All games from under 8’s to 16’s are set for Sunday this weekend, no Friday night footy which doesn’t happen too often these years. For Maroochydore Juniors it sees them hosting 13 games of footy – 13 teams at home is a big day for the Roos bounding about their Fish Bowl.
AFL Junior Under 8 and 10 footy at Coolum Beach’s home of the High School, visitors from Pomona, Nambour & Hint and North Shore.
Kawana Park host the LMP south 8’s and 10’s footy with visitors in Lions and Panthers. This action amongst their fantastic in season Auskick program – 15 weeks of action for their up and coming 8 and 10 year olds.
As stated plenty of action at the Fish Bowl, the Roos 2 under 8 and 4 under 10 teams will be full of jumping action as the Tigers of Noosa look to stalk them for the “sherrin”.
We have three rounds of home and away footy left for season 2010 in the Maroochy RSL Club AFL Sunshine Coast Juniors competition.
The under 12’s division 3 teams of six will then move into a final fixturing day – Sunday 22nd August of a round-robin carnival set down for the Jets airstrip of North Shore, Mudjimba. This day is seen as a fitting way to complete a structured program of club footy for this basically 10 and 11 year age group, more in keeping with player development than the need for finals footy. Amongst the days match play we will also structure in a Best & Fairest vote count and recognise valued players at each club. Plenty of time later on in life for the pressure and joy of finals footy.
The under 12’s division 1 competition ladder is very interesting as we look to the final three weeks. Maroochydore Green Roo and you would think Caloundra Panthers are safe for finals action but thereafter we have four teams looking at the final spots of 3 and 4 – Gympie Cats, Kawana Park Eagles, Maroochydore Gold Roos and Noosa Blue Tigers all with hope.
Last start the previously undefeated Green Roo succumbed to a very committed Eagles team and 19 scoring shots to 9 indicates that the Eagles are a capable team come finals. But in the meantime they need to hang on to at least fourth spot – not helped with a bye in the second last round.
Gympie Cats have finally found their poise again and pounce upon the sherrin and hence have come back into finals contention. They looked great over the early part of the season and now a full team near beckons. But they are all tough games for the Cats as they face both Roos teams and a Tigers team to round their home and away season out, every game still most important.
The Breakers of Coolum Beach have had a tough season in 2010 playing in division 1 but hopefully strong week in week out competition will give these youngsters a feel for the top level of footy. A couple of games left they travel to Kawana Park and then host Caloundra to run their season out – may as well take a scalp or two on the way!
The Tiger of Noosa has a huge percentage sitting a game outside the top four in sixth spot, so everything is important from this point going forward and nothing more challenging than this Sunday at Weyba Road against the smarting Roo on the rebound.
Like the Tiger the Golden Roo will also need to win near all as their percentage isn’t great on 86.70 so this alone whilst still on the same points leaves them “a game” shy of finals contention – huge one this week v the Catters.
The Demons of Pomona and Lions of Glasshouse Hinterland sit comfortably upon the top end of the division 2 under 12 ladder and this Sunday sees them set for combat at the “Jungle” which is a match up that will possibly be played out a few times over the coming five weeks. The Lions will have to find their kicking boots as witnessed last Sunday 10 first up shots on goal registered 10 minors, this even testing the skills of the scoreboard attendant to keep up.
Nambour & Hinterland Blue and Noosa Red are the other two teams set for finals action at this level and in the elimination semi final their moment of truth will come.
For the Maroochydore Roos, White Blues team of Nambour & Hinterland, Blue Eagles of K/Park and Panthers of Caloundra the final three rounds will be all for experience as these youngsters look to develop their footy skills for the many enjoyable years ahead.
Caloundra Power took the points last start against an undermanned but most committed Maroochydore team, if ever you wish to see one bloke who gives his all is nearly always punching above his weight go and check out the little fella Blake, in the Maroochydore White under 14’s division 1 team. The Power were strong in the first half but the Roos kept coming to near match on the scoreboard in the second half – perseverance and a never throw in the towel attitude drove these youngsters. Well done White Roos.
The Power of Caloundra this weekend have the opportunity on their home dung hill to grab second spot over Maroochydore Roos who last start knocked over the Powers club mates Panthers by 13 points. This Panthers team hasn’t experienced many losses in twenty10 and with fourth placed Noosa Blue also travelling well, we are set for an exciting final series at this level.
Noosa Blue travel to Fish Park and a few flatheads seen about the complex this past few damp days, will we see a Taylor swim with the White Roo this 11am Sunday game? Could make it most interesting.
Nambour & Hinterland 14’s have improved as footballers over the course of 2010, playing at this competitive level of footy, again they won’t play finals but for them they could look at 18 rounds as finals every week as they take on quality opposition in favour of development. This week the exercise gets no easier as the opposition reads Caloundra Panthers, top team and on the rebound but they will eagerly await the challenge.
Let’s hope those Demons don’t suffer from vertigo as like their 12’s and for that fact their 16’s they sit on ladders top. And come finals we will see many of the Blue and Yellow army pour out of the hills, and this lot brings their passion in bucketfuls. Sunday the Dees play Maroochydore Green at Fish Park in a 14’s division 2 encounter, tough going for the Green Roo it may appear but these youngsters love their footy and they will give their all just being with their mates.
Last week we had a real nail biter at the cattery which saw the home team get up by two points over the Breakers of Coolum Beach, such a result so important for the Gympie Cats which sees this competition set to bubble with excitement in coming weeks.
Two and a half games is the difference within the top five, Gympie currently sit adrift in fifth but they carry a very healthy percentage that would see them jump fourth placed Glasshouse Hinterland with the right catter results. Over the final three rounds Gympie Cats play three teams below them on the ladder whilst the Lions will have to find their best roar with games against third team Coolum Beach in round 17 and those Dees in the final round! And all that without their big play maker in Suncoast Power representative player Jonah missing as a result of a broken wrist four weeks back from that final Power 14’s game.
Coolum Beach 14’s have had a great season to date under the coaching of Pete Murray, and continue to play the right tune. For these Breakers a bye is this weeks predicament and with a tough game coming up in round 17 against the Lions their season still has many deep breaths to take.
The Eagles with a huge percentage are set to soar and will provide plenty of challenge for all opposition through the coming finals. This week they travel to the runway of North Shore Jets, in their first season these youngsters many of them new converts to AFL have done a great job and last week they showed with a very good score 13.13 that they have developed well over the course of the season. The Jets are a young team with 13 of 22 first year 14’s players that the experiences gained will make them a competitive outfit going forward.
The finals look set in this competition of 16’s division 1, Caloundra will play Maroochydore in the second semi whilst Kawana Park will play Noosa in the first semi. BUT wait I hear you say, which Noosa team – well basically this in itself is an interesting situation as both teams of Gold and Blue have four wins a piece sitting just in and just out of the top four – “just” by .04%. Both Tigers teams will be blowing hard in the coming three weeks as every little last minute score could change that .04% reading. I got a feeling that the Blues of Nambour & Hinterland hold the key to this club battle of who plays finals as both Blue and Gold will play the Blues in the final two rounds, I will even be game enough to say that if the Blues percentage wasn’t so low that they may still be in the race for finals as they have knocked over Tigers before these games.
Last start the Noosa Blue team pushed third placed Kawana Park all the way and in a great game of footy 16 points was the deficit with the scoreboard indicating 18 to 17 scoring shots. These Blue Tigers with State Queensland Scorpions player Jono Freeman back are more than capable of winning a final or two but first they have a .04% margin to make up against a younger but also capable Gold Tigers outfit.
The suspense will be great in the coming weeks and I can envisage a Footyweb melt down as Sunday afternoon of the final round ticks over and possibly percentage defines who goes on – reminds me of a song “every little bit helps”.
The Lions of Glasshouse Hinterland last start got back on the winning trail with a solid win over Gympie who three weeks back travelled to the jungle and took it right up to the Lions and got home by 5 points, but not this time as the Lions roared in a return bout. But for the Lions a bye is their footy experience this round, probably they would like to keep that winning momentum going but alas a couple of good games to come in their lead up to finals action.
Again this under 16 division 2 ladder and fixturing for the final three rounds shows a few twists are still in the tail, the defining match to result fourth place could happen this Sunday again at the Cattery. Fifth placed Gympie host fourth placed North Shore Jets, the Jets one game clear plus percentage of 5.62, my guess is that this is some 55 points to square up if the Cats get the chocolates. The two games scheduled for the Cattery this Sunday in 14’s and 16’s are huge for the locals and for the visitors of Noosa Gold and North Shore expect a never say never attitude from the Cats; with new goal posts freshly stood these Cats will certainly know where the big sticks are. But can they deliver?
The Jets have had a great first up season at this level of footy and again last start they accounted for the Roos of Maroochydore, tight outcomes they have been but four points nonetheless. With some added coaching tuition this week it will be a game of great interest as we look to the final outcome on Footyweb – some think we will have to weight for, man.
Pomona Demons with the threat of vertigo travel to Fish Park this start and they will find a committed Roos as no doubt their division one side sitting in waiting will cheer them on with loud, positive encouragement.
So wherever you sit to watch our Junior AFL action this week, and plenty to keep you excited at Fish Park – 13 games, or from Gympie in the north, south down the Bruce to Glasshouse Hinterland or down the coast to Caloundra there will be plenty of intrigue as our Juniors go about playing their footy for their playing enjoyment with their mates – so enjoy!
Last Modified on 11/08/2010 15:04