Qld Footy

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6th August 2010

With three rounds remaining before the finals, Labrador have taken top spot on the ladder after Redland’s first-ever win over Southport. Only percentage separates the Bombers from a top-five position, and the NT Thunder, currently in fifth place, will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last year’s disappointing late slide out of finals contention.

The Lions have had the season from hell, and, depending on the scoreline, could slip to bottom with defeat by the Eagles in Perth on Saturday night.

23rd July 2010

Last Sunday Morningside and Southport turned on a great contest which typified the two sides’ long rivalry. An excellent crowd at Esplen Oval saw the Panthers take the points in a close tussle after the Sharks had led early in the game. Paul Shelton’s high hovering grab and steadying goal midway through the last quarter brought the home crowd to its feet.

There are no games in the QAFL this weekend. With four rounds left before the finals, the current top five teams may take some dislodging. Redland, after a nail-biting win over the Lions last weekend, sit in sixth only a game away, but they do have a difficult run home.

14th July 2010

The race for the QAFL premiership has opened up after the top two teams were both beaten on the weekend: Southport at home by neighbours Labrador - the Sharks’ first-ever loss to the Tigers at Fankhauser - and Morningside by the Thunder in Darwin. Labrador move back into second place as a result. Southport travel to Esplen Oval to take on their old rivals Morningside on Sunday.

You have to hand it to AFLQ Football Operations Manager Marty King and journalist Ron McDonald - two blokes whose knowledge of the local competition is arguably unsurpassed. The two are regular commentators on the Foxtel weekly wrap broadcast on Friday nights. In the background of the top picture of the Western Magpies-Aspley game on the right of screen, the pair can be seen fulfilling their commentary role atop the club roof at Chelmer.

6th July 2010

Two fairly big upsets highlighted Round 12 of the QAFL. Mt Gravatt hammered Labrador at Cooke-Murphy Oval to move into the top five, and Redland scored a great come-from-behind 10-point win over the Thunder in Alice Springs. The only surprise in the other three games was the wide margin in each: Southport over Broadbeach - who it has to be said were missing a number of key players - Morningside over quite a strong Lions side and Aspley over the Western Magpies. The winless ’Pies had hopes of toppling the second-bottom Hornets, but on the day Aspley looked a class above their opponents (see pics at right).

After twelve rounds, was Gold Coast Bulletin scribe Nick Smart’s comment yesterday a fair call? In his piece on Southport’s big win over Broadbeach, Nick wrote ‘The Sharks are undoubtedly the best team in the QAFL Division One competition this season’. Yes, Southport look the team to beat at the moment, but a few other teams who have had a dreadful run with injuries and a lack of consistent availability of players, will certainly be out to prove him wrong.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Lions who are facing a tough run in the AFL with St Kilda, Hawthorn and Geelong their next three opponents. At five wins and nine losses, the finals look to be almost out of reach. It’ll be interesting to see whether Michael Voss gives some younger players a taste of AFL in the last few games of the season if and when hopes for finals are gone.

It was good to see the Lions’ club spirit alive and kicking with a healthy number of the AFL players at Hawthorne Park on Sunday lending their support to the Lions Reserves against Morningside. The club has reached a little over 29,000 members this year, just shy of their target of 30,000, and what a wonderful thing it would be if supporters rallied in numbers behind the club at a time when they’re doing it a bit tougher than expected. I remember reading an article a couple of months ago about Richmond having over 40,000 members at the time - when things seemed about as low as they could go for the Tigers.

28th June 2010

There were no real surprises in QAFL matches on the weekend. Broadbeach and Morningside turned on a last-quarter show for the large crowd at Merrimac. The Cats and Panthers, in the curtain-raiser to the Gold Coast’s VFL game against Frankston, kicked 14 goals between them in a final quarter in which each side respectively took control. The Karmichael Hunt factor is proving a genuine source of interest for many, and different reports estimated the crowd for the VFL game at between 4000 and 5000. And this Saturday, Southport and Broadbeach provide the early game to the Gold Coast-Box Hill VFL match at Fankhauser Reserve.

All teams have now played the same number of matches after the Lions and Mt Gravatt had had their Round 11 match at the Gabba moved to the start of the season. The game was played as a curtain-raiser to the Lions-Carlton AFL clash on the Thursday before Easter, the shift being made to give the QAFL Lions a break on the same weekend as their AFL counterparts.

The venue for the QAFL Grand Final, to be held on 19th September, is yet to be announced. In the Foxtel weekly wrap on Friday night, AFLQ Football Operations Manager Marty King indicated that, in the event of an all-Gold Coast Grand Final, the game would most likely be played on the Coast. At the moment Southport and Labrador sit one and two on the ladder.

25th June 2010

Speaking of speccies, how could I forget two more great grabs which were a feature of games on the weekend? Labrador’s Michael Doyle athletically soared over Morningside’s Sam Brown to pull in a screamer over his head during the Tigers’ stellar last quarter, somehow managing to stay on his feet on landing. And former Labrador boy, Michael Osborne, flew high at the MCG in a fabulous last quarter of footy to help Hawthorn to victory over Essendon.

21st June 2010

Are we heading for an all-Gold Coast QAFL Grand Final? Southport and Labrador both looked impressive in defeating the Lions and Morningside respectively on the weekend. The Sharks sit on top of the ladder with the Tigers one game back.

Football crazy? You be the judge. After taking in the first half of the Southport-Lions game at Coorparoo on Saturday, I headed for the Thunder-Mt Gravatt game at Dittmer Park, arriving about five minutes into the third quarter. As if that wasn’t enough, I went along to the Labrador-Morningside game at Hawthorne Park on Sunday. See pics of all three games at right.

It’s the season for speccies. There have been some great grabs in recent weeks. Last year’s Grogan Medallist Nathan Gilliland hovered long and high before securing his mark at Broadbeach. The Hornets’ Bryce Carroll launched himself vertically and horizontally to pull in a screamer in the goal square at Graham Road against the Lions. Then in the state game, Cameron Maclaren’s brilliant high chest mark was followed by Aaron Rogers’ terrific two-storey overhead grab.

To the AFL, and although down on personnel and confidence, for me the current plight of the Lions is as much about a lack of depth as anything else. Michael Voss has not used injuries as an excuse, and rightly so. Let’s hope they can regroup over the break.

17th June 2010

The South Brisbane footy club was formed 100 years ago this year. To help celebrate this wonderful milestone, the Yeronga South Brisbane Football Club will be holding a Centenary Dinner at the Brisbane Convention Centre, South Brisbane, on Saturday 17th July. If you’re interested in going, please refer to this letter from the club’s President, Sam Corless, for further information and contact details.

14th June 2010

Queensland’s resounding win over Tasmania on Saturday was a fine team effort (see pics at right). An even first quarter gave no indication of the final margin. The Maroons played an exciting brand of football to convincingly turn around a 49-point defeat to the Apple Islanders in 2009.

A few days before the interstate game, I had the pleasure to meet a gentleman named David McKellar, and in so doing, learn a little more about Queensland's footy history. David's grandfather, Ralph McKellar, captained the Queensland team which played in the first-ever interstate carnival - in Melbourne in 1908. This carnival included Queensland’s first-ever match against Tasmania - a game won by the Apple Islanders by 140 points. David’s family has long held a photo of the 1908 Queensland team. With the recent help of the Melbourne Cricket Club librarian, it was discovered that grandfather Ralph had actually captained the side and the family was finally able to put names to the faces. The AFLQ website has published an interesting piece on this story. Here is the photo as it appeared - without names - in the Saturday Sports Observer newspaper in 1908; Ralph McKellar as captain is holding the football (image is clickable):

There were no QAFL matches on the weekend owing to the interstate game. Competition will resume on Saturday 19th June.

The Lions’ clash with Richmond at the Gabba this Saturday suddenly shapes as an even-money bet. In terms of current form, the two teams are about as far apart as you could get, and the Lions look as vulnerable as they have for quite a while. Still, a week is a long time in footy....

No footballer has been more scrutinised than Karmichael Hunt recently, and I commend him for the way he’s carried himself. His debut performance in the VFL on Saturday was creditable, although there’s obviously a long way to go in terms of his reading of the game and his stamina.

12th June 2010

Queensland has scored a big win over Tasmania this afternoon at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport. After five goals apiece in the first quarter, Queensland drew away to win 23-26 (164) to 13-7 (85). More details (and pics) will appear in the weekend wrap.

7th June 2010

The wait is almost over - Queensland meet Tasmania at 2pm at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport this Saturday, 12th June. If you can be there, get along and cheer on the Maroons. Players from the QAFL’s NT Thunder are eligible for the Queensland team.

Southport (only one loss), Morningside and Labrador (two losses each) all won on the weekend and have a two-game break at the top of the QAFL ladder. In a very even competition, only one win separates the next five teams.

On AFL matters - unless the Lions can urgently overcome the problem of poor starts in matches - something which has plagued them since the start of last season - they will struggle to make the finals. It cost them dearly on the weekend. They know it’s happening, but fixing the problem is another kettle of fish.

There’ll be great interest in Karmichael Hunt’s expected debut for the Gold Coast this weekend. The Coasters play their Round 9 VFL clash against Coburg at Craigieburn this Saturday, 12th June, at 1pm.

Last week the AFLQ launched a new website. The address is www.aflq.com.au. Early indications are that they've done a great job with it.

Talking about online matters, AFL Queensland also has a Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AFL-Queensland/23581461065

31st May 2010

The big result in QAFL Round 8 action on the weekend was the Northern Territory Thunder's defeat of the previously unbeaten Southport in Darwin, elevating the Thunder to fifth on the ladder. The Sharks, however, still remain one game clear on top.

Don't forget - this weekend, on Saturday 5th June, the Western Magpies play their Round 9 game against Morningside at Heritage Oval in Toowoomba. The 'Pies pushed the Lions all the way in their game at Coorparoo on Saturday.

Not long to go to the Queensland-Tasmania clash at Fankhauser Reserve, Southport on Saturday 12th June. Queensland won the 2007 clash while Tassie turned the tables last year. Both of these games were in the Apple Isle. Be sure you get along and support the Maroons.

Great Dennis Cometti-isms are widely reported and many. There was another classic in the last quarter of the Essendon-Bulldogs game on Friday night. Delighted by a clever piece of footwork by Nathan Lovett-Murray, Cometti enthusiastically remarked 'That was a lovely little shimmy....Lovett went one way, Murray went the other, they were left chasing the hyphen....'.

It was a stirring win by the Lions on Saturday night, and a great way for Luke Power to remember his 250th game. He played a blinder too, kicking the goal which put the boys in front in the last quarter. I'd like to give a wrap to our defenders including Joel Patfull, Ash McGrath, Travis Johnstone and Brent Staker. There was a long period in the last quarter when Collingwood had a lot of the ball and threatened to finish over the top of us, but the defence held strong.

I note from the Lions website that, as at 26th May, the Lions need just 1,162 more members to reach their target of 30,000 this year. It would be great to get there, and with the 3-game memberships proving very popular, they might just do it with a late surge before the 30th June deadline. There are still five home-and-away games left at the Gabba this year, the next being against Richmond on the 19th June, the first time Brisbane has played the Tigers at the Gabba since April 2006.

The qldfooty.com Website

Welcome and Overview
Welcome to qldfooty.com, a website for fans of AFL in Queensland. If you love AFL and follow the game in the state of Queensland, or would like to know a little about the game’s history in Queensland, this website is for you. Visitors from other places might also find the website of interest.

My name is Greg Parker. I, and a group of fellow AFL fanatics, share a love of the game and a passion to learn more about the game’s history. One of our goals is to ensure that the game’s long, rich history in Queensland is thoroughly and accurately documented. This website is an important part of our journey to achieving that goal.

Aside from the history aspect, the website aims to provide an independent look at the game in Queensland, offering a commentary on leading local competitions and the main AFL competition from a Queensland viewpoint.

I don’t want to ‘reinvent the wheel’ by rehashing information which is presented elsewhere. To this end, certain sections (such as the history of the AFL competition) will be kept relatively brief. Links to other excellent resources will be found in some places.

History Projects
Can you help us in our efforts to comprehensively document the history of the game in Queensland? You can read more about our history projects and why there is currently such a void of information on the subject here.

Here on the website we share with you a little of the game’s past in Queensland. We intend to add more and more information over time, including information on all of the state’s regional leagues.