BROADBEACH vs. UQ
Saturday May 30, 2:00pm – H&A Oval
Two young teams, two wins between them, one vital clash.
It’s been a tough week for the Broadbeach Footy Club following the loss of Wayne Petterd as coach.
Brett Andrews has taken the reigns, and hopes they rally together to get the win tomorrow.
“It has been a sad week, losing the coach, but it might trigger us into a bit of self-belief,” Andrews said.
It hasn’t gone to plan this year for the Cats, so this week’s game becomes pivotal if they want to salvage their season.
“If you thought two months ago we would be playing for the bottom of the ladder you would have been crazy, so hopefully there will be a bit of a spike in enthusiasm this week,” he said.
“If we cant get motivated for this week we are in the wrong game.”
They will need to stop the run and carry for UQ, and turn it into a contested game through the middle to get the four points.
“They are used to playing on a small ground, but they are quite fleet footed and they look alright so we are up for a big clash this weekend, and everyone is looking forward to it,” Andrews said.
As with any new coach, the game plan will change slightly, and a few players have been put on notice.
“We can’t change everything overnight but we have tinkered a little bit,” he said.
“We have been self exploding basically, so if we can get rid of the errors we can match it with almost everyone, so we are really concentrating on our unforced errors and turnovers.
“Everyone’s been put on notice, it’s a line in the sand, but because of the changing of the guard everyone deserves another chance so we are starting fresh.”
As for the Red Lions, a strong second half performance against Wilston Grange has filled them with confidence going into this week.
“We had a really good video review this week, saw some really good stuff, and had some really positive stuff come out of it, so the guys are really excited to get out there this weekend,” coach Darren Pfeiffer said.
“I think even the first half, we still moved it really well. Our ability to move it from the defensive 50 to the forward 50 was probably better than the opposition so we are going to take that into this week.”
If both teams want to stay in the hunt this year, it’s a must win, and Pfeiffer knows that.
“They are 1-5 just like us so it’s a big game for both teams. We expect a pretty heated contest. They are probably pretty similar to us with a young list, so it’s going come down to the team who can settle the quickest,” he said.
Adversity can bring a group together. It has been a difficult week for the Cats, but they will want to do it for Pedro on Saturday. Look out UQ.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 7 – BROADBEACH VS UQ
LABRADOR vs. WILSTON GRANGE
Saturday May 30, 2:00pm – Cooke-Murphy Oval
The hunter now becomes the hunted.
Labrador made the headlines last week, ending the 25 win steak of Morningside in emphatic fashion, but that will mean nothing if they drop a game this weekend.
“We are trying not to let our guard down this Saturday, it’s a major danger game for us, hopefully we can get up for one more week before a week off,” senior assistant Jarrod Field said.
They choked the corridor last Sunday, putting heat on every Morningside possession, something they will look to continue tomorrow.
“We just keep going about it the way we have been going. We prepare differently for different opposition but our midfield has been able to stand up. We will front up again with the same mix and hopefully it is good enough each week,” he said.
They will have to do it without three key forwards, in Fraser, Lappin and Perry-Bolt.
That will be sure to change how they setup in front of the footy.
“We have got to work with the personal we have got. We have given a couple of young blokes in Watmuff and Bacon a chance this weekend which is good, and hopefully cement a spot and put a bit of pressure on the blokes that aren’t there,” Field said.
Wilston Grange has strung a really strong month together leading up to this game. Tomorrow, we find out what they are made of.
“We’ve got a few out and we have got a few debutants, so it’s exciting to give the guys who have had really big preseasons a go,” coach Matt Trewhella said.
“They are coming off a big win but have some key players out so it’s going to be a good contest.”
Trewhella will be coaching from the sidelines for the next month or so, after a torn plantar fascia put a speed-hump in his 2015 campaign.
They will also be without Steve Brittain and Declan Bevan, so both sides are down on some real key players.
““Having their three forwards out, it takes away ten goals from the last three or so weeks they have played together, so at least it evens out the blokes we are missing,” he said.
“I’m confident in the debutants because as they have had a good summer, and now is their time to go, I haven’t picked anyone out of necessity.’
Trewhella has no doubts on where it will be won or lost.
“From talking to people about last weekend, the game was won out of the midfield, so that’s where I am putting a lot of energy into. All out best players will be around the ball so hopefully it’s a good contest,” he said.
When you take out two big bodies like Trewhella and Brittain around the ball, a hard task gets a lot harder
Labrador are now the hunted for very good reason, don’t expect them to be suffering a hangover from last week.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 7 – LABRADOR VS WILSTON GRANGE
MORNINGSIDE vs. PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN
Saturday May 30, 2:00pm – Jack Esplen Oval
Both teams last week were down on their usual selves. Neither team was happy with what they dished up, and both will be looking to rectify it tomorrow.
Morningside are in a very different position this week. For the first time since the competition restructure, they enter a game off the back of a loss.
David Lake assured everyone that it’s it is business as usual.
“Nothing changes, we just need to make sure we ask ourselves are we switched on at the start of the game?” he said.
“It’s been a great week on the track this week, there has almost been a sense of relief.
“We are up an about, we are back at the start, so look out Palm Beach here we come.”
The loss to Labrador could be the wake up call they needed to catapult them forward for the rest of the year.
“It was a great reality check, it had to happen, it was when, not if,” Lake said.
“We haven’t lost our love for the game, nothing’s changed, we have just be re-routed.
“We won those 25, and now we have got to work on the next 25.”
Palm Beach on the other hand now believe they are a big show this weekend, and that Morningside are gettable.
“We think we can beat them, they have proved they are beatable,” Palm Beach coach Chad Owens said.
“They are in a position they haven’t been in; they have lost a few previous premiership players that would normally get them over the line, who aren’t there to help them now.”
It has been a good week for Lions. They have moved on from last weeks Barry Crocker of a first quarter, trained strongly, and welcome a few familiar faces back, which will add some life to their outside game.
“We had a good week on the track, we got some quality players back, Stephen and Tom Thynne, as well as Zac Callinan, who can really hurt the opposition on the outside which we have been lacking,” he said.
It’s that outside game they will look to click into gear tomorrow, and for the rest of the year.
“Apart from last week, our contested ball has been good. We have spoken about that we need to get better on the outside,” Owens said.
If they want to keep their top three seasons on track, they need the four points.
If only it were that simple.
The Panthers learnt they aren’t going to have it all their way in 2015 last weekend. Look for them to bounce back tomorrow.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 7 – MORNINGSIDE VS PALM BEACH
SURFERS PARADISE vs. SANDGATE
Saturday May 30, 2:00pm – Sir Bruce Small Park
Both these teams are coming off the back of confidence building wins last week.
Sandgate put themselves within a game of the five, and Surfers have a very keen eye on taking that spot off them. Another eight point game.
It’s all starting to come together for Surfers Paradise. They have gotten better each game, and are primed nicely for the second half of the year.
Coach Peter Young doesn’t want to talk about them being in the groove just yet.
“It was a hard fought contest last week and we hung in their long enough to get the four-points, but I don’t know if we are on a roll yet,” Young said.
“We need to get some consistency over four quarters from our playing group first.”
He believes the key to taking down Sandgate will be in the spread.
“We have just got to win plenty of inside ball, and hopefully we have a few things up our sleeves this week with out outside runners,” he said.
There’s no doubting player like Aden Rutledge and Tom Overington have been a huge key to Sandgate’s three wins this year.
“”They are the two that do a lot of damage, but in saying that we don’t want to put all our eggs in the one basket, and let someone else of the leash,” Young said.
“We have got to be mindful that this is a team game and anyone can stand up and take the game by the scruff of the neck.”
Tomorrow is massive for the Hawks. They win, and there is a massive chance they will be in the five at the conclusion of the round.
Opportunities like this don’t come around every day, and Sandgate will look to grab it with both hands.
“Everyone is genuinely excited about this week because it gives us the opportunity to definitely get a top five spot that’s for sure,” coach Graham Adams said.
“We have felt we have come a fair way, we have just got to keep going. We can’t slack off, we have got to keep working.”
If it aint broke, don’t fix it. Sandgate’s midfield has been excellent in the last two weeks, so they will once again play to their strengths
“We rate our midfield pretty strong so it’s going to be a good clash through there,” he said.
“It’s a big ground, and we like the big grounds, so we are looking forward to playing down there.”
When push comes to shove, big bodies usually stand up. A majority of teams could be looking upward on the ladder at Sandgate come Sunday night.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 7 – SURFERS PARADISE VS SANDGATE
WESTERN MAGPIES vs. MT GRAVATT
Saturday May 30, 2:00pm – Powenyenna Oval
The Magpies showed the footy world they mean business last week, now they have to prove it was no fluke.
“We have spoken all week about that we need to be consistent with out efforts, so this is an opportunity to show that we can be consistent with our efforts week in week out,” coach Glenn Humphrey said.
They beat Palm Beach Currumbin in the middle last week. Their contested work has been ferocious for most of the year, and that won’t change tomorrow.
“It will be a tough game against Mt Gravatt, it always is,” he said.
“I expect it to be down to the same areas as it is every week; it will be won around the contested footy and we need to share the ball well and put some scoreboard pressure on as early as possible.”
Sam Copland has been called up to the NEAFL following last week’s four-goal haul, but inclusions don’t come much better than Luke Scott.
As to whether he will play forward or back? Humphrey kept his cards very close to his chest.
“We will have a look at their lineup to see where we play him. Depending on what talls they have we may be able to use him to stretch them down back but they have a lot of talls as well, so we will have a look at that,” he said.
It’s been a tough six games to start the season for Mt Gravatt, but they match up well against the Magpies, meaning this could be the week they turn things around.
“There’s no easy games, the Magpies are up and about at the moment, but we obviously need to start winning some games of footy, and more importantly, start playing the type of footy we want to play to get that run going again,” coach Brad Pollock said.
“We have just become a little bit stagnant in our play, the effort has been there its just the execution that’s not up to standard at the moment, if we can nail that down a bit you will see some better results.
If that running game find’s its feet, they will push the Magpies.
It’s not all doom and gloom at Dittmer Park.
“The boys trained the house down during the week, so you wouldn’t think we had only won just the one game,” Pollock said.
The skipper Frazer Neate comes back this week, as does Mick Hamill, but they will have to do it without Chris Murphy, who can’t take a trick this year, and Wylie Buzza, who was selected in the Queensland Under 18 side.
On a small ground, the Magpies will lock the ball in the middle, and should walk away with the four points.
FOOTY RECORD: QAFL RECORD – RD 7 – WESTERN MAGPIES VS MT GRAVATT
By Andrew Wiles – @andrewjwiles
