The Western  Magpies have a tough start to the 2018 QAFL season. The Pies will get a good idea where they sit in the QAFL pecking order with some serious football contests shaping up early in the season.

The Pies only have 2 home matches on the home deck McCarthy Homes Oval out of the first 6 rounds and with two early season byes, the Pies will only feature at home twice in the opening 2 months of the season. The Pies will however enjoy a run of home games through the middle of the season, though don't have the opportunity to rest via a bye late in the year, playing 6 consecutive games leading up to finals.

The Pies play an evening match in Round 6 at Sandgate and a Sunday match hosting Mt Gravatt in Round 12. All other matches are played on Saturday with a 2 pm start.

The Magpies season opener will again, for the third year in a row,  at Mt Gravatt in the Anzac Round this Saturday and the Pies will be looking for a similar start to last season when they had a big win over the Vultures. The first home match will be the following week when 2017 Preliminary finalists Broadbeach visit the new-look McCarthy Homes Oval.

Round 4 will pit the Black and Whites against the 2017 QAFL Premiers and fierce rivals Palm Beach-Currumbin at Palm Beach in an early test of the Magpies 2018 premiership credentials. The Pies had a good practice match win last week over the QAFL Premiers but whether this translates into a win on the coast with 4 points up for grabs remains to be seen.

Mid season will also be a challenge with matches in succession against Labrador and Morningside. The Pies will celebrate Sherwood’s 50th Anniversary of Senior Football (1968-2018) on Saturday June 23rd when they host Morningside in a Round 10 match.

The season comprises 3 byes and there are 19 rounds to fit in an extra bye.