This Saturday will see the Tradelink Western Magpies take on the toughest assignment in the QAFL when they clash with top of the table Southport Sharks 2pm at the Magpies Chelmer home ground. The Sharks have only been beaten by the NT Thunder in Darwin and have comfortably accounted for all comers outside that.
The Sharks however are not all that comfortable at Chelmer, in last years meetings between the two the Sharks mauled the Magpies at Frankhouser while the Magpies had every opportunity of beating the Sharks at Chelmer but just fell short. The Magpies will enjoy being back at home where they play their best football after their last match at Chelmer against Broadbeach over a month ago.
Coach Jarrod Thorpe will be hoping that his chargers can continue on from where they left off last week in winning the final quarter against Broadbeach. No doubt the Magpies will be looking to use the enclosed suburban playing surface at Chelmer to close the Sharks down and apply pressure all day long.
Everyone in the football world now knows what happens to a Shark if it not permitted to swim.
James Rozynski was the Magpies best last week and he will be fired up to take on the competitions best as he fights with eight other Country of Origin QAFL players aiming to fill six spots in the Queensland Country team.
A number of the Magpies young guns will be out this week including R10 QAFL NAB Rising Star Nominee Conrad Hudghton (State U/18 Duties), Cameron Mitchelhill (injured) and James Pennycuick (suspended) which opens the door of opportunity. Zaine Pringle returns from State U/18 duties and Hayden Thick will play his second game providing a key position/rucking option off the bench.
Making his QAFL debut for the Magpies is former Hervey Bay Junior Conrad Lavey who will play the first game with his brother Greg Lavey nicknamed “Gravy” for the first time since Conrad made his Senior debut for the Hervey Bay Bombers as a 16 year old in 2000. Conrad was nicknamed “Chips” by the Magpies players when he joined his brother at the club in April – good luck “Chips and Gravy”.
The Tradelink Western Magpies Reserves will face Southport in a vital top of the table clash at 11.15am as the Sharks sit comfortably 3 games clear on top of the ladder and the Magpies are second on percentage from Mt Gravatt and Morningside all on 24 Premiership Points. With the Magpies having to face the Sharks 4 times in the home and away season it is vital they beat them in their 2 remaining encounters if they are going to secure a double chance come finals time.
No doubt this would have been a key item in a lengthy team meeting held by Peter McClennan with his players on Wednesday night after training. The Magpies fell just 4 points short of defeating the Sharks in their last meeting but will not have to deal with club captain Darren O’Brien this time around. The Sharks are also no longer undefeated falling to Mt Gravatt by 3 points in Round 9.
The Reserves line up will be bolstered with the return of big American Bryan Dragus after 6 games on the sidelines and Daniel Hope will be better for his impromptu return from injury last week. The medical rooms at Chelmer are still overflowing and Brett McEvoy after a dominating exhibition in his AFL Mackay return for Moranbah last week may get the call up. It appears that club UDM Anthony McDonald is now destined to never pull on a Magpies jumper.
The Westside Asphalt Western Magpies U/18 team will need to bounce back hard against top of the table Mt Gravatt at Dittmer Park at 2pm on Sunday following a severe hiccup losing to Redland at home last week. All things equal after Round 10 only percentage separates the top 3 with Mt Gravatt on top, Labrador second an the Magpies third outlining how vital this match is to the Magpies.
The Magpies have already collected 4 Premiership points from their Round 15 match against Morningside which was played two weeks ago but that will not be included into the ladder calculations until after Round 15. Beating Mt Gravatt will go a long way to securing the young Magpies a top of the table finish.
Go Magpies!
Last Modified on 25/06/2010 10:53
