PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIES RETURN TO THE NEST

The Western Magpies return to the nest for the first time this season and face another tough match when they host Broadbeach Cats on Saturday. 

The QAFL season is shaping up as very even with no easy matches, the proof last week when the Pies had the fright of their life before sneaking past a supposedly struggling Sandgate.

The Pies will relish playing at their Chelmer base after their scheduled second round home game had to be transferred due to damage to the ground from recent works on the Telstra Tower.  

The Pies were again forced to make several changes with 3 outs due to injury in ruckman Nick Barling, CHF Liam Dwyer and half forward Jake Heard. Interestingly Barling escaped suspension during the week after being found guilty of striking but given a reprimand by the Tribunal. 

Into the team come Mitch Stallard and Jack Goodall to the half forward line and Doug Lawrence back after a week at Aspley. Stallard has started to find the form he had in 2014 when he showed plenty of class and Goodall showed he can play in the key forward post with 5 goals from CHF last week in the Reserves. Lawrence adds steel to the pies defence and allows Chris Hunt to go back to fullback and releases Luke Scott to the forward line where he can add some firepower.

Richard Wenham will resume in Reserves after missing 2 matches with concussion and Sean Mewing and Brenton Saunders are still recovering from injuries while Tyler Jones holds his place at Redlands. 

Tim McEvoy moves back to the back flank where he played when he won his Bill Peirce Medal for the Pies in 2007 and Lachlan Woods goes to the back pocket and with Hunt and Luke Mitchell, who is in great form, forms a very strong last line of defence. The versatile Jadan Morton moves into the ruck rotation to join Dom Beer who has again been his consistent self.

Callum Carseldine and Gareth Crawford both had good matches last week and will again be the keys with Drew Mitchell to gain the midfield ascendancy. The Pies are down in the stoppage clearance numbers from last year where they dominated the clearances and a lot of work has gone into the stoppage work at training to get the Pies back to where they were last year.

This is a classic 8 point match as a win for the Pies puts them well inside the five and sets a launching pad for the rest of the season.

The Magpies will enjoy a return to their home ground and an expected big Anzac weekend crowd will be keen to see a Pies victory.

The match will be preceded by a small service to commemorate Anzac Day, led by President of Sherwood Indooroopilly RSL, Kevin Alcock.

Western Magpies vs Broadbeach Cats - HOME - Saturday April 23 @ 2pm

B: Luke Mitchell - Chris Hunt - Lachlan Woods (C)

HB: Matt Davis - Doug Lawrence - Tim McEvoy

C: Brady Allen - Callum Carseldine (c) - Aaron Maricic (R)

HF: Mitch Stallard - Jack Goodall (R) - Val Pope

F: David Lewis - Alex Dickfos - Luke Scott

Foll: Dom Beer - Gareth Crawford - Matt Sondergeld (R)

INT: Jadan Morton - Drew Mitchell - Ben Jeanke-Cain - Reece Bridge