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

BodyKey Chiropractic - Reserves Preview

PIES RESERVES LOOK TO CONSOLIDATE

The Western Magpies Reserves have reshuffled their line-up for their clash with Broadbeach on Saturday. The Pies lose 5 goal CHF Jack Goodall and on baller Mitchell Stallard to the Seniors but welcome back regular senior player Richard Wenham returning from injury.  

Broadbeach are winless this season but have gone down narrowly to Morningside and Mt Gravatt so will be tough opponent for the Pies.

Wenham goes into the centre and Chris Devlin to the ruck rover role so the Pies still have some serious mid-field muscle and with Hunter Heath and Jae Humphrey both in good form last week the Pies midfield looks good. The backline has a mix of experience and youth with Luke DeNys knocking on the door of a Senior debut and Todd Billing playing consistent football with skipper Gabe McKinnon moving to CHB. 

The half forward line is youthful with both Lachie Dennis and Charlie Pershouse adapting well to senior football and Joel Workman starting to gain form after an interrupted start to the season.  The forward line has also been reshuffled with Warwick recruit Trent Walker to full forward after several weeks in the ruck. 

Geoff Gibb is also finding his feet at this level and has improved in each match and Brodie Easton has been the sides leading ball winner in each match this year.

Coach Quentin Johnson has not had a stable team this year but will ask his young forwards to keep presenting as targets and will look to experienced players in McKinnon, Billing, Humphrey and Devlin to provide leadership for the team.

A third victory will set the Pies season up and they will be keen to start well at home. 

Reserves vs Broadbeach at HOME - 1130am, Sat April 23

B: Todd Billing - Sean McEvoy (VC) - Jamie Page

HB: Ricky Dudley - Gabe McKinnon (C) - Luke DeNys

C: Jae Humphrey - Richard Wenham - Hunter Heath

HF: Lachie Dennis - Charlie Pershouse - Joel Workman

F: Stuart Hubbert - Trent Walker - James Gainford

Foll: Geoff Gibb - Chris Devlin - Brodie Easton

Int from: Matt Mazerolle - Jesse Pukallus - Josh Burton - Troy Hartman - Sam Donovan - Michael Hyndman

CFMG Capital - Colts Preview

The Western Magpies Colts will be keen to make it three in a row in front of a twilight home crowd when they take on Caloundra on Saturday evening at Chelmer. 

The Pies depth will be tested with a cloud over the fitness of CHF Jeremy de Rooy and full-back Jesse Rigsby-Jones, both selected but need to pass fitness tests before lining up. 

Captain Dom Misso in the centre and winger Connor Green were good last week and CHB Ryan Vagne controlled the back line. Aaron Highlands in ruck gave the Pies first use of the football which rover Liam Reynolds enjoyed and these two will be again need to give the Pies first use of the football.  

For the first time on our home ground, in the new exciting late afternoon time slot, the young Pies have the perfect opportunity to gauge the improvements made in the first 3 rounds. After copping a mauling in week one of the season, the boys have regrouped and reset the training standards, commitment to the team and worked extremely hard to post victories in the last 2 weeks to sit 7th on the ladder, one spot below this week's opponents.

Caloundra come to the Nest with a reputation as a high scoring outfit and our boys will need to be ferocious in the contest, tight defensively, and work for the full 4 quarters to earn victory.

The squad welcomes Damon Allen from a silly suspension, the silky Phillip Stumer from holidays , and smart and skillful small forward Chae Lawson back into the side as well as having first gamer Tom Roderick make his debut in the Black and White. 

These inclusions will improve the leg speed and foot skills of the side and should make the delivery into the forward line more efficient to give big forwards John Mason and Jeremy DeRooy every chance to shine in front what should be a great crowd. It's a classic must win game, victory will only be achieved through the TEAM 1st principles the club is proud to instil into all the sides, and there is no better feeling than earning a hard fought win in front of your own supporters.  Coach Justin Gore will opt for a mobile forward line if de Rooy is out with the inclusion in smart small forward Chae Lawson a bonus to join another goal sneak in Dom Morrison and John Mason moving to CHF.

The match starts at 4.45 Saturday and the lads need your support, so come on down, enjoy a meal and beverage and watch the boys do battle under the new bright lights at Chelmer in what should be a great game of Colts football.

Magpies Colts vs Caloundra - Sat April 23 HOME @ 4:45pm

B: Thomas Luke - Jesse Rigsby-Jones - Cameron Smith

HB: Kurt Vine - Ryan Vagne - Callum Grant

C: Connor Green - Dom Misso (c) Phil Stumer

HF: Joshua Senescall - John Mason - Billy Johnson

F: Dom Morrison - Jeremy de Rooy - chae Lawson

Foll: Aaron Highlands - Ashley Gore - Liam Reynolds

INT from: Zeleke Fisher - James Gainford - Damon Allen - Patrick Renner - Tom Roderick

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Sci-Fleet Taringa - Colts Review

COLTS MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW

The Western Magpies Colts emulated the two senior Pie teams by winning over Sandgate in a match that never reached great heights under lights on Saturday night. The young Magpies won a contest that much like the Senior game didn't provide a spectacle for the crowd , but showed they can hang tough and win ugly when needed.

In a low scoring contest, short on highlights but full of effort and commitment , the Colts won 8.10-58 to 5.5-35.

Coach Justin Gore said " Not our best performance, but we realise we are a work in progress. The pleasing thing was anytime we were challenged, we stood up and answered with interest. The base of a very good side is here, we just have to keep working on our combinations, set ups and ball movement. The next few weeks will be a challenge, and we are under no illusions we have plenty to work on, but also there is plenty to work with ."

Better players were CHB Ryan Vagne, ruckman Aaron Highlands, midfielder Liam Reynolds, centreman Dom Misso, half forward Dom Morrison and winger/half forward Connor Green. 

Best: R.Vagne, A.Highlands , L.Reynolds, D.Morrison, D.Misso, C.Green
Goals : J.deRooy 2, J.Johnston-Bates, D.Morrison, D.Misso, J.Mason, J.Rigsby-Jones, R.Vagne.

The Colts next play Caloundra at Chelmer on Saturday night straight after the First grade match. Caloundra have won their 2 matches to date but the relative strengths of teams in the 19 team Colts competition is yet to be determined.  

The Pies have a chance to go 3-1 for an early season confidence booster.

CK Group - Ressies Review

Pies win in tight contest

The Western Magpies Reserves made it 2 out of 3 with a hard fought 21 point victory over Sandgate on Saturday. 

The Pies won 11.9-75 to 7.12-54 in a tight contest with little separating the teams until the Pies hit their straps in the last quarter. 

The Pies dominated possession in the first half but once again poor decision making and missed targets cost them dearly. Coach Quentin Johnson lamented his team's overuse of the ball and called it "pretty football" which broke down often. The Pies were more direct in the last quarter and started to hit their targets and as a result were able to gain a three goal break early in the quarter and hold on for an important win. 

Redlands listed Jack Goodall had a fine game at CHF and finished with a match-winning 5 goals and showed he has the attributes to be a key forward--he has played the majority of his matches for the Pies across half-back. 

Mitchell Stallard gets better with each match and with growing confidence is showing why he is highly regarded at the Pies. 

Ricky Dudley and Jae Humphrey were good in defence and Brodie Easton won plenty of midfield ball. Young ruck man Geoff Gibb stood up as well and improved as the match progressed. 

The Pies had quite a few new players  on show and as they get more used to the team structures can only improve in coming matches.

Magpies 3.3 - 21 | 5.4 - 34 | 7.8 - 50 | 11.9 - 75

defeated

Hawks 1.3 - 9 | 4.5 - 29 | 6.8 - 44 | 7.12 - 54

Best: Goodall, Stallard, Dudley, Gibb, Easton, Humphrey

Goals: Goodall 5, Stallard 2, Dennis, Workman, Pershouse, Mazerolle 1

METIS WEALTH MATCH REVIEW - PIES PREVAIL IN SCRAPPY AFFAIR

The Western Magpies won a scrappy contest when they prevailed in a mistake riddled and tough contest by 9 points at Sandgate on Saturday.

It was a 'Steve Waugh victory' --an ugly win, better than a sparkling loss!

The Pies won 9.8-62 to 7.11-53 in a tight finish.

The Pies now move into 5th place on the ladder with a 2-1 record and face another tough contest at home against Broadbeach next Saturday. 

A tricky cross wind did not help the skill level of either team and Sandgate obviously turned up to play on their big home ground after 2 disappointing losses to start the season. 

The Magpies won plenty of ball early in the first quarter and should have had a 4 goal lead but after 2 early goals squandered numerous chances, which set the tone for the day. 

The Magpies were guilty of overusing the football and again missed targets proved costly and slow ball movement into the forward line resulted in congestion which was the order of the day.

In fact Sandgate missed several shots at goal in the final quarter that could have cost the Pies dearly but they were able to hold on to a valuable win and lock away the 4 points. 

The defence led by Luke Mitchell, Luke Scott and Chris Hunt repelled numerous Hawk attacks and Mitchell in particular was superb in mopping up and made some telling intercept marks and tackles and without his contribution the Pies may not have won the game. 

Callum Carseldine and Gareth Crawford won plenty of contested ball to drive the Pies forward and both also were good as link players when the ball came out of the back line.

Redlands listed Matt Sondergeld had his best game for the Pies with plenty of possessions on the wing and across half forward and he was a busy player all match.

Another Redlands listed player in Liam Dwyer played also played his best match for the Pies at CHF and in the ruck. His was a brave effort as he kept running and presenting all match despite a foot injury suffered in the first quarter. X-rays later confirmed a broken bone in his right foot and he will miss for 6 weeks. 

Ruckman Nick Barling was reported for striking and will be in doubt for the next match, depending on the Tribunal hearing. He played under duress suffering back spasms in the match. 

Senior Coach Glenn Humphrey had this to say:

“It was a scrappy contested football game, where neither side really got any flow going.

“It was a struggle for most of the day. We are happy to win ugly, but if it was any uglier I wouldn’t date it.

“The important thing is we got the four points on the board, and we will take a few things out of the game in terms of structures, some things we didn’t do well, and some things we did.”

The Pies will look forward to playing their first match at home at Chelmer next Saturday against Broadbeach with a 1-2 record. 

Western Magpies 2.1 - 13 | 6.3 - 39 | 8.5 - 53 | 9.8 - 62

defeated

Sandgate Hawks 3.2 - 20 | 5.5 - 35 | 4.7 - 37 | 7.11 - 53

Best: L.Mitchell, C.Carseldine, G.Crawford, M.Sondergeld, L.Scott, C.Hunt

Goals: A.Dickfos, D.Mitchell 2, D.Lewis, G.Crawford, C.Carseldine, V.Pope, B.Allen 1

24 Fit - Colts Preview

Colts look for back to back wins in twilight match

This week the Western Magpies Colts travel to Sandgate to take on the Hawks in a twilight game starting right after the Seniors.

It is  the first of many twilight matches for the squad and we are looking forward to the later start time and and atmosphere created by playing straight after the Seniors sides.

This week the Colts are looking to back up last weeks great rebound win and consolidate a solid start to the season. Coach Justin Gore is looking for the team leaders to continue their strong start to the year, and continued improvement shown by the likes of Callum Grant, Cam Smith, Kurt Vine, and in particular Tommy Luke, who is showing the benefits of a senior pre season and a total commitment to training.

The side will have a reshaped forward line due to some key players missing, but the coaching group are very confident in the depth of talent in the side that the players given the opportunity this week will step up to the challenge.

The mids  have been very good so far, a real strength of the side , but the big open spaces of the Sandgate ground will test the fitness of a few of them and keeping as fresh as possible through rotations is going to be a key.

Coach Gore says" If we can continue to put great pressure on the opposition, and then take them on when we have it , continue the gains made with skill level and ball movement, we know we are very hard to beat . We'll be down a bit on manpower , but these are the games that build a season and really solidify the squad if we can stay the course and earn a great victory"

Round 3 : Sandgate v Western Magpies at Sandgate @ 4.45on Saturday, April 16th

B: Tom Luke  Jesse Rigsby-Jones  Callum Grant

HB: Kurt Vine  Ryan Vagne  Cam Smith

C: Billy Johnson  Dom Misso (c)  Conner Green

HF : Josh Senescall  Dom Morrison  Jaiden Johnston-Bates

F: Zeleke Fisher  Jeremy deRooy  Luke Brown

Ruck: Aaron Highlands  Liam Reynolds

Rover:  Rory Johnson

Int : Ash Gore, James Gainsford ,  John Mason , Chae Lawson.

PLACE PREVIEW - PIES LOOK TO BUILD MOMENTUM

The Western Magpies will look to build on last week's victory when they travel to Sandgate to take on the hawks on Saturday.

The Pies bounced back with a strong victory last week while Sandgate have two losses but have been competitive both weeks.

The match poses a danger game for the Pies and look no further than opponents last week in Wilston Grange for a cautionary tale as the Gorillas, after a big victory over the 2015 Premiers in Round 1, did not bring the same intensity to their clash with the Pies a week later and were well beaten.

The Pies have included versatile big man Jadan Morton into the senior side and he will start at fullback, the position he played in the Pies 2006 premiership. Morton can play at either end of the ground and in ruck and gives the Pies plenty of big man options with his inclusion. Also in are Co-captain Lachlan Woods and centreman Ben Jaenke-Cain, both missing last week due to unavailability, so they will be fresh for the contest. New recruit Brent Staker is still recovering from a hamstring strain and will again miss.

Out are Doug Lawrence for his debut with Aspley after terrific form at CHB for the Pies and all at the Magpies wish Doug all the best on Saturday. Tyler Jones has also been rewarded for his scintillating form last week with a recall to the Redlands team and Brenton Saunders misses after rolling an ankle last week. 

Morton at fullback releases Luke Scott to the back flank where his intercept marks and attacking football is important for the Pies. Chris Hunt to CHB adequately covers for Lawrence and with Matt Davis again in good form the Pies half back line is strong. Reece Bridge was good on debut last week and takes one back pocket with Luke Mitchell continuing his good pre-season form in the other pocket.

Callum Carseldine gave the Pies the midfield  grunt they were missing in round one and with Gareth Crawford finding his feet with a superb Round 2 showing and the return of Woods and Jaenke-Cain the Pies can control the midfield.

Dom Beer, Nick Barling and Liam Dwyer rotating through the ruck should give the Pies first use of the ball from the midfield and around ground..

Up forward Alex Dickfos will rotate between full forward and CHF. He has worked hard but has yet to hit the form of last year but another week of hard work should see him notch up a few goals this week.  Small forwards Jake Heard and Matt Sondergeld were both busy last week with Sondergeld playing his best game for the Pies in last week's good win.

Val Pope was again good last week despite carrying a sore foot but with another week to get better will cause the Sandgate defenders a few headaches. Most sides find him a difficult match up and as a measure of the respect they hold him do much of their planning in how to curtail him--usually without success!

The Pies will be looking to make it 2 from 3 and get their season well and truly on track but will need to be wary of complacency and to be on their guard to thwart a Sandgate ambush.

Western Magpies vs Sandgate Hawks - 2pm Sat April 16 @ Sandgate

B: Luke Mitchell - Jadan Morton - Rhys Bridge

HB: Matt Davis - Chris Hunt - Luke Scott

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

HF: David Lewis - Liam Dwyer (R) - Val Pope

F: Jake Heard - Alex Dickfos - Matt Sondergeld (R)

Foll: Dom Beer - Ben Jeanke-Cain - Drew Mitchell

INT: Tim McEvoy - Nick Barling - Lachlan Woods (C) - Gareth Crawford

BodyKey Chiropractic - Reserves Preview

RESERVES KEEN TO BOUNCE BACK

The Western Magpies Reserves will be looking to bounce back when they takeon the winless Sandgate at Sandgate on Saturday. 

The Pies were disappointing last week but with 10 changes to the side their lack of cohesion was understandable. Sandgate have been competitive in both matches this year and ran Mt Gravatt close last week so the Pies can expect a tough encounter

Coach Quentin Johnson will look to his side to improve in their decision making and disposal as turnovers proved very costly last week.  

The side has some good ins with the return of Jae Humphrey and Joel Workman after both missing the first 2 rounds due to unavailability and both should be raring to go.  Youngster Lachie Dennis returns after playing with the Lions Reserves last week and new player Troy Hartman gets his chance.

Out are the injured Jake Farrell, Sean Mewing and Sam Donovan with skipper Matt Hockley out due to work commitments.

The Pies backline were under the pump last week due to turnovers but the back six look very strong with Todd Billing in good form and Luke DeNys playing consistent football. Add reliable Sean McEvoy and new player Ricky Dudley, who has been good so far, and the Pies will be confident of shutting down the Sandgate forwards.

Up forward Jack Goodall moves to CHF and Charlie Pershouse to FF and both will be key targets for the Pies. Young Pershouse has played well in both matches and looks to have a big future for the Pies.

Young Toowoomba recruit Geoff Gibb in ruck was good last week on debut and midfielder Brodie Easton also had plenty of the ball and will again be key player for the Pies.

Mitch Stallard is slowly regaining the form that made him a Rising Star in 2014 and as he gains more confidence in his body, his skills will come to the fore to give the Pies plenty of midfield drive.

The Magpies will be looking to make it 2 from 3 but will need to be at their best to overcome a solid Hawks outfit on their home ground.

Western Magpies Reserves v Sandgate Hawks - 1130am Sat April 16 @ Sandgate

B: Luke DeNys - Sean McEvoy - Gabe McKinnon

HB: Ricky Dudley - Todd Billing - Jae Humphrey

C: Jamie Page - Chris Devlin - Hunter Heath

HF: Lachie Dennis - Jack Goodall (R) - Jesse Pukallus

F: Stuart Hubbert - Charlie Pershouse - Joel Workman

Foll: Geoff Gibb - Mitchell Stallard - Brodie Easton

INT: Matt Mazerolle - Josh Burton - Troy Hartman - Brent Walker

The Full Swoop - Episode 2

Coopers Community Footy Update - Woodsmen Start 2-0

Western Magpies affiliate the Woodsmen have enjoyed a promising start to their season, winning their opening two away games to get off to the perfect start.

Round 1 saw a new look Woodsmen side take on a strong UQ outfit who came out firing, and had the Woodsmen down by 5 goals in the first half.  As new players learnt on the run, and the established senior players lifted their intensity the Woodsmen fought their way back into the match to end up prevailing by 1 point.

Tim Green was outstanding at centre half back taking close to 20 intercept marks on a slippery night when everyone else was making handling and skill errors.  In the 2nd half, Green managed to keep the Woodsmen camped in their front half as he dominated in the air and continually pumped the ball back inside 50.  Sam Curtis was at his industrious best, winning plenty of ball and applying great pressure while Andrew Thomson playing through the ruck with stints resting forward was solid with 3 first half goals.  Gerard Moore chimed in with 2 second half goals, including a 50m bomb to win the game after tirelessly presenting across half forward despite the poor delivery.

In Round 2, the Woodsmen traveled to Coorparoo to take on a highly fancied Kings outfit featuring many experienced players at QAFL level.  The Woodsmen welcomed back several key players of their own, including Captain Sean Toohey up forward and outstanding defender Matty Prior, eventually running out 10 goal winners after a dominant first half.  The Woodsmen were 'on' from the start of the match, with Sam Curtis playing an incredibly dominant match, racking up in excess of 50 disposals in an eye catching display also noteworthy for his superb defensive play, with some exceptional tackling of much bigger opponents.

Chris Mihalopoulous also played well through the middle, while Kiran Verma had a good night on the wing and newcomer Nick Masters showed his potential in just his 2nd game with an early goal and regular touches across half back and through the wing, showing rapid improvement for a player completely new to the game.

Tim Green was again solid at CHB, and the Woodsmen defence were again back to their stingy ways allowing just 3 goals for the night with Matty Prior's return offering composure and skill execution down back that was missing the week before.

Up front enjoyed a touch of class with the inclusion of Sean Toohey back into the fold in an undersized forward line.  A slightly ill Gerard Moore offered a target, allowing the small forwards plenty of loose ball which they pounced on, an area that was sorely lacking the week before.  Toohey snagged 4 goals in a great return to the side, while Gerard Moore managed 2. The rest were evenly distributed amongst the ground level forwards and midfielders in an improved forward effort.

The Woodsmen take on Morningside at the Nest this Friday night at 7:30pm - get down to cheer the boys on and enjoy a meal and a drink at the club.

Sci Fleet Toyota - Ressies Review

PATCHED UP RESERVES GO DOWN

A patched up Western Magpies Reserves team were easily defeated by Wilston-Grange on Saturday.

The Pies went down 16.17-113 to 10.2 -62.

ThePies had 10 changes to the team that defeated Mt Gravatt last week and found the going tough against a strong and speedy Gorilla outfit.  The side was further affected with the late withdrawal of key forward and ruckman Jadan Morton with illness.

The positives are that witha long list of players missing this week the Pies still had the numbers and depth to field a solid Reserves team and it gave several youngsters an opportunity.  Young new players in ruckman Geoff Gibb, wingers Sam Donovan and Josh Burton and half forward Stewart Hubbert all had good debuts for the Pies, the latter 2 late inclusions to the side.  

In hot conditions at Yeronga, the Pies had the better of the early exchanges but could not convert.  Then when the tables turned a little, several defensive errors resulted in Grange kicking a string of easy goals and they were able to get on top and maintain momentum.

The Pies fought hard but coach Quentin Johnson again lamented skills errors , turnovers under pressure and poor decision making. He sad his side were slow to man up at times and Grange are a good side with good disposal which made the Pies pay for their errors.

Best players were Brodie Easton who won plenty of midfield ball, Gibb in ruck, Hubbert in the forward half (2 goals,including a long bomb from 50 near the boundary line after the three quarter time siren),  another youngster in Charlie Pershouse, who slotted 3 goals, Jesse Pukallus, who was busy all match on ball and Luke De Nys, who played well at both ends of the ground and had clean ball handling skills.

Grange 4.4 - 28 | 7.9 - 51 | 12.11 - 83 | 16.17 - 113

defeated

Magpies 2.0 - 12 | 2.0 - 12 | 6.2 - 38 | 10.2 - 62

Best: B.Easton, J.Pukallus, G.Gibb, S.Hubbert, C.Pershouse, L.DeNys

Goals: C.Pershouse 3, S.Hubbert 2, B.Easton, C.Devlin, L.De Nys, H.Heath, J.Burton 1

Metis Wealth Match Review - Seniors Bounce Back

What a difference a week makes...

The Western Magpies hit back hard after a poor match last week to have a comprehensive victory over the highly regarded Wilston Grange at Yeronga on Saturday.

The Pies were comfortable 41 point victors in the end, winning 13.14-92 to 7.9-51. It was obvious from the first bounce that the Pies were on-song, with renewed vigour at the contest and a much improved work-rate.

The first quarter was an arm wrestle, though the Pies looked stronger without getting the reward their efforts deserved. The second quarter saw the Pies midfield gain control with Callum Carseldine back to his Grogan Medal winning best and Gareth Crawford in and under all game to show why he is a league B & F winner in Victoria.

With the uncompromising defence of 2015 returning, led by Luke Scott, Doug Lawrence, Chris Hunt and Tyler Jones the Pies repelled many Gorilla attacks and led by 21 points at half time. Lawrence was strong in the air and at ground level, Scott was back to his best with brilliant reading of the play and intercept marks and had 10 first quarter possessions when the game was up for grabs and Hunt just does what he does best by shutting down his opponent and then providing run out of the back line. The Pies were hard at the contest all over the ground and won the physical battles in a positive sign for the season ahead. 

The first half saw more direct football from the Pies with half back Tyler Jones playing a great game with long incisive runs and direct and penetrating kicks into the forward line.

Inclusions Brenton Saunders and Jake Heard added pace the the Pies forward line and Saunders was a live wire up forward until he injured his ankle in the third quarter. 

Other inclusions in David Lewis and Reece Bridge (in his first senior game for the club) were both good, with Lewis winning plenty of the ball across half forward and Bridge playing well in a strong defensive unit. 

The third quarter saw the Pies play indirect football and it became a "fumble-a-thon" with dropped marks and poor disposal by both sides, with the saving grace being that Grange were as bad, if not worse, than the Pies.

The Pies led by 20 points at the final change and dominated the last quarter with a 60 metre Nick Barling goal sealing the victory as the Pies went onto an emphatic win which puts their season well and truly back on track.  

Dom Beer was again good in ruck and Drew Mitchell won plenty of the ball, Matt Sondergeld was busy and Alex Dickfos worked hard in the forward line.

Coach Glenn Humphrey was pleased with his team's endeavour, winning the contested ball and clearances, laying ten more tackles and having 20 more inside 50s than Wilston Grange.

The Pies were without Brent Staker and Richard Wenham (both injured) and Lachlan Woods and Ben Jaenke-Cain (both unavailable) and Sean Mewing made his return in the Reserves after recent injury.

Best: Pope, Carseldine, Crawford, Jones, Scott, Davis

Goalkickers and quarter by quarter scores are currently unavailable

24 Fit - Colts Review

MAGPIES COLTS BACK ON TRACK.

After getting a valuable lesson last week, the young Magpies responded in fine fashion against Wilston Grange on Saturday.

The lift in effort, training standards & commitment resulted in an improved performance and resounding win. 

The win was the first for season and the team now knows what is required to earn victory. The Colts are now now 1-1 and have more quality players to become available in coming weeks.

Whilst the win was important, it's the way that the young Pies went about it that the coaches were most impressed with. However Wilston Grange were depleted and it became a 16v16 game, which suited the Pies style of contested and hard running football.

After gaining the advantage through the midfield, it seemed a case of " not again" as key forwards were off target early. The new combination of Jonno Mason and Dom Morrison ( first game for the club) as deep forwards, with big Jeremy deRooy across half forward, and Chae Lawson buzzing around as the small forward, finally started to click, and once the drought was broken, the team went from strength to strength.

Some players were asked to play different roles and Billy Johnson, Conner Green, Ash Gore& Cam Smith all proved that they can play multiple roles, which is great for their development, and all were amongst our best for the day. 

Captain Dom Misso, Jimmy Gainford, Liam Reynolds & Rory Johnson were too strong, quick and classy for the Grange runners and all 4 boys had dominant games. Josh Sensescall slotted a couple of nice goals and despite getting a yellow card, was hard and tough at the contest. The bigger bodied players in Aaron Highlands, Jessie Rigsby-Jones, Zeleke Fisher & Tom Luke all had solid outings, and in what became a bit of a heated gamekept their heads and made the football their focus

 Ryan Vagne,  Kurt Vine & Jaiden Johnston- Bates all put in big efforts to play despite being unwell.

A big plus for the club was the performance of Under 17 Tristan Dowdy, who in his second game of Colts football was composed with  clean hands and got plenty of the ball. He has a bright future indeed.

It will be a sterner test next week, and the young Magpies will have to continue to improve and bring the same level of effort, work rate, and skill to match  Sandgate next Saturday.

Magpies 15.16 - 108 def Wilston Grange 2.5 - 117

Best: Misson, Reynolds, deRooy, Johnson, Dowdy

Goals Mason 5, deRooy 3, Lawson, Senescall 2, Johnson, Reynolds, Grant 1

CFMG Capital - Reserves Preview

The Western Magpies have selected another strong Reserves side this week and will look to win again to consolidate a good start to the year.

Wilston Grange were narrowly defeated by 2015 Premiers Labrador last week while the Pies defeated a spirited Mt Gravatt in a high standard Reserves match. 

The Pies have made several changes from last week's team with Sean Mewing, Blake McClennan, Gabe McKinnon, Jamie Page, Geoff Gibb and Sam Donovan coming into the side after being unavailable or missing out in Round 1.  Jack Goodall also comes down from the Seniors.

Promoted to the Senior side are Rhys Bridge, Chris Hunt and Brenton Saunders while Lachie Dennis is unavailable and young small forward Riley Easton suffered a ruptured ACL in Round 1, joining another youngster Brayden Thomas in having a reconstruction and missing the rest of 2016.  the club wishes both boys well in their recovery.

Round 2 promises to be another high standard game with the Magpies naming a side featuring plenty of players with extensive senior experience and Grange also having a strong list.

Magpies Reserves vs Grange at Yeronga Sat April 9 @ Midday

B: Luke De Nys - Sean McEvoy - Gabe Mckinnon

HB: Ricky Dudley - Todd Billing - Jake Farrell

C: Jamie Page - Chris Devlin - Sean Mewing

HF: Hunter Heath - Jadan Morton - Jack Goodall (R)

F: Charlie Pershouse - Matt Hockley - Jesse Pukallus

Foll: Geoff Gibb - Mitch Stallard - Brodie Easton

I/C: Blake McLennan - Matt Mazerolle - Brent Walker - Sam Donovan

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PLACE PREVIEW - PIES NEED TO BOUNCE BACK VS GORILLAS

The Western Magpies will be looking to bounce back after a lacklustre Round 1 showing when they meet close rivals Wilston Grange at Yeronga on Saturday.

The tale of the two teams in Round 1 could not be more different with the Pies defeated favourites in their match against Mt Gravatt while Wilston Grange caused an upset when they overcame 2015 premiers Labrador.

From all reports Grange were hungrier than Labrador last week and won the contested ball and their pace troubled the Tigers.

The Pies last week looked sluggish with slow and poor ball use making them appear even slower, and coach Glenn Humphrey will have worked at training on decision making and on quicker transition of the football to the forward line.  

The Pies have made a number of changes to the lineup with Chris Hunt coming into a key defensive post, Redlands listed Liam Dwyer into CHF with David Lewis on the flank and speedster Jake Heard and Redlands listed Brenton Saunders to the forward pockets. Reece Bridge comes into the interchange bench after a best on ground showing in the Reserves last week.

Out of the side are be tagging defender Richard Wenham (concussion), young forward Sam Copland (Queensland Under 18s), Co-Captain Lachlan Woods (wedding), centreman Ben Jaenke-Cain (unavailable) and Redlands listed Jack Goodall to the Reserves.

The Pies midfield will be keen to bounce back after a slow start last week and Co-captain Callum Carseldine will be better for the run after an interrupted pre-season while Gareth Crawford will have found his feet in QLD football. The Pies will look to both of these and Drew Mitchell and Tim McEvoy, who was good last week, to provide drive in the absence of Jaenke-Cain and Woods. 

Dom Beer was good in ruck last week but the Pies lost the clearances and will have worked on this during the week. They will need to be on song against the strong Gorilla midfield. Beer will get support from Nick Barling who spent most of his time at CHF last week.   

A crowded forward line and slow ball movement hampered key forwards Alex Dickfos and Nick Barling in Round 1 and with Dickfos and the recalled Dwyer both strong overhead the Pies will look to get them one out in the contest, via quicker forward entries.  The inclusions of Heard and Saunders will inject pace to the forward line and with Val Pope at half forward the Pies will be hoping for increased firepower up forward both in the air and at ground level.

The recall of Hunt to a key defensive post strengthens the Pies defence and allows Luke Scott to be a rebounding defender along with Luke Mitchell, who was a good player last week.

The half back line of were solid last week and will be important for the Pies to lock down the Grange forwards.

It may only be Round 2, but with the Pies depth tested - this is an important match with a win getting the Pies back on the rails and reigniting belief in the group.

Western Magpies vs Wilston Grange Gorillas at Yeronga, Sat April 9 @ 2:30pm

B: Luke Mitchell - Doug Lawrence (A) - Tyler Jones (R)

HB: Luke Scott - Chris Hunt - Matt Davis

C: Aaron Maricic - Cal Carseldine (C) - Brady Allen

HF: Val Pope - Liam Dwyer (R) - David Lewis

F: Jake Heard - Alex Dickfos - Brenton Saunders (R)

Foll: Dom Beer - Gareth Crawford - Drew Mitchell

I/C: Tim McEvoy - Nick Barling - Reece Bridge - Matt Sondergeld (R)

Venue Update - Magpies vs Grange Saturday April 9

The planned home game against Wilston Grange this Saturday has required a venue change do to ongoing maintenance of the Western Magpies home ground after installation of new Telstra tower.

Matches will now be played at Yeronga as follows:

Seniors - Yeronga Oval 1 @ 230pm

Reserves - Yeronga Oval 2 @ Midday

Colts - Yeronga Oval 2 @ 10am

Body Key Chiropractic - Colts Review

MAGPIES COLTS WING CLIPPED IN OPENER

The Western Magpies Colts had their wings clipped and were given a strong lesson in preparation and the importance of a solid and committed pre season when they were defeated by Mt Gravatt on Saturday.  Against a side that the Pies have had many intense and close battles with over the last 3-4 years, and had the better of for the last few outings, the 2016 Colts came up well short.

After a strong opening, gaining the advantage in the midfield, the young Pies just couldn't convert the good work from up the field into goals. The Pies missed 4 good chances at goal early and as often happens the Vultures swept the ball forward and converted at their first opportunity. That was the tale of the day, as in each quarter the side started well, missedopportunities, then ran out of legs and the fitter Vultures score heavily for the last 10 minutes of the term.

The positives are that the Colts were more than competitive when their legs were fresh, but a hot day, having only 2 players on the bench and a disrupted pre-season and therefore being a little underdone cost this group the chance to set a standard from round one.

Coach Justin Gore and assistants Craig Allen and Warren Vine recognise the issue and have a plan to rectify it. The Colts have already had some solid sessions to kick start the way back to being the respected , hard running and skilful squad this group has been known for.

Skipper Dom Misso, the tireless Liam Reynolds and Rory Johnson, big ruckman Aaron Highlands and the solid Ryan Vagne ( both in their first games for the club) all battled hard throughout the day.

The great thing about football is the team gets the chance to make amends this coming week against Wilston Grange. Coach Justin Gore will expect his charges to put their heads down and work hard, and iscertain his team will bounce back strongly and put in a much better performance this week

Score :Mt Gravatt17.9 - 111      Western Magpies      1.10 - 16

Best : Highlands, Misso, R Johnson, Vagne, Reynolds, Luke.

24 Fit Ressies Review - Pies start with solid win

The Western Magpies Reserves started their 2016  season with a hard fought but deserved history over Mt Gravatt.
 

The Pies fielded one of their strongest Reserves team for some time but it was only in the third quarter that the Pies were able to stamp themselves on the game.  The Pies ran out relatively comfortable 22 point victors in the end. 

Coach Quentin Johnson was pleased to come away with the four points but lamented poor decision making in the first half which cost the side a bigger lead at the long break.

The Pies were challenged in the second quarter but broke away with a dominant third quarter and led by 5 goals at one stage before allowing Mt Gravatt to kick 2 late goals. 

Johnson says the tackle pressure and inside 50s were down on the team's goals  and says there is still plenty of improvement in the team.

New player Reece Bridge was the Pies best with a strong showing across half back with good reading of the play.  Youngster Jake Farrell also showed he will be a  player for the Pies in the future with plenty of the ball.  Brodie Easton was also prolific ball winner and Jadan Morton provided a target at CHF.

Redlands listed and ex-Magpie Brenton Saunders also showed his class against one of his old sides and will push for senior selection next week.

The experienced Matt Hockley booted 4 goals for the Pies from full forward and was a steadying influence when the Pies were challenged. 

Another new recruit in Chris Devlin gwon plenty of possessions in the midfield and fed the ball to the runners, half forward David Lewis also did some good things and youngsters Lachie Dennis and Charlie Pershouse showed that the future at the Pies is in good hands.

Western Magpies 11.7 - 73

defeated

Mt.Gravatt 7.9 - 51

Best: R.Bridge, J.Farrell, B.Saunders, B.Easton, J.Morton, C.Devlin

Goals: M.Hockley 4, J.Morton 2, L.Dennis, J.Heard, R.Dudley, D.Lewis, C.Pershouse

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CFMG Capital - Seniors Match Review

PIES DOWN IN SLUGGISH START TO THE SEASON

The Western Magpies were defeated by a rejuvenated Mt Gravatt at Mt Gravatt in their QAFL season opener on Saturday. The Magpies went down by 46 points, 15.14 - 104 to 8.10 - 58 in a disappointing start to the season.

The Pies started the match as if normal service was resumed from 2015 with Grogan Medallist Callum Carseldine winning the first 2 possessions and Val Pope kicking the first 2 goals but after that it was the Vultures who dominated play.

The Pies were out-enthused, out-run and generally out-played by the home team in a display that was more grey than black and white. 

The Pies were made to look slow as the Vultures used the ball better with good disposal and plenty of run which the Pies could not match, especially in the second and third quarters when the match slipped away from the Magpie outfit.

The Pies were on the back foot as their much vaunted midfield lowered their colours despite a good performance from ruckman Dom Beer. So much the springboard for the Magpies in 2015, the midfield just could not get their hands to the ball and denied first use of the football the Pies were chasing from midway through the first quarter.

2015 Bill Peirce Medallist Val Pope looked to be on song in the first quarter but a knock to his leg early in the game and a close tag did restrict his influence but he was still one of the Pies better players.

Ben Jaenke-Cain and Tim McEvoy worked hard around ground in and effort to lift the Pies and both had a glut of possessions. However, the Magpies work rate to present to teammates further afield was poor so the Pies resorted to short kicks, often going sideways and eventually a mistake was made and and the ball often rebounded as result. 

Redlands listed Tyler Jones tried hard a cross half back and Aspley listed CHB Doug Lawrence also battled gamely to stem the tide.

Luke Mitchell was busy in the back pocket and gave plenty of run out of defence - he had plenty of opportunities as Mt Gravatt had a multitude of forward entries. 

Back pocket Richard Wenham was involved in a sickening collision with teammate Jack Goodall in a marking contest in the second quarter and suffered a concussion but had no other injuries and was unable to continue in the match. He will miss next match but should make a full recovery. 

Glenn Humphrey – Senior Coach

“We were terrible.

“Around the stoppages, we were beaten at our own game. They used the ball better than we did, and they work harder than we did.

“They had 18 more inside 50’s than us, and fully deserve the win that they had.

“The only thing I take from this is that we were poor.”

The Pies will need to manufacture goals from somewhere as 3 goals to halftime and 5 at three quarter time was never going to enable the Pies to win the match. In addition, the Pies had 6 NEAFL listed players included in the side which did not help as the team looked disjointed and incohesive in much of their play. 

The QAFL season is shaping as an even season and the Pies have another big challenge as they meet Wilston-Grange on Saturday after the Gorillas caused an upset by toppling 2015 Premiers Labrador on Saturday. The Pies will have to re-group quickly to meet the challenge and kick-start their season.

The Magpies were scheduled to play at home in Round 2 but the venue is yet to be determined as the Pies' Powenyenna Oval at Chelmer has still not recovered after work on the Telstra tower at the ground in the off-season caused damage to the oval on the pavilion side of the ground.  

Mt Gravatt Vultures4.2 | 7.7 | 12.10 | 15.14 - 104

defeated

Western Magpies      2.3 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 8.10 - 58

Best: V.Pope, B.Jeanke-Cain, L.Mitchell, T.Jones, T.McEvoy, D.Beer

Goals: V.Pope, A.Dickfos, D.Mitchell 2, B.Jeanke-Cain, N.Barling 1

CFMG creates value for investors through active and passive property investment in the residential, retail and commercial markets.

Visit http://www.cfmgcapital.com.au/ for more info