ROOKIE Surfers Paradise coach Beau Zorko has refused to be drawn into a slanging match with Burleigh counterpart Zane Doubleday in the build-up to the Gold Coast derby at Bomberland.

IT is crunch time for former powers Palm Beach-Currumbin in the Pineapple Hotel Cup at Salk Oval on Saturday.
A round-nine match-up against ladder leaders Sandgate will unquestionably answer a couple of questions about whether this year’s Lions are the real deal or whether they are simply in-between in relation to the top and bottom groups.
PBC, the 2009 champions, lost to the top three sides in the opening four rounds, but have beaten all other sides since to sit in fifth spot on the ladder, three ins behind co-leaders Sandgate and Wilston-Grange.

THE Surfers Paradise Demons will finish the QAFL Premier Division season with a new face at the helm following a parting of the ways with former coach Robert Martin.

Federal Minister for Sport, Mark Arbib, today joined Gold Coast Suns player Josh Fraser to welcome players from a new AFL Youth Girls team to Metricon Stadium as part of AFL Women’s Week.

The Overall Quest Community Newspapers’ Volunteer of the Year Award, was won for the first time last year by Mount Gravatt’s Peter Jamieson , is back again this year bigger and better than ever.

IT is difficult to think that the current top five teams in the Pineapple Hotel Cup will not be the ones contesting finals action later in the year.
On Saturday, when the top five sides played those occupying the lower rungs of the ladder, results left, in order, Sandgate (28 points), Wilston-Grange (28), Western Magpies (24), Noosa (20) and Palm Beach-Currumbin on the money to play in the finals.
Heading into the half-way mark of the 16-round season, it is going to be difficult for those sides out of the top five to get some September action.
Palm Beach-Currumbin’s hot streak of high scores was cut somewhat when they beat Surfers Paradise in their Gold Coast derby, the Lions scoring by 34 points after an even first half.
Co-leaders Sandgate and Wilston-Grange had comfortable wins over Maroochy-Northshore and Burleigh respectively, the Western Magpies coughed up a surprise early lead but still beat Mayne, while up on the Sunshine Coast, Noosa overpowered Coolangatta.

ANY fears Noosa coach Wayne Fletcher may have had about a slow start by his Tigers on Saturday were quickly put to rest with a cracking opening term against Coolangatta at Weyba Road.

FRUSTRATED player-coach Luke Faulkner was at a loss to explain how the Tigers managed to turn what was shaping as a major upset into a13-goal loss at Everton Park on Saturday.

SANDGATE exposed the vast chasm between top and bottom of the Pineapple Hotel Cup competition with a crushing win over grossly undermanned Maroochy-Northshore at Lemke Road on Saturday.

IN a round that featured several high-scoring first quarters, Wilston-Grange had the best of all, smashing visitors Burleigh with an ambush at Hickey Park on Saturday.

IS the final five starting to take shape nearing the half-way mark of the Pineapple Hotel Cup?
We’ll certainly know more after Saturday’s fixtures because the top five teams are drawn against five of the lower-ladder sides, Springwood excepted (the Pumas have the weekend bye).
On current standings, Sandgate (24), Wilston-Grange (24), Western Magpies (20) and Noosa (16) hold the top five spots.
But there are four teams on 12 points and they are all Gold Coast clubs – Palm Beach-Currumbin, Coolangatta, Surfers Paradise and Burleigh – so positions could alter significantly come late Saturday afternoon.
The draw is: Sandgate v Maroochy-Northshore, Wilston-Grange v Burleigh, Surfers Paradise v Palm Beach-Currumbin, Noosa v Coolangatta and Mayne v Western Magpies.

COOLANGATTA kept alive their finals hopes and at the same time dented those of Gold Coast rivals Surfers Paradise in the local derby at Len Peak Oval on Sunday.
After trailing at quarter-time, the Blues took control of the clash and ran out deserved winners by 14.16 (100) to 10.13 (73).

SANDGATE and Wilston-Grange continue to set the pace at the top of the Pineapple Hotel Cup ladder after seven rounds.
The northside Brisbane clubs have 24 points from six wins and a draw with Sandgate holding top spot courtesy of their impressive percentage of 164.1.
The Hawks survived a trip to Chelmer on Saturday where they beat home side Western Magpies by 13 points on the back of an outstanding first quarter.
Wilston-Grange did not have things their own way against bottom Mayne, beating the Tigers by 27 points.
In other matches, Palm Beach-Currumbin scored another runaway win, this time by 174 points over Springwood, and Burleigh came from behind to beat Maroochy-Northshore by 60 points.

EIGHT months ago Burleigh’s games record-holder Aaron Pianta was adamant he was retiring after Burleigh lost the 2010 preliminary final to Noosa.
That ‘retirement’, even though at the time Pianta insisted he was finished, proved to be a furphy because the big forward resumed training earlier in the year and found the lure of footy too strong to resist.

WILSTON-Grange maintained their share of ladder leadership after a harder-than-expected success away to Mayne at Everton Park on Saturday.
The Gorillas took the points by 21.16 (142) to 18.7 (115) but coach David Martin was not exactly over the moon with the performance.

SPRINGWOOD’S woeful record against Palm Beach-Currumbin continued on Saturday when the Lions tamed the Pumas in a lopsided match at Salk Oval.
PBC took the match by 33.17 (215) to 6.5 (41) for their eight successive win in the battle of the big cats – the weekend score being the third time in a row this season the Lions have kicked 150-plus points.

CO-LEADERS Sandgate and the Western Magpies lock horns in yet another appetising match of the round in the Pineapple Hotel Cup at Chelmer Oval on Saturday.
Fresh from bowling over former ladder leaders Wilston-Grange last weekend, the Magpies look forward to another stern test against last year’s beaten grand finalists.
The Magpies and Sandgate share top rung on the ladder with five wins and a loss, along with Wilston-Grange, who should get back on track away to Mayne after losing for the first time last round against Mayne after losing to the Magpies last round.
Sandgate (173.5) hold a significant percentage advantage over the Grange (134.2) and the Magpies (116.9).
Elsewhere on Saturday, Palm Beach-Currumbin’s climb from the cellar should continue when they host Springwood at Salk Oval, Burleigh are at home to Maroochy-Northshore, and Coolangatta play Surfers Paradise in a Gold Coast derby at Len Peak Oval on Sunday.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has set hugely ambitious targets of one million participants and one million AFL club members for the national competition by 2016.

THE Western Magpies ended the unbeaten run of Wilston-Grange to force a three-way tie at the top of the Pineapple Hotel Cup ladder on Saturday.
The Magpies scored by 17 points in the match of the round at Chelmer for their fifth win of the season.
That victory, added to Sandgate’s success over Burleigh on the Gold Coast, means there are three clubs on 20 points with 5-1 win-loss records after six rounds.
Sandgate (173.5 per cent) have top spot at the moment, ahead of Wilston-Grange (134.2 per cent) and the Magpies (116.9).

On the Gold Coast not even the presence of former AFL star Jason Akermanis could save Coolangatta from a mauling from Palm Beach-Currumbin, who took their derby by106 points.
In other matches, Maroochy-Northshore broke their season duck with a nine-point win over Mayne and premiers Noosa had too much class for Springwood, taking their match by 81 points.

AKAMANIA has hit the Gold Coast in time for the big southern derby between Coolangatta and Palm Beach.
Jason Akermanis – colourful, controversial and classy – will be lining up for Coolangatta in what the club hopes will be a major finance-raiser.But the match of the round, from a Gold Coast perspective at least, is at Len Peak Oval where former Brisbane and Western Bulldogs star Jason Akermanis will make a guest appearance for Coolangatta in the local derby against Palm Beach-Currumbin. There is plenty of hype about the appearance of ‘Aka’ in a one-off fund-raiser for the Blues. Elsewhere, Burleigh host Sandgate at Bill Godfrey Oval, Maroochy-Northshore take on Mayne at Fisherman’s Road, and Springwood host premiers Noosa at Lowe Oval.

RAMPAGING Wilston-Grange have already come through two tough challenges this season, beating 2010 grand finalists Sandgate and Noosa over the first five rounds of the Pineapple Hotel Cup.
Fresh from victory over reigning premiers Noosa last weekend – and at Noosa to boot – the Gorillas now travel to western Brisbane to play the Western Magpies at Chelmer Oval on Saturday in the match of the round.
Can the Gorillas continue their dream start under new coach David Martin, who has oversees a remarkable transition of the club from being forever on the periphery of finals action to what appears to be a genuine title challenger?

AFL Queensland officials have extended a special thank you to the football community for the outstanding response to the ‘Thanks Ump’ initiative over last  weekend (May 14th – 15th). AFLQ CEO Richard Griffiths said today he was really pleased and…

Brisbane Lions‘ multicultural ambassador Patrick Karnezis visited Woodridge North State School last night to kick off a big week for the Auskick participants at the school.

CONTROVERSIAL and colourful Jason Akermanis has promised nothing but pure ‘Aka’ during his guest appearance at the Coolangatta Football Club this weekend.

Laiba Shahzad, an eight-year-old girl from Pakistan , has learned more than a new way of life since moving to Australia. She’s learned a new sport.

AFL Queensland officials have extended a special thank you to the football community for the outstanding response to the ‘Thanks Ump’ initiative over the weekend.

DAVID Martin’s Wilston-Grange Gorillas have added premiers Noosa to an impressive list of scalps in their ultra-impressive start to the Pineapple Hotel Cup season.
After beating Sandgate in round one, the Gorillas have now beaten last season’s grand finalists in their unbeaten run under new boss Martin.
Saturday’s 18.5 (113) to 15.11 (101) victory at Noosa’s Weyba Road stretched the Gorillas’ run to five and proved conclusively that one of the QAFL Premier Division’s perennial strugglers is definitely the real deal this season.
In another highlight match on Saturday, the Western Magpies stormed home to snatch victory from Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast with a four goals to one last quarter.
Elsewhere, Sandgate edged Coolangatta in a close one at Len Peak Oval, Palm Beach-Currumbin whipped Mayne at Salk Oval; and Burleigh scraped home against Springwood at Lowe Oval.

MOST coaches and players rate the trip to Noosa as the toughest assignment on the Pineapple Hotel Cup fixture list.
For season surprise packets Wilston-Grange this is certainly the case, but it is a challenge the Gorillas are looking forward to.
It is a road trip to the Sunshine Coast that will tell the Grange hierarchy just where their vastly improved team is really at, whether they are worthy of their position unbeaten at the top of the points ladder.
In another interesting fixture, last weekend’s big back-to-earth performers Surfers Paradise take on the Western Magpies on the Gold Coast.
Elsewhere, Coolangatta host Sandgate at Peak Oval; Springwood take on Burleigh at Lowe Oval; and Palm Beach-Currumbin are at home to Mayne. Maroochy-Northshore have the bye.

Round 8 of the AFL Premiership this week end has been ear marked as the “THANKS UMP” Round.  There has been good media coverage and advertisements in the broader media outlining the plight of the umpire and how all match…