Hotel Cup elimination first semi-final at Chelmer Oval on Sunday.
Backed up by a sound record over the Magpies this season – the Hawks have won both previous encounters – Long believes the home side is the one under most attention.

A PLACE in a home-town grand final is at stake when arch rivals Noosa and Palm Beach-Currumbin go for the title of kings of the football jungle on Saturday.
These two sides, who have had many great battles ever since the merging of the GCAFL and the South Queensland AFL, clash in Noosa territory at Weyba Road.

On Sunday 21st August, the Division 3 Central Grand Final was played between the two top teams throughout the year. The Bond Uni Bullsharks, the minor premiers, met the Jimboomba Redbacks (the reigning Premiers) for the fifth time this year. With the ledger all square at 2-2, this shaped up to be a blockbuster.

CHAMPION Noosa midfielder Lucas Matthews has taken the Duncanson-Todd Medal for best and fairest player in the Pineapple Hotel Cup.
Matthews, who landed Aspley’s best and fairest award in the QAFL in 2009, scored the prestigious honour with 19 votes at a count at Royal on the Park in Brisbane on Monday night.

School teachers in rugby league heartland in Dalby and Townsville have won AFL Queensland’s School Ambassador of the Year awards.

PALM Beach-Currumbin emerged victorious, but badly damaged, after beating Western Magpies in a torrid Pineapple Hotel Cup qualifying final at Chelmer Oval on Sunday.

ANOTHER shot at a premiership flag remains in the sights of last season’s beaten grand finalists Sandgate after the Hawks took a riveting elimination final against Wilston-Grange at Lemke Road Oval on Saturday.
Sandgate snaffled the north Brisbane derby by 15.5 (95) to 13.12 (90) to advance to an away first semi-final next weekend against either Western Magpies or Palm Beach-Currumbin.

THERE’S no tomorrow for the loser of the north Brisbane derby between Sandgate and Wilston-Grange at Lemke Road Oval on Saturday.
The losers of the elimination final go into mothballs while the winner live to fight another day in the knockout first semi-final next weekend – against either Western Magpies or Palm Beach-Currumbin.
Another crackerjack match should be at Chelmer Oval on Sunday when Western Magpies host Palm Beach-Currumbin in the qualifying final.
The winner of this match goes into the second semi-final away to Noosa next weekend, while the losers earn home-ground advantage against either Sandgate or Wilston-Grange.
While all this is going on, minor premiers and 2010 champions Noosa sit back to take in events after earning the first week of finals off courtesy of finishing on top of the ladder.
In reserve grade (matches start at 11.45am), the elimination final is between Surfers Paradise and Wilston-Grange at Lemke Road on Saturday, while Sandgate play Western Magpies in the qualifying final on Sunday at Chelmer Oval.

Qualifying final: Western Magpies v Palm Beach-Currumbin
Chelmer Oval, 2pm Sunday

Brisbane Lions hero Darryl White has returned to Brisbane this week as part of a key initiative in the AFL’s wide-ranging Indigenous policy.

JUST as they promised to do, the Surfers Paradise Demons have had a major say in who plays where in the Pineapple Hotel Cup finals.
The Demons, who missed the play-offs by one win, upstaged Wilston-Grange in the final round of fixtures on Saturday, dislodging the Gorillas from the top- three and despatching them to a sudden-death elimination final away to Sandgate next Saturday.
Taking full advantage of their Gold Coast rivals’ success, Palm Beach-Currumbin surged into third place on the congested ladder, setting up a qualifying final away to Western Magpies next Sunday.
Noosa, who clinched the minor premiership after beating Mayne, have next weekend off to prepare for a second semi-final at home the following weekend.
On Saturday, Wilston-Grange fell to Surfers by 40 points; the Magpies thrashed Coolangatta by 132; Noosa downed Mayne by 83; Palm Beach-Currumbin downed Burleigh by 122; and Maroochy-Northshore scored by 20 points against Springwood.
Noosa (180.4 per cent) finished on top of the ladder on 52 points, level with Western Magpies (149.1), followed by Palm Beach-Currumbin (173.4), Sandgate (137.3) and Wilston-Grange (129.5).

A BIG win over Gold Coast rivals Burleigh on Saturday has catapaulted Palm Beach-Currumbin into a finals double-chance.

A MASSIVE win over Coolangatta has been soured by injuries to four players as the Western Magpies turn their attention to finals action.

NOOSA clinched the Pineapple Hotel Cup minor premiership and earned a week’s rest after crushing Mayne at Everton Park on Saturday.

COASH Roger Delaney will make a decision within a month whether he will go around with the Roos again in 2012.
Maybe Saturday’s encouraging win over Springwood may help convince Delaney that Maroochy are on the right track as far as next year goes because it was a good way to end a tough campaign for the Sunshine Coast outfit.

THE equation for Wilston-Grange this weekend is simple: Win their round-18 home clash against Surfers Paradise at Hickey Park (1pm start) and the club will achieve its best finish for years, a place in the qualifying final.

WEDDING bells have cost Western Magpies two senior players for their clash with Coolangatta at Chelmer Oval on Saturday.
Chris Judson is tying the knot and is taking team-mate Kale Reed with him as best man, presenting coach Peter McClennan with some late-season disruption as his team chases a top-three finals finish.

PALM Beach-Currumbin could snatch a finals double-chance if they can see off Burleigh in their Gold Coast derby against Burleigh at Salk Oval on Saturday.

THERE has been some good news for Mayne as they warm up for a battle against reigning premiers Noosa at Everton Park on Saturday.
Quality player-coach Luke Faulkner has revealed that he intends staying on with the club, a heartening development before the battle between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane species of the Tigers.

SPRINGWOOD have had a not-so-successful time this year but the chance is there for them to go better than in their season 2010 campaign.