THERE’S nothing like a Sunshine Coast derby to stir emotions and that’s the way it was on a wet and mussy afternoon at Weyba Road on Saturday when Noosa took on local rivals Maroochy-Northshore.

IT seems that, whenever Mayne and Coolangatta clash, strange things go on.

LADDER-topping Sandgate settle in for their toughest three weeks of the Pineapple Hotel Cup season when they host Palm Beach-Currumbin at Lemke Road on Saturday.
The Hawks, one win clear of Noosa, Wilston-Grange and Western Magpies, have a huge three weeks ahead with home matches against PBC, then the Magpies and Noosa.
Palm Beach are currently fifth, so the influence the Hawks could have on shaping the top three – indeed the final five – is profound.

WESTERN Magpies will be keeping a close eye on proceedings across town when they play improvers Springwood at Chelmer Oval.

THE returns of four regular senior players has given Mayne hopes of finally breaking the ice against Coolangatta at Everton Park.

SURFERS Paradise people are looking to Sandgate to open the door for the Demons to get into fifth spot on the Pineapple Hotel Cup ladder.

NOOSA are confident of having a full playing list available heading in the ruin to the finals.

WESTERN Magpies hit the ground running to set up a convincing 80-point win over Coolangatta at Len Peak Oval on Sunday.

SURFERS Paradise remain in the chase for a finals berth after bringing off an upset of sorts against Wilston-Grange at Sir Bruce Small Park on Saturday.

IF it had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped the contest at quarter-time.

SPRINGWOOD equalled last season’s effort of three wins when they downed Maroochy-Northshore by 10 goals at Fisherman’s Road on Saturday.

BUSTLING Noosa forward Danny Brewster is rapidly emerging as the recruit of the season after he kicked 12 goals in a Weyba Road wipeout of struggling Mayne on Saturday.

BEAT Surfers Paradise on the road and the Wilston-Grange Gorillas would be on the cusp of clinching the Pineapple Hotel Cup minor premiership.

NUMBERS still give Burleigh hopes of finals action this season, but it all boils down to the fact they have to beat Gold Coast neighbours Palm Beach-Currumbin in a big derby at Bill Godfrey Oval.

COOLANGATTA may be out of the finals race, but claiming the scalps of a top premiership contender is the target for the Blues, who host Western Magpies at Len Peak Oval on Sunday.

ONE Tiger species is ailing, the other is in full roar as strugglers Mayne travel to in-form Noosa for a battle of the big cats at Weyba Road on Saturday.

FORTUNES off the field appear to have given Springwood the edge in the battle of the improvers against Maroochy-Northshore on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

NOTHING changed at the top of the Pineapple Hotel Cup ladder after a series of lopsided matches in round 12 on Saturday.
Positions one to six on the ladder remained unchanged after Sandgate, Wilston-Grange, Western Magpies and Noosa all won, while Surfers Paradise (sixth) mucked up their change to grab fifth spot away from Palm Beach-Currumbin when they crashed heavily to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.
Noosa produced some ominous form by demolishing the Demons by 71 points, their second big win in a row.
Wilston-Grange beat Maroochy-Northshore by 40 points, the Western Magpies saw off Burleigh by 42, Springwood upset Coolangatta by 15 points at Lowe Oval and Sandgate smashed Mayne by 20 goals at Lemke Road.

WILSTON-Grange’s charge at a top-three finish continued on Saturday, although they were made to work overtime before seeing off Maroochy-Northshore at Hickey Park.

SPRINGWOOD had to come from behind several times to seal their second win of the season in a thriller against Coolangatta at Lowe Oval on Saturday.

BURLEIGH coach Zane Doubleday has conceded finals football is probably out of reach for last year’s beaten preliminary finalists after the Bombers crashed to Western Magpies in a free-flowing affair at Chelmer Oval on Saturday.

SANDGATE set themselves up for a challenging month ahead when they trashed north Brisbane rivals Mayne by 20 goals at Lemke Road Oval on Saturday.

THE lure of a top-three finish for the finals will drive 2010 premiers Noosa to produce their best when they tackle improving Surfers Paradise on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

SUITABLY embarrassed Sandgate have worked on ways to improve on a number of areas in the lead-up to Saturday’s clash with northern Brisbane rivals Mayne.

REFRESHED Western Magpies are setting their sights on grabbing one of the three finals double-chances, a campaign that starts on Saturday with a home match against Burleigh.

DO not mention the ‘F’ word to Wilston-Grange coach David Martin.

THE Springwood Pumas have vowed there will not be a repeat of a bleak experience the last time they played Coolangatta.

Entries Close COB Monday 4 July CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A TOP AFL VOLUNTEER FROM YOUR CLUB The first Quest Community Newspapers’ Volunteer of the Year Awards were held last year in Brisbane. Sixteen regional winners from across greater Brisbane were…

BURLEIGH remain alive in the race for a Pineapple Hotel Cup finals berth after seeing off Gold Coast rivals Coolangatta in a dour derby at Bill Godfrey Oval on Sunday.

NOOSA at home on their Weyba Road turf on the northern end of the Sunshine Coast – it is rated the toughest road trip in the Pineapple Hotel Cup and Sandgate will certainly attest to that after events there on Saturday.
The occasion was the much-anticipated 2010 grand final rematch, the game also being the first time this season the two powerhouses have gone toe to toe.