COOPERS - MAGPIES 2017 QAFL DRAW A MIXED BAG
Andrew Thomson
The QAFL draw for 2017 has been released and with a nine team competition the Pies will play 16 matches with three byes throughout the year.
The Western Magpies will start their season with only 1 match at their Chelmer home in the first 6 rounds and then finishing the last three matches against QAFL powerhouses in Palm Beach-Currumbin, Labrador and Morningside before a round 18 bye.
The Pies have a home match at Toowoomba when they play Surfers Paradise in a round 6 encounter with the Pies being proactive in moving a home game to promote the club and the game in the Toowoomba region.
The Pies also do not meet Morningside until round 12 then play against the Panthers 5 weeks later in round 17.
The Pies again travel a short distance down the highway to meet old foes Mt Gravatt in the first round and the Pies first home match will be against another close rival in Wilston Grange in round 3. This will be a much awaited clash as the Pies coach for much of 2016, Nathan Clarke, has joined his original club as co-coach. Clarke was highly regarded at the Pies and all at the Pies wish him well as he returns to the club where he started and where his father Barry became a Gorilla and QAFL legend.
2015 and 2016 QAFL Premiers Labrador are the Pies round 4 opponent in an early test of the Pies 2017 credentials.
All the Magpies matches are on Saturdays and all start at 2 pm except the round 9 match at Wilston Grange which is slotted for a 1 pm start and at Toowoomba for a 2.30 pm start.
The Western Magpies draw is below:
Saturday April 22-- Rd 1 v Mt Gravatt at Mt Gravatt at 2 pm
Saturday April 29 - Rd 2 v Sandgate at Sandgate at 2 pm
Saturday May 3 -- Rd 3 v Wilston Grange at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday May 13 --Rd 4 v Labrador at Labrador at 2 pm
Saturday May 20-- Rd 5 --bye
Saturday May 27 --Rd 6 v Surfers Paradise at Toowoomba (home game) at 2.30 pm
Saturday June 3 -- Rd 7 v Broadbeach at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday June 10-- bye--representative football weekend
Saturday June 17-- Rd 8 v Palm Beach-Currumbin at Palm Beach at 2 pm
Saturday June 24 - Rd 9 v Wilston Grange at Stafford at 1 pm
Saturday July 1 -- Rd 10 v Mt Gravatt at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday July 8 -- Rd 11 v Sandgate at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday July 15 -- Rd 12 v Morningside at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday July 22 -- Rd 13 v Broadbeach at Broadbeach at 2 pm
Saturday July 29-- Rd 14 v Surfers Paradise at Surfers at 2 pm
Saturday August 5 --Rd 15 v Palm Beach-Currumbin at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday August 12 --Rd 16 v Labrador at Chelmer at 2 pm
Saturday August 19 --Rd 17 v Morningside at Hawthorne at 2 pm
Saturday August 26 --Rd 18 --bye
Sat-Sun September 2-3 -- Elimination/Qualifying Finals
Sat-Sun September 9-10 -- First/Second Semi Finals
Saturday September 16--Preliminary Final
Saturday September 23-- Grand Final
Saturday September 30-- AFL Grand Final