Footy's back and the opening round of the Allied Pickford's Cup season is here!
Last season’s premiers, the Eastern Swans will play the Mackay City Hawks in a mouth-watering grand-final replay at Rogers Oval. A lot has happened in the last three months, with player movement, a new coach and much more.
Matthew West was the Swans first big signing in the pre-season, the new player-coach was snapped up and appointed to replace the departed Brad McLaren.
The premiers have lost a lot of experience from last year’s grand-final winning side. The likes of Mitchell Cook, Dean Backwell, Nick Kempe and Matt Oakford have all moved on. That is a lot of fire-power and they will need the next batch of players to step up if the Swans are to be a premiership force again.
For the Mackay City Hawks, Matt Crowley remains coach, though they have lost a few star player over the off-season.
Prolific on-baller Scott Brown has moved to Encounter Bay in South Australia, Josh Chiswell to Surfers Paradise along with Jason Garrett to Sale Football Club in the strong Gippsland League.
However, both sides have recruited a couple of players and have kept tight these new recruits close to their chests.
Mackay City have recruited a couple of hard-running Mackay Magpies players along with a few former Hawks juniors returning. For the Swans, they won't need to keep an eye on these new recruits; it is the dual and reigning MJ Miller Medalist who will need to be watched closely.
Dean Backwell was the man that went to Hayes most last season, but Backwell is now no more.
Who will get the task of stopping the number one player in the Allied Pickford's? Andrew Leithhead may just be the only player with the speed, agility and footy smarts to go with Hayes.
For the Swans, with so many stars departing, majority of the workload will fall onto club legend Terry Bailey, who is a key moved for the red and white.
New player-coach, Matthew West will have to bring his country Tasmania and Northern Territory experience into the fold if he is to take the Swans to back to back flags.
Match Details: Eastern Swans V Mackay City Hawks
2:45pm at Rogers Oval, Petrie Street - East Mackay
Check below for Mackay.AFLQ.com.au round predictions and tips!
Out in Moranbah this weekend, the Moranbah Bulldogs will host the North Mackay Saints at Stevenson Park. The Bulldogs will welcome back Nicholas Proud, the former Redland junior will need to play a key role this season and with round 1 his 99th career game and Moranbah will be looking for Proud to wind the clock back and repeat his feats of season 2014.
Ticking the score-board over in season 2015 was a barrier for the Bulldogs and if Proud can repeat his feats of 2014 where he booted a career best 43 goals from 16 games, then the central highlands based Bulldogs may just be a premiership force once again.
Filling the void of the now departed defender Dion Obst, who is now on the Gold Coast lining up for Surfers Paradise is a massive loss for the Bulldogs. However, they may have found a silky replacement in young-gun Jordan Hill, though will be missing for the first two rounds due to representative duties.
For the Saints, a new coach has been appointed in Peter Wright, a club legend but their biggest signing over the off-season has been school teacher Joel Campbell.
Campbell is a hard-running, highly skilled midfielder who can push forward and kick goals. At his former club Carrara on the Gold Coast, Campbell booted 62 majors from 17 matches in the AFLQ QAFA (a) seniors including a bag of 8 against Pine Rivers.
Sam Dunbar, Alex Stewart along with Brendan Cowcher will need to support Campbell if they are to beat the Bulldogs and become a premiership force this season.
Match Details: Moranbah Bulldogs V North Mackay Saints
2:45pm at Stevenson Park, McCool Street - Moranbah
Check below for Mackay.AFLQ.com.au round predictions and tips!
In the final Allied Pickford's Cup match, the new look Bakers Creek Tigers travel to Airlie Beach to take on the Whitsunday Sea Eagles in what is expected to be a mouth-watering encounter.
The Tigers have been heavily talked about over the off-season, with new coaches, a new football department and massive player signings but that is the off-season and now we find out if the Tigers can walk the walk. Club veteran Ashley Ryan was appointed as the new coach and joined by former Boxhill Hawk and Xavier College coach Patrick Sowersby as his assistant.
In the playing ranks, the Tigers have recruited Matthew Bateman (Red Hill), Elliot Maher (Glenorchy), Curtis Carter (Parkes), Jeff Neumann (South Toowoomba) and James Rapinett (Morningside). A-lot of key experience added to a side that lacked structure on-field.
Will we see a different Tigers this season?
For the Sea Eagles, Luke Sommerville has taken the reigns as coach and has a young-list to guide. Former Maroochydore and Lobethal player, Frank Watkins has joined Whitsunday for this year.
Add to this the likes of the established Jade Derbyshire, Rhys Fuhrmann, Josh Cooper and Nicholas Roach and the Sea Eagles have a very versatile and attacking team. Playing against the Tigers will be no easy feat and no doubt coach Sommerville has his troops primed and ready to go.
Match Details: Whitsunday Sea Eagles V Bakers Creek Tigers
2:45pm at Whitsunday Sports Park, Shute Harbour Road - Jubilee Pocket
Round 1 Allied Pickford's Cup Predictions
Eastern Swans V Mackay City
Tip: Hawks by 19 points
Moranbah Bulldogs V North Mackay Saints
Tip: Bulldogs by 27 points
Whitsunday Sea Eagles V Bakers Creek Tigers
Tip: Sea Eagles by 4 points
#FootyInParadise
This story is the opinion of the author and not necessarily the thoughts of AFL Mackay, the clubs and players mentioned in this story.
Last Modified on 08/04/2016 08:10