By Ant Wingard @AntWingard
The Broadbeach Cats won’t have to wait long for redemption in 2019 after the Round 1 matches for the Queensland Australian Football League season were announced today.
Palm Beach Currumbin, who claimed the QAFL premiership against the Cats in 2018, will host Broadbeach in the opening round of the season.
The Grand Final rematch at Salk Oval headlines the opening weekend of the season which all will commence at 2:00pm on April 6.
AFL Queensland QAFL competition Manager, Christopher Davis, said the decision to open the fixture with the Grand Final rematch was an easy choice to make.
“Palm Beach Currumbin and Broadbeach were the premier teams of the competition in 2018 and having them open the new season is a fantastic way to see where the teams are at.”
“The Mt Gravatt and Western Magpies rivalry goes back a long way; and Morningside and Labrador played off in recent Grand Finals, so there will be plenty on the line when the first balls are bounced.”
Elsewhere across Round 1, Liam Burke and Clint Watts will have the perfect opportunity to start their coaching tenures with a win as the Tigers host the Panthers at Cooke-Murphy Oval.
The two Queensland powerhouses have enjoyed a storied rivalry throughout the QAFL’s history and their opening round fixture looms as another potential chapter in the history between the two.
A Brisbane derby between Mt Gravatt and the Western Magpies will offer the best viewing in the river city in the opening round of the season.
The two clubs were among the busiest across the offseason with the Vultures signing former NEAFL veteran Adam Boon as head coach for season 2019 and the Magpies bolstering their midfield stocks with the addition of former Brisbane Lion Claye Beams.
Surfers Paradise will host Wilston Grange at Sir Bruce Small Park to round out the opening round of fixtures.
Sandgate will have to wait a week to start their 2019 season with the Hawks finding themselves on the bye in Round 1.
