Well who can find the tap and turn this damn rain off – surely we have had enough? No doubt many playing surfaces are doing it “soft” at the moment and if Fish Park’s main and number two ovals are anything to go by, footy on such surfaces will just be a mud wrestle!
In fact the continual rain and heavier stuff overnight Thursday, a good half inch received overnight had us now tossing and turning about our ability to hold our beloved under 8’s and 10’s season opening carnival at Fish Park – yep Fish Pond. Last year we lost this event as the weather gods again turned nasty and as of Friday morning we have again unfortunately had to postpone this great event – hopefully it is to be rescheduled sometime in May.
Nambour & Hinterland Blues have some many kilometres of trenches swayed across a wing and southern forward 50 in their efforts to rectify major drainage problems – will the job get complete and see the mighty Blues return to their beloved “woods” environment. For the Blues junior teams they have not experienced the home club environment even on a training night to this point – hard to get a club culture cohesion going but all are doing a great job to maintain a sense of positiveness. Let’s hope for them that their ray of sunshine is just around the corner, that the Easter bunny also delivers that golden egg.
Also with start up difficulties has been the Demons of Pomona – a few small dastardly damaged areas to that ground that are currently receiving Demon love. And for the Eagles of Kawana Park the lights have finally shone but heavy machinery and wet ground make for a few incidents – rectification work underway but at least we have been able to schedule a few 12’s games there in round 3 to crank up the eagles nest. At least these two clubs have been able to call home home on Tuesday and Thursday nights and generated that feel of club for all involved.
So with new lights at the Eagles nest Nicklin Way gets an overhaul on the roadside scenery stakes with passing traffic treated to some quality AFL. Tonight sees the 2 under 12 teams of Kawana Park host their Maroochydore neighbours to get this School venue up and running with night time sporting opportunities. Both these games promise to be crackers, the div 2 game of Blue Eagle v Green Roo sees two teams with a win apiece over two rounds look to grab ascendancy in this competition. In div one the title fight of tonight’s Eagles card we see the as yet unbeaten Green Roo take on the Eagles who have had one win over the Cats but last start the Nambour & Hinterland Blues were their challenge.
Also to light up the Friday night skies will be some AFL action on the third oval at Fish Park – this oval is in very good condition considering the rains of recent weeks. The summer months saw the field reshaped with a healthy fill of sand and a new hardy turf laid to improve its past surface – all looks good and has saved the Roos in recent weeks. So a 14’s div 1 game of Roo v Roo we will witness at 6.15pm, this game will test the bounding capabilities of these green and gold teams. To date Green have won both starts and the Golden Roo needs the four points to stay on the positive side of the ledger – I’m sure Maroochydore will win this one! Following a 16’s game of Roos v Nambour & Hint Blues is featured this will be better viewing than those other Blues and Pies this evening so get down to Fish Park. The Blues of Nambour & Hint will be most buoyed by their start to season 2011 with a first up win over a Tigers of Noosa outfit – much interest in this game.
Friday night action is also out at the Jungle, with 14’s games of division two followed by one. In the div two we have a great cooperation effort by Glasshouse Hinterland Lions and Caloundra Panthers to structure up a team that will give all their players of both clubs full game time each round, both clubs having 28 or more 14’s players each. So after a horror start for the “combo’s” last week – who has a name for them – the BIG Cats, the WILD Cats, the Southern Cats??? So they will be as keen as mustard to get back together this round, get some team work and passion happening and look for a positive result – I bet they will receive plenty of support. Support coming from their other 14’s mates whom after being friends for game one will go to combat in game two.
So six games at three venues on Friday night then flows into seventeen games at five venues come Sunday. Some late Friday fixture rescheduling and phone tennis has seen the Coolum State High Schools fields shut on us and a need to get the Breakers to other venues – a separate website story will round that out. All fields of play are going to be heavy and all are asked to respect the venues of play they visit, we have other varied stakeholders who manage venues that we need to keep happy – please follow host club directions.
So play has Kawana Park’s Nest and Glasshouse Hinterland’s Jungle backing up with another 4 and 3 games respectively on Sunday – this will make for a big weekend for key volunteers at these clubs as they burn the midnight hour. In both cases, both clubs are hosting other clubs “home” matches due to our venue difficulties. I hear the Lions are also turning sausages at Caloundra Bunnings on Saturday (give ‘em a visit) – canteen staff will be over cooking come Sunday.
Noosa Tigers host Bribie Island at Weyba Rd and for the Bulldogs they will be looking to kick start their season with some winning footy – close in many first up encounters. Probably all about the coast wishing to welcome those Bulldogs in a warming way but still gather the chocolates at game’s end. Two ovals in use at Weyba Road but no doubt after three senior games on Saturday the main field will be a hard slog. Those Bullies will be looking to get back to their kennel the following week on a firm sandy base after three road trips and certainly some heavy Sunshine (yeah right who called our region that?) Coast fields.
North Shore has their three teams at home, participation numbers are continuing to come together at the runway so get behind the Jets and get your season of Junior AFL action flying. The 16’s game will be a welcome match for these Jets as they dip back into division two after a few weeks slipstreaming in higher skies. Gympie Cats 16’s were strong last week with a solid win over Coolum Beach after I feel a poor first up show of round one – these Cats are good committed unit and last week’s footy is what they are capable of against a competent Breakers unit. This 16’s game is a highlight game of the weekend and I look forward to hearing of the matches wash up come Monday.
Caloundra’s North Street is in very good condition based on the video footage of last week’s Junior’s “match of the round” in Caloundra Panthers v Maroochydore Green Roo’s 14’s tussle. If you haven’t checked it out find the AFL Sunshine Coast Juniors Facebook site and view this game – a cracker! So North Street is one of our firm at feet grounds and for visitors of Noosa Red Tigers in 12’s div 2, Maroochydore Golden Roo’s in 12’s div 1 and Noosa Blue Tigers in 16’s some great footy will be played.
A “small” but committed band of “pondering groupies” have hassled this masked scribe as to the whereabouts of ponderings round 2 – it didn’t get off the ground (stuck in the mud I say), time didn’t permit. Hopefully as things settle down we can get a little more informative as to what, where, when and how things are happening through our great junior game across the Sunshine Coast. If you have some gossip or positive info please feel free to direct it to the juniors giving our masked scribe fuel to fire upon! Until next time enjoy your footy rain, rain or more rain!
Last Modified on 28/04/2011 12:29