Magpies on Media Street - Tim McEvoy or Chris Judd?

Andrew Wiles from AFLQ was running a live blog on the match of the Round encounter between the Western Magpies and Morningside Panthers, starting off with this pearler of an observation regarding one Magpie veteran.

“McEvoy has more tape on him than Chris Judd. Would hate to see that bill at the end of every season .” 

Other comments to come from the live blog included these observations of the Magpie outfit and their hard fought win:

“The Magpies out worked them at the contest all afternoon, got numbers at the footy, and didn't allow the Panthers to get their link up game going today.”  

“ The Magpies will quickly turn their attention to next week. Another huge clash with Labrador away from home, and you better believe they are a huge chance” 

In the AFLQ Sunday Wrap the following was the final verdict from a great day of footy:

Dear Western Magpies, welcome to the big time.

There was still a sense of unknown about the boys from Chelmer heading into yesterday.

Are they good enough to match it with the top two? Will their contested style of play stack up against offensively damaging teams? Will their younger players handle the pressure of the big stage?

The answer to all three is yes.

They signaled their intentions from the outset.

They attacked Morningside around the ball, they put extra numbers around the footy, they didn’t allow the Panthers any time through the middle, and they looked to take the game on out wide.

They kicked the first four of the game before McNeice steadied for Morningside.

It was all about accuracy early. The Magpies didn’t miss all quarter, whereas the Panthers struggled to capitalise on their forward 50 entries.

At quarter time, the Magpies were 11-points up.

The first ten minutes of the second was all Morningside. They were finally able to attack with the ball in hand, instead of being pushed sideways and backwards.

When O’Donnell drained one from a set shot seven minutes into the quarter, they were in front for the first time all day.

It was a line in the sand moment for the Magpies. The challenge was thrown at them, and they responded.

They locked down on Morningside’s run and carry, and were then able to get out of the back of Morningside’s back six, and capitalise on the scoreboard.

Goals to Dickfos, Pope and Ielasi in the backend of the quarter gave them a 20-point half time lead.

The third quarter was one big rolling maul. They say stoppages breed stoppages, and that was certainly the case as both teams played a lot of numbers around the footy.

Morningside won the quarter two goals to one, putting them within 16-points at the final break, but it was going to take an almighty effort to change the game from there.

When push comes to shove, and the game is on the line, you want your leaders to stand up.

Stand up co-captain Lachie Woods did. He kicked three big last quarter goals to not only give the Magpies the four points, but do it in emphatic style.

Oh, and there was also this bloke called Luke Scott who got moved behind the ball late in the game to take a couple of crucial intercept marks.

When the siren rang, it was the Magpies who were 20-points up, throwing them into premiership calculations.

Reserves fall short after second half fade-out

The Western Magpies Reserves had a disappointing loss to Morningside on Saturday. The Pies fielded their strongest team for the year and were looking to cause a major upset at the 10 minute mark of the third quarter when they levelled the scores at  6-3-39 each and had several opportunities to take the lead.

From then on it was all Morningside as the home team booted 11 unanswered goals across the back end of the 3rd quarter and the start of the final quarter to take a 58 point lead before the Pies kicked two late goals to end the match.

The Pies had been on top for the majority of the second quarter and early in the third before inexplicably losing their way. In fact the Pies probably had more inside 50s than the Panthers for the match but the home side were able to capitalise on turnovers to score quite a few easy goals and were deadly accurate in front of goal finishing the match with 17.4

The Magpies lost the midfield battles in the second half which was telling in the final result.  

Captain Matt Hockley led from the front with 6 goals to have 21 goals for the year to be second on the goalkicking table.

Sean McEvoy at full back did everything he could to stem to flow while Riley Easton was busy in midfield with several great chases and tackles which resulted in turnovers.

Bryce Crossley was busy as usual and James Page in his first year of AFL had his best game for the Pies on half back.  Young Monty Vine battled hard in ruck and gave a contest around the ground.

Coach Quentin Johnson was disappointed with the second half as his side lost focus and also lost their structure which resulted in easy Morningside goals.

Positives were the efforts given by McEvoy, Easton and Crossley after being left out of the Seniors this week and the successful return from injury of half back Sean Mewing.

Morningside Panthers 3.2 - 20 | 6.3 - 39 | 12.4 - 76 | 17.4 - 106

defeated

Western Magpies 1.0 - 6 | 5.2 - 32 | 6.3 - 39 | 8.8 - 56

Best: M.Hockley, S.McEvoy, R.Easton, B.Crossley, J.Page, M.Vine

Goals: M.Hockley 6, H.Heath, J.Workman 1

PIES THE REAL DEAL WITH WIN OVER PANTHERS

The Magpies have stamped themselves as genuine premiership contenders with a hard fought and gritty win over perennial QAFL powerhouse and 2014 Undefeated Premiers Morningside on Saturday at Jack Esplen Oval.

The Pies kicked the first 4 goals of the match and then saw a Panther fightback late in the first quarter and into the second, with the Panthers pinching the lead leading up to half time, however a composed Magpie outfit created three late goals to create a well earnt 20 point half time lead.  A rejuvenated Val Pope, returning from two weeks away due to work was the brilliant architect of two of these goals before Tom Ielasi kicked truely after the half time siren as a result of strong tackle and great pressure from the Magpie outfit.

The Magpies self-belief and hardness at the contest enabled them to answer all the challenges the Panthers threw at them in the second half as they went on to a 20 point victory, winning 12-7-79 to 8-11-59. 

The Panthers had given Magpie supporters jitters as they closed to 7 points near time on in the last quarter before Woods second and third goals sealed a well deserved victory. 

In a tough, hard fought match with a lot of contested football the Pies were able to out muscle the Panthers. The Pies had over 60 tackles for the match and this was epitomised by Richard Wenham who laid 20 tackles on his own to be the Pies best player. Wenham also won his share of the football to be a strong rebounding defender, especially in the third quarter when the home side pressed hard to get back in the match.

Another hero for the Pies was co-captain Lachlan Woods, who suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter that looked like ending his day. However, with CHF Tom Michael out of action with an ankle injury, Woods  returned to the fray in the last quarter and with virtually only one serviceable arm played deep forward and booted three telling last quarter goals, the last sealing the victory. 

However the cost of the victory is that both Woods and Michael will miss several matches due to injury.

Val Pope was superb with his clean ball handling and never wasted a possession whether on ball or up forward, Luke Scott controlled across half back with support from Doug Lawrence, who shut down key forward Kent Abey, a player who has caused the Pies some heartache in the past.  

Tim McEvoy enjoyed another fine match working hard behind the ball and directing traffic and Sunday “Sunny” Aneet was a busy player providing plenty of run and carry from a wing. 

Whilst not always playing in the same competition, this was the first win against Morningside by a Magpie outfit hailing from Chelmer since 1987.

The Magpies now have seven wins in a row to sit equal second on the QAFL ladder and will have further confidence of ending top team Labrador's undefeated run on the Gold Coast next Sunday.

Glenn Humphrey – Western Magpies

“At the contest, we held our positions really well and didn’t get drawn into the contest and didn’t allow them to get that handball over the top.

“Every time we got it out, we were able to take them apart, and that was one of our aim’s going in, to get it out of the middle of the ground where they liked to play.      

“Everyone played their role during the game and that was the most pleasing part.”

Western Magpies         5.0 - 30 | 8.4 - 52 | 9.7 - 61 | 12.7 - 79

defeated

Morningside Panthers  2.7 - 19 | 4.8 - 32 | 6.9 - 45 | 8.11 - 59

Best: R.Wenham, D.Lawrence, V.Pope, L.Scott, M.Aneet, T.McEvoy

Goals: A.Dickfos, L.Woods 3, V.Pope 2, S.Copland, J.Williams, L.Scott, T.Ielasi 1

KEY INCLUSIONS FOR TOP 3 CLASH

The third placed Western Magpies will be strengthened by the return of four key players for their important clash with second-placed Morningside Panthers at Hawthorne on Saturday.

Co-captains and hard nuts Lachlan Woods and Callum Carseldine return to the midfield after injury, the versatile Val Pope returns to the forward line after missing a couple of matches through work and Sunny Aneet comes back onto a wing after missing last week due to family commitments.

The unlucky outs are Sean McEvoy, Bryce Crossley, Jae Humphrey and Riley Easton. They have all been good players in recent matches but have been squeezed out and it shows the depth of the Pies this season. McEvoy is a victim of too many talls in defence as Luke Scott moves back to a familiar role and Richard Wenham takes one of the Morningside small forwards.

The Magpies were unlucky not to upset the Panthers in round one and most pundits were wondering if this was a false dawn for the Pies and they just happened to catch the 2014 undefeated Premiers off-guard. A shellacking from flag favourites Labrador a week later had the doubters in full song but since then the Pies have won 6 in a row and have gone from strength to strength. This Saturday provides the first of three tests of the Magpies' premiership credentials as they play undefeated Labrador and fourth placed Wilston-Grange in the following weeks.

The Pies defence has been miserly for all but one match this season with Matt Davis arguably leading the B & F voting at this stage and Doug Lawrence at CHB has played well in all matches and shows maturity in the role. Chris Hunt moves to fullback and Luke Scott to half back adding to the versatility and rebound of the back line. Luke Mitchell has done well on the opposition smalls and also provides run from defence.

Brady Allen in a new role on a wing has developed the fitness and consistency to be a key player and was rewarded with this week's QAFL Rising Star award.

Tom Ielasi is playing the best football of his career, applying plenty of forward pressure and winning plenty of midfield possessions. Tim McEvoy has been solid all year and was back to his best last week.

Full forward Alex Dickfos was underdone in the first clash with the Panthers and with 18 goals in the past 3 matches will pose a new threat to the Panthers and Tom Michael, who did not play in round one, also adds strength to the Pies forward half.

With Drew Mitchell and Ben Jaenke-Cain both in fine form and the return of Carseldine, Woods and Pope to the midfield, the Pies will look to more than match the home side in the onball division. Hayden Thick and Dom Beer are forming a formidable ruck duo and the Pies look a much better outfit than in round one.

The Magpies will be full of confidence going into the clash and will look forward to more than matching it with one of the QAFL powerhouses. A win in this clash will establish the Pies as a genuine premiership contender. 

Western Magpies vs Morningside Panthers at Hawthorne, Saturday June 27 @ 2pm

B: Richard Wenham - Chris Hunt - Luke Mitchell

HB: Matt Davis - Doug Lawrence - Luke Scott

C: Brady Allen - Ben Jeanke-Cain - Majok Aneet

HF: Val Pope - Tom Michael (R) - Sam Copland

F: Tom Ielasi - Alex Dickfos - Jak Williams (R)

Foll: Dom Beer - Drew Mitchell - Callum Carseldine (C)

Int: Lachland Woods (C) - Hayden Thick - Brodie Easton - Tim McEvoy

Reserves out to upset Panthers

The Western Magpies Reserves will be keen to cause a major upset when they play second placed Morningside on Saturday.

The Pies have renewed confidence after finally cracking it for a win last week after several near misses in recent matches.

In addition, the side will be boosted by the inclusion of the four players unluckily omitted from the Senior team in Sean McEvoy, Jae Humphrey, Bryce Crossley and Riley Easton. McEvoy will strengthen the back line, Crossley and Humphrey will add some class to the midfield and Easton provides another forward option to complement Jake Fuentes and Matt Hockley . 

Experienced players in Jadan Morton and Gabe McKinnon were key players in the victory last week and youngsters Matt Mazarolle, Joel Workman and Ben Hooper were also leading players for the Pies. Workman has worked hard on his disposal in recent weeks and played his best match for the year last week to push for Senior selection and Hooper is also in the Senior mix.

This week may see the Magpies have a full complement of senior players for the first time this season and while the Panthers will be formidable opponents, the Pies are confident of an upset.  

Magpies on Media Street - Brady Allen the Rising Star & Brotherly Love

A few more Magpies were taking a stroll down 'media street' this week, with Brady Allen nominated at the Round 9 Rising Star and a band of brothers in the limelight.

Round 9 Rising Star - Brady Allen

Brady Allen has a new role to play in the Western Magpies lineup this year, and the round 9 Rising Star nominee is thriving in it.

A pre-season move now sees Allen directing traffic from the half back line, instead of running into it as a forward.

“I’ve played a lot of my career as a forward, but this year I have been playing a bit down back and on the wing, and I suppose at the moment I’m currently a lot more comfortable,” Allen said.

“Hump (Glenn Humphrey) just thought he would give it a try and it’s worked so far so we are sticking with it. I do like running with the ball more rather than leading up at it as a forward.”

He earned the nomination after a commanding performance in the Magpies’ win over UQ on Saturday.

To put it simply, he had it on a string.

“Yeah it wasn’t too bad. I guess I gradually worked into it, I don’t think I started to well but gradually worked into it,” he said.

“The way that the team worked on the weekend was great, I just happened to be the one on the end of it getting a lot of the footy.”

Allen’s 2015 season, his forth at senior level, is building nicely, priming himself for a finals assault if the Magpies continue their good form.

“It is progressing a lot better than I originally thought. I started off in the two’s, playing a couple of games with them, but I’m working towards playing consistent senior football,” he said.

The Magpies made it six on the trot on the weekend, but Allen is well aware of the task they face in the next three weeks, coming up against the other top four teams.

“It’s been a good result so far, we would just like to consolidate our spot on the ladder and knock off the two above us in the next two weeks.,” Allen said.

“It is certainly going to be a really hard game. It’s going to be very physically taxing, there will be a lot of running, but it should be a good contest.”

He is very keen to continue his good form when it matters.

“You always want to perform against the best teams and the best players, so now it’s time to stand up,” he said.

(Credit Andrew Wiles AFLQ)

Tuesday Talking Points - Call out to your brother!

It was a family affair for the Western Magpies senior team in their game against UQ on the weekend. Remarkably, they had three sets of brothers playing in the one game. Brodie and Riley Easton, Luke and Drew Mitchell and Sean and Tim McEvoy ran out together in the black and white at 2pm on Saturday, and before you ask, there was no sibling arguments, no fighting, instead all working together to get the four-points.

(Credit Andrew Wiles AFLQ)

Buying or Selling Real Estate?

The Western Magpies, Sherwood Juniors and Woodsmen are all proud to be in long term partnership with Place Graceville for Seasons 2015, 2016 and 2017.

As one of our major sponsors, Place Graceville have signed on for a 3 season deal and are a major contributor to the club, both financially and also providing much needed match day support via supply of marquees and other assistance around the club.

As part of this fantastic deal, every time a member of the Magpies footy community chooses to list their home with Place, or has Place manage their investment property (or refers a friend to do so) then Place will provide further financial support to the club.

So remember to support those who support your club, and always recommend the fantastic team at Place Graceville when you're talking real estate!

Magpies Reserves open their account

The Western Magpies Reserves broke through for a well deserved win when they overcame UQ by 2 points on Saturday, winning an exciting contest 9-9-63 to 8-13-61 to open their account for 2015.

Constant improvement throughout the season meant the Magpies knew they would be in the game against the 4th placed UQ side and there was never much separating the sides throughout the day, with the lead changing several times in the second half. The Pies hit the front half way through the final quarter, let the lead slip, then fought back with a late goal before hanging on for a nervous final few minutes.

The Pies again showed their strong form and improvement from the rest of the season, but this time were much more consistent across the four quarters, eliminating the costly lapses from previous outings that have often been the deciding factor in some close losses.

Young defender Matt Mazarolle showed good maturity especially in the tight finish to be best on ground for the Magpies. The return of Gabe McKinnon and Hunter Heath was vital to the victory and Joel Workman and Kiran Verma (backing up from the Woodsmen) worked hard all over the ground to be good players.

Jaden Morton in ruck and at CHB was strong with timely marks and possessions and young small forward Jake Fuentes used his pace to advantage to kick 3 goals. 

Coach Quentin Johnson was understandable pleased and believes now his team has broken through for their first victory and managed to minimise the lapses in concentration, that several more victories in the second half of the season will be the reward.

Western Magpies 2.3 - 15 | 4.4 - 28 | 6.5 - 41 | 9.9 - 63

defeated

UQ Red Lions 3.4 - 22 | 4.7 - 31 | 6.11 - 47 | 8.13 - 61

Best: M.Mazerolle, H.Heath, J.Workmand, G.McKinnon, K.Verma, J.Morton

Goals: J.Fuentes 3, M.Hockley 2,  K.Verma, J.Workman, A.Spasovski, J.Morton 1

PIES MAKE IT 6 IN A ROW

The Western Magpies prevailed in a tough battle with UQ on Saturday, celebrating the clubs 'Black & White Night' with their 6th win on the trot and consolidating 3rd spot on the ladder after grinding out a tough 61 point victory over the UQ Red Lions at St Lucia on Saturday.

A Magpie outfit featuring no less than 3 sets of brothers in the lineup, managed to weather the storm after UQ came out firing with a ferocious attack on the footy, as they hunted a potentially vulnerable Magpie outfit.  UQ dominated the early inside 50's, but were held at bay by strong defensive efforts from the Magpie back six.

Once the onslaught slowed, the Magpies started to get on top mid way through the second quarter with three quick goals, including 2 long range efforts from in form half-back, Matt Davis.  This generated some breathing space at half time with a 27 point lead, which was gradually extended with some inaccurate kicking until the final siren, with the conversion rate robbing the side of a larger winning margin.

The half back like of Chris Hunt, Doug Lawrence and Matt Davis were a superb defensive wall, and with Luke Mitchell chiming in for some telling contests from the back pocket, the defensive unit repelled the early UQ attacks before the midfield rotations of Tom Ielasi, Ben Jeanke-Cain, Drew Mitchell, Richard Wenham and Tim McEvoy started to get on top to give the Pies more possession, and driving the footy goalward.

Ielasi and McEvoy both enjoyed their best games for the year, with strong attacks on the contested ball, while Brady Allen was also in good form through defence and in the midfield.

The backline had a great day as a unit, restricting the opposition to just 5 goals for the afternoon.  In the end, the Red Lions side had no answer to the Magpie 'Band of Brothers' - with Sean & Tim McEvoy, Drew & Luke Mitchell, Brodie & Riley Easton all playing their role.

Up forward, Alex Dickfos added a further 5 goals to his season tally, now reaching 27 for the season including 18 in his last 3 outings, but will need to keep his radar on in coming weeks.

The Magpies now face 3 crucial matches in a row, starting next week with second placed Morningside where the boys will be keen to go 1 goal better than the 2 point loss in Round 1.  Following this, the Pies will get a further stern test of their premiership credentials as they meet ladder leaders Labrador and 4th placed Wilston Grange.

Coach Glenn Humphrey:

Things went really well for us today.

“It was very tight, they got a lot of numbers around the football but our blokes just stuck with their task and started to open it up.”

“Our bigger bodies got them in the end. Our midfield went really well today.

“The litmus test is over the next couple of weeks now. We have Morningside, Labrador and then Wilston Grange. We will know exactly where we are at.”

Western Magpies 2.2 - 14 | 7.9 - 51 | 11.13 - 79 | 14.17 - 101

defeated

UQ Red Lions 0.4 - 4 | 3.6 - 24 | 3.8 - 26 | 5.10 -40

Best: T.Ielasi, B.Allen, M.Davis, D.Lawrence, R.Wenham, C.Hunt

Goals: A.Dickfos 5, M.Davis 2, B.Allen, T.McEvoy, B.Easton, S.Copland, T.Michael, T.Ielasi, D.Mitchell 1

Band of Brothers

Left to Right: Sean McEvoy, Tim McEvoy, Brodie Easton, Riley Easton, Luke Mitchell, Drew Mitchell

Maricic stars in QLD U/18's Win

Western Magpies winger Aaron Maricic justified his recall to the Queensland U/18 side with a starring role in QLD's upset victory over TAC Cup Powerhouse the Calder Cannons in Melbourne.  This followed the QLD Victory at Redland the week prior ove rhte 2014 TAC Cup Premiers - Oakleigh Chargers.

Maricic was used in an unaccustomed role in the back pocket for the QLD side, but adapted well to be a key player. 

He will be a key player for the Magpies in the latter half of the season upon his return, with his speed, run and carry through the midfield playing a crucial role on the Pies charge to the 2015 finals.

Reserves strengthened for UQ clash

The Western Magpies Reserves welcome back consistent defender Gabe McKinnon, small forward Jake Fuentes and utility Hunter Heath for their clash with UQ on Saturday.

The Pies went oh so close to their first victory last week when down by 2 points in a seesawing tussle with Sandgate.

The team is still a young team and typical of young teams  concentration lapses do occur and these have proved costly for the Pies in recent matches.

The Pies do lose Brodie Easton the first grade and he has been a consistent performer this season.

The experienced Matt Hockley has been in good form up forward and with Fuentes beside him in a pocket the Magpies will have some forward options.

McKinnon has a wealth of first grade experience and will add some spine to the backline and the versatile Ben Hooper is getting better each week as he nears full fitness after an interrupted start to the season.

The improvement of youngsters Nathan Morrow, Grant Jennings and  Matt Mazarolle and the return of Alex Spazovski also bodes well for the Pies as they head toward the latter half of the season

The Pies need to be positive in this match as UQ have also been an inconsistent team this year and the 4 points are certainly up for grabs.

Magpies on Media Street - Riley Easton

Recent Senior Debutant - Riley Easton was in the news this week, getting a mention in the Tuesday Talking Points from AFLQ

"GO ON, SON!"

Riley Easton may have looked a bit like an Auskicker when he ran out for the Western Magpies in the QAFL on Saturday, but he played like a seasoned veteran.  The 16 year old, who would be lucky to weigh 55kg ringing wet, put his body on the line time and time again, and was then able to hurt the Sandgate Hawks with his run and carry.  When he got on the end of one for a goal in the third quarter, he was mobbed by 17 teammates who came from everywhere to get around him. He is going to be a star of the competition in the future.

This week vs UQ, Riley is joined by his brother in the Senior lineup in a proud day for the Easton family.  This also creates a great weekend of family footy at the Nest, with the Magpies Senior lineup remarkably being represented by 3 sets of brothers in the Eastons, McEvoys and Mitchells!

SCOTT TO SKIPPER PIES VS UQ

The Western Magpies will be without their two Co-captains on Saturday when they take on the last placed UQ at University Oval No 7 on Saturday.  Luke Scott will captain the Pies for the first time in the absence of Lachlan Woods (ankle) and Callum Carseldine (hip).

Coming into the side will be Brodie Easton after good Reserves form to join his younger brother Riley in a proud moment for the Easton family.

Other changes are the inclusion of small forward Jak Williams after missing last week due to illness to the forward pocket to replace Matt Thompson (ankle) and Brady Allen has recovered from a tonsillitis to replace Majok "Sonny" Aneet (unavailable).

The Pies will be wary of an ambush after they suffered an upset loss in 2014, however the contrast between the 2014 encounter and this year should hopefully see the Pies continue their 2015 winning form.

Last year the Pies were struggling and had just dropped out of finals contention, while in 2015 the Pies go into the clash having won five matches on the trot and are sitting in third position with a game in hand. As a result confidence is high and they are playing a positive and attacking brand of football.

With Carseldine and Woods out of the midfield rotations the Pies will rely on Drew Mitchell, playing his best football for the Pies, the consistent Tom Ielasi and the experienced Tim McEvoy as well as speedster Richard Wenham to take up the slack. 

Ben Jaenke-Cain was back to his consistent best last week and the versatile Luke Scott can be used as a swing-man on ball, up forward or in defence as needed. 

With ruck duo Hayden Thick and Dom Beer both in fine form the Pies expect to have plenty of midfield football to enable them to kick a winning score.

The key forwards of Alex Dickfos and Tom Michael booted 10 goals between them last week and both were not in the side in 2014 so will be difficult match ups for the UQ defenders. Teenager Sam Copland gets better with each match and plays taller than he looks to provide another marking option up forward for the Pies 

The half back line of Doug Lawrence, Chris Hunt and Matt Davis has been exceptional this year and will be pivotal in blocking off UQ attacks and initiating Pies counter attacks. Unsung Sean McEvoy just keeps on keeping on in the last line of defence and Bryce Crossley had leather poisoning last week from the back pocket after getting a reprieve when called back into the side due to late withdrawals last week.

The Magpies will be warm favourites to win and consolidate third position on the ladder and will be in no mood to show UQ any leniency on Saturday.

The Pies will be keen to celebrate a victory at their "Black and White Night" on Saturday evening, details can be found here if you wish to attend a great night on the footy calendar!

Western Magpies vs UQ Red Lions - Oval 7, St Lucia, Saturday June 20 - 2pm

B: Bryce Crossley - Sean McEvoy - Luke Mitchell

HB: Matt Davis - Doug Lawrence - Chris Hunt

C: Brady Allen - Ben Jeanke-Cain - Brodie Easton

HF: Luke Scott (C) - Tom Michael (R) - Cam Copland

F: Riley Easton - Alex Dickfos - Jak Williams (R)

Foll: Dom Beer - Drew Mitchell - Tom Ielasi

Int: Richard Wenham - Hayden Thick - Jae Humphrey - Tim McEvoy

Chelmer Lights Upgrade Drives Growth

The recent lights upgrade at Powenyenna Oval at Chelmer, home of the Western Magpies has given the club a great boost, not only seeing the return of club affiliate the Woodsmen, but now also providing an opportunity for the U/17's to play Friday night footy and the option to host QAFL matches at night.

This is great news for the Sherwood Juniors, Western Magpies and Woodsmen as it also allows improved training standards, as well as the ability to host night football. 

Due to safety concerns, the Woodsmen were not permitted to play night football in their undefeated 2014 Premiership season, and also early in the 2015 season.  Thanks to the lighting upgrade, they have now been permitted to return home and have enjoyed an undefeated run at home under lights this year.

The lighting upgrade has resulted in a brightness reading well in excess of AFL requirements of an average of 100 lux.

The average reading is now 150 lux and the highest reading at CHF at the scoreboard end is 273 lux.  Before the upgrade the average reading was  just 93 - good enough for training but not for games. The extra brightness also assist players at training to enable them to prepare for matches  in the best possible conditions.

The upgrade was made possible by funding  from a Queensland Sport and Recreation Grant and the submission was prepared by club President Chris Dennis. 

AFLQ supported the submission and the works were completed by BRL Electrical.  the club thanks Wade and Adam from BRL Electrical for their great work and their support to the club as a 2015 Sponsor to keep the costs of the upgrade down.

DICKFOS KICKS 7 AS PIES WIN COMFORTABLY

Full forward Alex Dickfos kicked 7 goals to lead the Western Magpies to a comprehensive 59 point victory over Sandgate at Chelmer on Saturday. It was the Pies fifth straight victory for the year. The victory sees the Pies move to third place on the ladder on percentage from Wilston Grange 

The Pies blew the game apart with a dominant third quarter after a tight and scrappy first half after leading by only 5 points at halftime.

The Pies took control in the second half to boot 8 goals to 2 in the third quarter and a further  5 goals to 2 in the last quarter to have a 13 goal to 4 goal second half.

The first half was a tough but scrappy affair with Sandgate's midfield playing behind the ball and bottling up the Magpies forward half. The Pies found it hard to hit targets amid the congestion but dominated the inside 50s in the first half without adding scoreboard pressure.

A five minute 3 goal burst at the start of the third quarter saw the Pies break the game open and further dominance in the third term had the Pies with a comfortable 40 point buffer at the last break.

Drew Mitchell initiated the third quarter onslaught with several clearances in his best game this year and with Luke Scott and Tom Michael dangerous across half forward and big full forward Alex Dickfos in great touch in front of goal the Magpies asserted their dominance on the scoreboard. 

16 year old small forward Riley Easton in his first game was a busy  player with constant harassment of the Hawks defenders and this resulted in a number of  turnovers and a goal for himself and setting up several other scoring opportunities.

Dickfos finished with 7 goals with long accurate kicking and Michael added 3.

Drew Mitchell and the consistent Ben Jaenke-Cain were constant sources of drive for the home team and thrived on the ruck dominance of Dom Beer and Hayden Thick.

With Thick shouldering more ruck responsibility Beer has actually improved his ruck work when in the middle and they make a formidable ruck combination.

CHB Doug Lawrence  and half back Matt Davis continued their consistent good form to stifle many Hawk attacks. Luke Mitchell mopped up well in defence and Luke Scott bobbed up everywhere and his silky skills were a highlight of the match.

Tom Ielasi also continued his consistent form with a typical workmanlike performance around the ground. 

The Pies had two forced changes to the selected side with Brady Allen and Jak Williams both withdrawing due to illness and Bryce Crossley and Jae Humphrey coming back into the side.

Ankle injuries to Richard Wenham, Sam Copland and Matt Thompson soured the win with Thompson likely to miss several matches--Copland and Wenham returned to the fray and both should recover for next week.

The Pies travel up the road to take on UQ at St Lucia next Saturday and will be well aware the Red Lions upset them last year and will be on guard to prevent a repeat loss. UQ were competitive against undefeated Labrador on Sunday so the Pies need to be wary of an ambush.

Coach Glenn Humphrey's  thoughts-- “I wasn’t happy with our first half at all, I thought we allowed them to dictate how the game was being played.

“The second half we went back to what we know works. We open sides up with our spread and run and carry, and winning contested football.

“Riley is a good kid, and he is only going to get better from here on after his first run, so look out for him in the future.”

Western Magpies 2.3 - 15 | 4.5 - 29 | 12.6 - 78 | 17.9 - 111

defeated

Sandgate Hawks 0.2. - 2 | 3.6 - 24 | 5.8 - 38 | 7.10 - 52

Goals: A.Dickfos 7, T.Michael 3, L.Scott 2, M.Aneet, R.Easton, D.Mitchell, H.Thick, S.Copland 1

Best: D.Mitchell, M.Davis, R.Easton, B.Jaenke-Cain, L.Scott, D.Lawrence

Reserves fall just short in thriller

The Western Magpies Reserves fell 2 points short of their first victory after a see-sawing tussle with Sandgate at Chelmer on Saturday.

The Pies again lamented one poor period that allowed their opponents to take control and then had to fight back to hit the front only to see the game slip away in the last 10 minutes. 

The young Pies conceded 4 late third quarter goals to hold an 8 point defecit at three quarter time before the visitors kicked the first goal of the last quarter to extend the margin to 14 points. The Pies then fought back with 4 goals to take an 11 point lead halfway through the quarter only to see Sandgate kick two late goals to seal a tight victory in a match that could have gone either way.

Coach Quentin Johnson was pleased with his side's endeavour but lamented some poor disposal at crucial moments. However he believes his young charges are improving and the next step is to focus on what they need to do when they don't have the football.

The experienced Matt Hockley was a shining light up forward with 6 goals to keep the Pies in the match. 

Ben Hooper worked hard in midfield then had to retreat to fullback where he continued to play well and youngsters in Under 17 player Kurt Vine on a wing  and his 19 year old brother Monty Vine in ruck both played well. A string of other younger players in 18 year olds  Grant Jennings and Jesse Rigsby-Jones and 17 year old Nathan Morrow  all played their heart out in defence  and 18 year old Brody Easton was strong in midfield. James Page  had his best game to date and another 18 year old in Alex Spasovski was also a good player in his first match this year.

Western Magpies 3.2 - 20 | 4.3 - 27 | 6.4 - 40 | 10.5 - 65

defeated by

Sandgate Hawks 1.6 - 12 | 2.9 - 21 | 6.12 - 48 | 9.13 - 67

Goals: M.Hockley 6, B.Easton, M. Mazerolle, M.Vine, A.Spasovski 1

Best: M.Hockley, M.Vine, G.Jennings, B.Hooper, N.Morrow, B.Easton

Reserves hunt breakthrough win

The Western Magpies Reserves will be looking to breakthrough for their first win of the season when they clash with the ninth placed Sandgate at Chelmer on Saturday.

The team will be bolstered with the return from Senior duties of the consistent Bryce Crossley and Jae Humphrey. Also back in will be Ben Hooper who will slot into the midfield. He played quite a bit of senior football last year but has been hampered by injury this season and has struggled to find some consistency. Hopefully with a few matches in a row he will push for a senior recall.

Jaden Morton will be better for a run last match and his versatility up forward or in ruck is a bonus and with Matt Hockley a class act up forward the Pies will be confidant of cracking the ice. Hockley has been a regular senior player in the past but work commitments limit his training and availability so he is happily bolstering the Reserves outfit.

Youngsters in Joel Workman and Luke DeNys are both quality players but also need to find consistency to enable them to come into further senior selection reckoning and two other young players in Logan Murray  and Grant Jennings are improving each week.

Coach Quentin Johnson will be looking for more consistency from his side as it has been one quarter of lapses that have cost the Pies chances of victory in several matches this year. They have a big chance to sing the club song for the first time this season.

MAGPIES LOOK TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM vs SANDGATE

The fourth placed Western Magpies will be looking to consolidate their place in the top five on the ladder when they host seventh placed Sandgate on Saturday at Chelmer in Round 8 of the QAFL.

The match looms as a danger game for the Pies as the Hawks with a 3-4 record have shown good form this season including a strong win over Palm Beach and will be keen to push towards a finals spot.

A Pies victory will continue recent momentum and consolidate a Top 5 spot coming to the mid point of the season, while a loss for the Hawks could see them drop off the pace for finals contention.

The Magpies also have a game in hand against Wilston Grange so are well positioned for an assault on a top three position and double chance at season's end.   

The Pies have 5 changes to the side that comprehensively defeated Mt Gravatt two weeks ago and despite a week off have Co-captain Lachlan Woods (ankle) and Sean Mewing (back) unable to recover from injuries and the consistent Val Pope out due to work commitments in the UK (good if you can get it!!).

Also out are Jae Humphrey and Bryce Crossley back to the Reserves. Both did all that was asked of them in the past 2 matches but the return of CHF Tom Michael and small forward Jak Williams from Redland, Richard Wenham from injury, young forward Sam Copland after a stint with the Lions Reserves and the promotion of exciting youngster Riley Easton for his first Senior match squeezed them out. 

The loss of Pope is a blow as he has been in outstanding form this season and this may result in the versatile Luke Scott moving into an on-ball and half forward role to compensate. 

The three small forwards in Williams, Easton and Matt Thompson will roll through half forward and may have stints up the ground and the return of strong marking Michael allows Alex Dickfos to move back in front of goal and the long kicking Brady Allen to adopt a roaming role across the midfield and half forward. 

Dickfos played his best game for the year last round with 6 goals as he started to hold his marks and his kicking for goal is usually accurate. Allen's long kicking can break the lines and open up space as well nab a couple of goals for himself.

Hayden Thick has added a new dimension in ruck and with Dom Beer also on top the Pies have enjoyed first use of the footy in most matches this season. 

Callum Carseldine has been a driving force in midfield and has led from the front  all year and will do so again, but in the absence of Lachlan Woods the Pies will look to the in-form Drew Mitchell, the experienced Tim McEvoy and consistent Tom Ielasi and Ben Jaenke-Cain to lift even further to match a solid Sandgate midfield.

The defence has been tough and uncompromising in all matches except one this season with a top line half-back line of the close checking Doug Lawrence, rebounding Chris Hunt and strong marking Matt Davis a springboard for many Pies attacks.

Sean McEvoy has relished his opportunity for an extended chance in the top grade to be a solid performer and cement his place at full-back and Luke Mitchell has developed into a rebounding and tough small defender who has kept opposition small forwards in check. 

The Magpies are touted as favourites in this encounter but coach Glenn Humphrey will remind his side that any lapse will be dangerous as the visiting Sandgate will be up for the match to keep their season alive. 

Western Magpies v Sandgate at Chelmer on Saturday at 2 pm.

B: Richard Wenham, Sean McEvoy, Luke Mitchell 

HB: Matt Davis, Doug Lawrence, Chris Hunt

C:  Brady Allen , Ben Jaenke-Cain,  Majok Aneet

HF: Luke Scott, Tom Michael (R), Sam Copland

F: Matt Thompson, Alex Dickfos, Jak Williams (R)

Foll: Dom Beer, Callum Carseldine (C) , Tom Ielasi

Int: Drew Mitchell, Tim McEvoy, Hayden Thick, Riley Easton

24 Fit - 3 Day Party!

Come & join in the fun in the gym each night Mon - Wed
(15 - 17th June), from 3.30–6.30pm!
FANTASTIC Membership Specials | Giveaways | Massages | Supplement Tasting| Competitions | + LOADS MORE
To find out more call Glenn on 0497 158 099 or email glenn24fit@gmail.com

YOU'RE INVITED!

One of the great nights on the Social Calendar, the 2015 Black & White Night - Saturday June 20, 7pm til late!

Purchase a ticket at the bar for $49 or arrive at the door on the night for $59.