ONE2ONE Plumbing - Woodsmen Friday Footy Review

WOODSMEN START TOUGH WEEKEND FOR MAGPIES OFF WITH FIRST LOSS

The Woodsmen began Friday full of confidence with a strong 22 named, 3 fit and ready emergencies and a game there for the taking at home against the defending premiers.

They finished with a tough 3 goal loss after butchering the footy in front of goal, struggling to put 22 on the park in time for the opening bounce and set in motion a horror weekend for the Magpies, not just of the Western variety, but the Collingwood variety as well!

Early in the arvo the signs were there, when dominant on-baller Lachlan Woods was a late withdrawal due to work commitments, then one by one the emergencies became unavailable as the dreaded 'work' bug spread through the squad.  Anyone would think these guys are not highly paid footballers...with real jobs!

A late mercy dash from Luke De Nys for his debut with the Woodies was appreciated by the boys and the Woodies looked 'on' early.  Winning the first centre clearance untouched, resulted in beautiful delivery to pinch hitting full-forward Lochie McDonald who marked 40m out for what looked like a dream start.  The shot sailed right, and ruckman Andrew Thomson was felled by some friendly fire from Blake Barkley from the resulting kickout. On his birthday no less!

The Woodies were unfazed and continually won the ball at stoppages and got it forward, only to have 0.6 on the board midway through the opening term for a 1 'goal' lead after repeatedly wayward kicking.  Then, in the blink of an eye - the Eagles capitalised on their forward entries far more efficiently and banged home 2 quick goals against the run of play.  The Woodies finally got their radar going late to finish the opening stanza on equal terms 2.6 - 18 to 3.0 - 18.

The 2nd quarter evened out a little, but the Woodsmen still had more control of the ball and were attacking relentlessly early but continually failed to get reward for effort.  Jake Fuentes and Gerard Moore were working together beautifully, with Moore again providing a quality tall target despite drizzly conditions and Fuentes crumbing anything at ground level superbly to provide forward entries.  Green, Long & Thomson were repelling attacks with several marks across half back, while De Nys, Davis, Curtis and Garland were all working into the game well through the midfield while Irish Sammy Banim kicked an absolute pearler of a goal of the year contender after dancing through traffic at the top of the 50, selling some candy on his right, then wrong footing 2 more opponents before swinging onto his non preferred left to bang it home from 35m.  Not a bad way to kick your first goal for the club!

Despite their efforts, there was no change to the quarter time margin, with the Eagles and Woodsmen locked up again at half time- now 3.9 - 27 to 4.3 - 27.

With Zillmere a similar side to the Woodies, with older experienced heads - it felt like this one would go down to the wire, with no clear fitness or youth advantage to the Zillmere side.  However, Zillmere started to get on top in the middle and some quality delivery to their big targets left the Woodsmen defenders with too much to do as the Eagles went bang with 4 straight goals early in the quarter to kick out to a significant lead.  The Woodies responded through goals to Moore and Banim to get the margin back to 11 points before Zillmere kicked a crucial goal after the 3 quarter time siren to increase their lead to 17 points.

In the last quarter, the Woodies came out hard and Garland goaled early from long range to give the Woodies a sniff and trim the margin to under 2 goals, but 2 more costly misses from simple set shots was the story of the night for the Woodies.  Zillmere then swung it forward and kept it there for an extended period and eventually the pressure cracked the Woodsmen defence and Zillmere kicked 2 quick goals, and missed some simple ones of their own to get out to a 24 point lead.  Luke De Nys kicked his first Woodsmen goal as the final siren sounded, but the final analsysis showed that Zillmere had the better of the 2nd half through their control of the footy and exceptional delivery going forward, while the Woodsmen dominated the first half via territory and possession, but couldn't capitalise.

End result: Zillmere 11.8 - 74 defeated Woodsmen 7.15 - 57

Best: Moore, Banim, Long, Verma, Garland, Davis

Goals: Banim 2, Moore, Garland, De Nys, Fuentes, Mihalopoulous 1

PLACE PREVIEW - PIES SET TO CHALLENGE PREMIERS

The Western Magpies travel down the M1 to meet the back to back Premiers of 15/16 at Labrador on Saturday.

The Magpies are up for the challenge, as the match pits the top two teams together in the QAFL match of the round with Labrador the only undefeated team after 3 rounds and the Pies 2-1 after a narrow loss last week.

The Pies welcome back exciting young forward Sam Copland from the Brisbane Lions NEAFL,  youngster Billy Johnson from Lions Academy duties and Aaron Maricic returns after missing last week with illness.  Luke Mitchell rolled an ankle at training on Thursday and Sean Mewing and Rory Johnson are the unlucky two to drop back to Reserves.

The Pies retain their young guns in Charlie Pershouse, Lachie Dennis and Dom Misso and it is worth mentioning that 17 of the Pies 22 are home grown talent.

Standout performers for the Pies so far this year have been David Lewis, Tom Ielasi, Jake De Winter and Charlie Pershouse and all four have been rewarded with selection in the QAFL squad to play WA Amateurs at Broadbeach in June. 

Copland comes into the forward line to give the Pies another scoring option with De Winter keen to return to the goalkickers list. Liam Dwyer was good at CHF last week and Brenton Saunders added forward pressure but has been named on a wing --he will no doubt drift forward to sniff a goalkicking opportunity.

Young Aaron Highland in ruck has relished the challenge and skipper Drew Mitchell and the consistent Ben Jaenke-Cain & Gareth Crawford will need to be at their best to counter the strong Labrador midfield.

Jack Goodall was solid on his return last week , David Lewis has been in fine form and Harry Marshall has slotted into the backline nicely and they will need to continue their vein of good form to keep the Tigers at bay. 

Coach Brydan Morgan will stress to his players to be on song from the first bounce--they cannot expect to win playing catch up football as was the case last week.  The Pies won at Labradorlast year so will not be overawed and will be prepared for a tough contest after the two home and away games between these sides last year were decided by a total of just 4 points. The big Labrador ground will suit the Magpies style of play and this shapes as a cracking match worthy of 1 v 2.

Western Magpies v Labradorat Labrador on Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm

B: Matt Davis (VC), Charlie Pershouse, Lachie Dennis 

HB: Tom Ielasi, Jack Goodall, Harry Marshall

C: David Lewis, Val Pope, Brenton Saunders 

HF: Chris Hunt, Liam Dwyer, Aaron Maricic

F: Drew Mitchell (C), Sam Copland, Jake De Winter, 

Rucks: Aaron Highlands, Gareth Crawford

Rover: Ben Jaenke-Cain

I/C: Brodie Easton, Dom Misso, Logan Murray, Billy Johnson 

Anytime Fitness Rocklea - Reserves Preview

BIG INCLUSIONS STRENGTHEN RESERVES

The Western Magpies Reserves have been strengthened with several big inclusions into their team to meet the undefeated Labrador at Labrador on Saturday.

Returning from Seniors are Sean Mewing and youngster Rory Johnson, with Redlands listed forward Tom Michael playing his first game for over a year. Michael, who was impressive for the Pies in previous stints, returns after an extended period on the sidelines with injury. 

Also in are veteran defender Gabe McKinnon, rookie ruckman Josh Uebergang, both unavailable last week, and regular senior ruckman Dom Beer returns after a delayed start to the season due to several niggling injuries. Strong bodied defender Rohan Smith returns after also missing last week with injury.

The "ins" mean the Pies field their strongest side for the year and they will also be a bigger and taller team than last week.

As a result the Pies depth looks better than a few weeks ago, but unfortunately several players have to miss out on a game.

Better for a run last week with be 2012 Pies Senior Premiership player Matt Dillon, while Tom Hall and Smith add some muscle to the back half. Youngsters in Kurt Vine, Damon Allen, James Gainford, and Dom Morrison have been consistent in the first three rounds and all have shown rapid development and Riley Easton will be relishing some continuity after a long injury layoff.

The mix of experienced players coming back into the side combined with an enthusiastic group of youngsters means the Magpies should give a good account of themselves against a strong Tigers Reserves team.

Western Magpies Reserves v Labrador at Labrador on Saturday, May 13th at 11.30 am

B: Tom Hall, Sean McEvoy, Jamie Page

HB: Rohan Smith, Gabe McKinnon, Kurt Vine

C: James Gainford, Bryce Crossley, Damon Allen

HF:   Matt Dillon, Tom Michael , Rory Johnson

F:  Matt Mazarolle, Jeremy DeRooy, Ethan Sivijs, 

Rucks: Dom Beer, Sean Mewing 

Rover: Riley Easton

I/C: Tom Roderick, Joshua Uebergang, Will Lloyd, Dom Morrison

Emerg: Jake Farrell, Matt Cowton, Thomas Luke

Genuine Garage Door Solutions - Colts Preview

COLTS AIM FOR FOUR IN A ROW

This week the Western Magpies Colts travel to Labrador in their quest to remain undefeated and on top of the QAFL Colts ladder. Each round poses a great challenge in this competition and facing Labrador on their home deck should be no exception.

With a full squad to choose from this week the Colts will take a very different side down the coast this weekend. The team welcomes back Caleb Franks into the midfield after a really strong Academy series and are really look forward to some of the class and grunt that he provides through the middle. Small forward Lewis Campbell and wing man Tom Cooper both return, and Hanley Milford will play his first game of the season for the Pies.

The young Magpies team should really enjoy the wide open spaces of Cooke-Murphy Oval and have focused on their ball movement and forward entry throughout the week. The team has slowly been developing the ability to maintain their intensity and concentration for longer periods of time during games and are looking forward to a full four effort this weekend after a patchy performance last week against Wilston-Grange..

The game has been re-scheduled for the early 9:30 am timeslot so the Colts players will need to be up and ready to play right from the first bounce in what should be another great match up.

Western Magpies Colts v Labrador at Labrador on Saturday, May 13th at 9.30 pm

B: Saxon Pobjoy, Hamish Campbell, Tristan Dowdy

HB: Sam Hartog, Whitlam Bishop, Tristan Jackson

C: Cal Grant, Sam DeNys, Dan Edwards,           

HF:   Jordan Bonney,  Zac Stegemeyer,  Jacob Sheath

F: Lewis Campbell, Jack Austin,  Abdullah Haddad,

Rucks:  Finn Collison,  Noah Resuggan

Rover:  Max Webber

Int: Caleb Franks, Hanley Milford,  Tom Cooper, Cameron Smith

Coopers Friday Footy Preview - Woodsmen

Woodsmen face big challenge vs defending Premiers

The Western Magpies 3rds (Woodsmen) face their biggest test of the year when they face competition heavyweights Zillmere Eagles at the Nest tonight in what promises to be a bruising and highly skilled encounter.  Since Zillmere won an undefeated Premiership in 2013 and the Woodsmen returned serve with an undefeated flag of their own in 2014 – these 2 sides have been there or thereabouts in recent seasons, and fought multiple close battles all decided by less than a few goals, and plenty decided by less than a kick.

The Woodies knocked the Eagles out in the Prelim final in 2015, while the Eagles and Woodies didn’t see each other in the 2016 finals – the Eagles got the last laugh with a 2nd Premiership in 4 seasons.  Both teams are a strong blend of experienced old heads with a bit of youthful talent mixed in.  It promises to be a great game of footy, and importantly played in great spirits as there is a healthy level of respect between the 2 sides.

Once again the Woodies have swung another 3 changes this week, which is as close to ‘continuity’ as you can get in Friday night footy.  Out of the side goes Scott ‘Burnsy’ Matthews with a tight hamstring after his successful return to the big time last week with 2 goals, Hunter Heath who is no longer able to play this season and ‘Tricky’ Ricky Masterson who has had a fantastic opening 3 rounds, despite being completely new to footy in 2017 and well past his 40th birthday!  Old Rick would have to be favourite for the prestigious ‘Rising Woody’ for 2017 in early betting markets.

Returning to the side are versatile defender Chris ‘Stink’ La Burniy (who may have a point to prove after failing to gain a nomination for ‘Mr Magpie 2017’), Matt ‘Horse’ Garland for his first game since the 2016 finals and ‘Irish’ Sammy Banim who instead of resuscitating the good people of Brisbane as a Paramedic, he will be breathing life into the forward line of the Woodies with his speed and skill!

Gerard Moore was at his best last week vs UQ, straightening up the Woodies attack and ensuring the ball gets in quick and fast for the likes of Jakey Fuentes, Greg ‘Moe’ Matthews and the coach Chris Mihalopoulous who was in vintage touch last week with a bag of 6 goals.  Big G was also able to add a new dimension to the Woodies last week, banging home two big goals from outside 50 from strong marks.

After the successful experiment of Kiran Verma on half back, and Pauly Eaton on the wing last week – the Woodies are returning to the ‘status quo’ this week due to unavailability and matchups – with K lining up on the wing and Pauly returning to the defensive goalsquare.  Patrolling the other wing will be the versatile Lochie McDonald who could also find himself deep forward at times.

Zillmere feature a versatile team with a deep midfield all capable of kicking goals, so the Woodies defensive unit will have to be on their game and switched on to the threats, particularly focusing on ensuring they don’t lose their opponents as they rotate in and out of the middle.  The Woodies on the other hand will again be looking for big games from Mika and Big G, and a big return to the team from Horse up front.  Jakey Fuentes will again be influential with his ability to get to the contest and lock the ball in, allowing the Woodies multiple opportunities to score.

Get on down to the nest tonight and enjoy the only game of Senior footy to be played in Chelmer this weekend.  Enjoy a Coopers and something from the Woods Bar & Grill in what should be great game of footy for the spectators.

Westpoint Autos News Update - De Winter Round 2 award Nominee

Round 2 – Syd Guildford Nominee – Jake De Winter

Senior player Jakob De Winter was named the Round 2 Syd Guildford nominee late last week after a superb performance vs Sandgate.

De Winter kicked a bag of 7, including 5 in the opening quarter as the Magpies put the Hawks to the sword early. 

A tough matchup, De Winter possesses superb aerial ability, while maintaining the cat like agility of a small forward.  A remarkable ability to fly high for a mark, but always land on his feet makes De Winter a dangerous proposition at the spill of the ball and opposition coaches will have to think twice about whether to place a key defender or traditional small defender on the high flyer.

De Winter gets some hang time for South QLD vs NQ in 2016

The 25-year-old moved to Queensland two years ago and after training at Redland, was recruited by a combination of his workmate Brady Allen and of course some phone calls from coach Brydan Morgan.

“I got a call from him early in the season to see what I was doing, whether I was going to play for Redland or not, and yeah, he managed to coax me in to coming down,” said De Winter.

ONE2ONE Plumbing – Representative Player Update

Last week on Thu 4 May, the 2017 QLD U/16 Squad was named and a huge congratulations must go to Charlie Thorpe and James Ward from Sherwood Magpies for their selection in the side.

Queensland will compete in the three-round Division Two competition against Tasmania, a combined NSW/ACT team and the Northern Territory.  Players were selected based on performances at the recent Queensland State Academy Championships.

Charlie Thorpe:

A versatile 188cm Rolls Royce, with a build not dissimilar to Nat Fyfe and vision like the Bont!  As 'Chaz' continues to grow he is certain to develop into an imposing figure.  Revered by his teammates for his innate ability to keep a cool head, Chaz has wreaked havoc with his clean hands, ability to intercept mark and rebound out of the backline. Charlie always has more time than he should when the footy is in his hands and this will be an important attribute at the National Championships

Charlie before a growth spurt, showing a nice kicking action.

Running out with the Seniors again may not be far away...?

James Ward:

A 195cm athlete, Jimmy has a diligent attitude towards his endeavours and this is also reflected in his footy.  James is looked up to, not only due to his height, but because of his pure leadership abilities.  Although dominant in all key positions, Jimmy moves like a midfielder and this is reflected in his ball winning ability and superb endurance for a big man.  With his ability to give his team first use, to take pack marks and consistently kick goals, James should be a weapon for the QLD U/16 side this year.

James collecting his 2016 League B&F Medal

More information can be found here http://www.aflq.com.au/23172-2/

Charles Kemp Group - Friday Footy Review

Woodsmen hit straps vs UQ

It was a case of giving the students a lesson on Friday night, when an experienced looking Woodsmen side took on 2016 Grand Finalists UQ at St Lucia in Round 3.

Right from the opening bounce, the Woodsmen were able to create and maintain midfield dominance and were finally able to convert this on the scoreboard, especially in a blistering opening to the 3rd quarter.

After some positional changes, including Paul Eaton to a wing, and Kiran Verma onto a half back flank – you could see from early on the Woodies had finally found some continuity in their play.  Gerard Moore returning across half forward also certainly straightened up the attack, and the inclusion of livewire Jake Fuentes across half forward was a missing ingredient from the opening rounds – with his ability to get to the fall of the ball and apply pressure to the defenders crucial in locking the ball forward and ensuring a score.

UQmoved the ball forward early to kick the opening behind, before the Woodies immediately responded with a ‘coast to coast’ goal after quality ball movement through the middle resulted in an uncontested mark on the lead from Chris Mihalopoulous.  It was more of the same, as Mika finished the opening quarter with 3 goals on the board and Fuentes chimed in with a fantastic crumbers goal after Scott Matthews was able to bring the ball to ground in a marking contest in the ‘hot spot’. 

The flood gates were threatening to open in the 2nd term as UQ failed to get the ball forward, but the Woodies were guilty of going too wide in attack and occasionally bombing the ball in after slow ball movement.  Nevertheless, the half time score was a solid 6.6 – 42 to 0.1 – 1 with UQ failing to score at all, or even threaten to score since the opening minute of the game.

The message at half-time was clear, UQ are a proud side and while the first half was one-way traffic – they would come out full of running and just 2 or 3 goals would have them right back in it.  This was certainly true of the opening rounds, when the Woodies allowed oppositions back into the game after strong starts, so the boys were keen not to repeat the dose.

This time the Woodsmen certainly heeded the coaches message, with the Woodsmen banging home 4 quick goals in the first 6 minutes of the 3rd quarter to demoralise the opposition and get out to a 10 goal lead, with all 4 goals coming from clean centre clearances with a combination of Lachlan Woods inside feeding it to the evasive and highly skilled Sam Curtis on the outside to pump the ball forward under little to no pressure coming out of the centre of the ground.  Scott Matthews was able to mark and goal, before his brother also produced a beauty to snap home a beautiful curling goal from the boundary line to the delight of the crowd.

UQ reacted by putting 2 back and then trying to slingshot forward and did enjoy some brief ascendancy late in the 3rd quarter as they kicked 3 straight behinds after managing to lock the ball in their forward 50 for the first time in the game, but were unable to convert their territorial advantage into a goal.

As the final quarter began, the Woodies again came out firing with Paul Eaton, Lochie McDonald and Kiran Verma working particularly well up one side of the ground.  Many Woodsmen attacks were setup beautifully with drive from the half-back line, with Verma’s willingness to ‘give and get’ to break the lines likely resulting in a permanent positional change to the half back line while Paul Eaton’s size and athleticism, combined with his long kicking proving a great asset on the wing.

Disappointingly, as the heat came out of the contest – the Woodies weren’t able to achieve their half-time goal of keeping the opposition goalless, as UQ continued to push hard to the siren and managed to bang home a couple of quality goals midway through the last quarter before ‘Burnsy’ was able to put the cherry on top of a pleasing performance from the Woodsmen when he ran into an open goal to bang home his 2nd goal on debut to close out the game.

Woodsmen 13.12 – 90 defeated UQ 2.5 – 17

Best: Eaton, Thomson, Bell, Mihaloupoulos, Verma, Woods

Goals: Mihalopoulous 6, Moore, S.Matthews, Fuentes 2, G.Matthews 1

Mack Trucks Match Review - Pies fall short in Saturday afternoon thriller

The Western Magpies have gone down by 5 points to a very good Wilston Grange outfit in a high class QAFL Round 3 thriller at Chelmer on Saturday. Grange fell over the line 15.7-97 to the Magpies 14.8-92.

The Gorillas had recruited well for this year under new coach Nathan Clarke, and with the Pies 2-0, a top class contest was expected and it lived up to pre match expectations as it was played at a high tempo with no let up in intensity all match. It must be said that it deserved to be played in front of a bigger crowd as the home crowd was a little disappointing for the first home match of the year in a game that promised so much and delivered all but the 4 points for the Pies. 

The Magpies trailed all game and at times were over 4 goals in arrears and on struggle street but when all looked lost the Pies dug deep and found a way to fight back and always remain in striking distance. However, catch up footy, which the Pies were doing after conceding 2 goals in a blink of the eye at the start of the match, never usually ends well and despite looking like running over the top of the the Gorillas in the last quarter and a half, the Pies just could not get their noses in front. 

Despite the loss, the match was affirmation that the Magpies are a serious contender again this year in the QAFL under new coach Brydan Morgan, who has his team playing the typical tough, never-say-die  football the Pies have always prided themselves on with the addition of outside run and flare. 

The Gorillas won the ball out of the centre early to hit the scoreboard twice in the blink of an eye. The Pies regathered themselves and  fought back but several gettable goals were missed and the Pies had to be content to be two goals down at the first change. The gettable goals saga was to be repeated several times in the match and in reality cost the Pies dearly in the final analysis. The Pies trailled by 4 goals at half time and fought back to be a goal down but 2 late third quarter golas to the visitors gave them a 3 goal buffer at the last change.

The Pies dominated the last quarter but could not get their noses in front as Grange flooded the back half and then were able to get 2 goals on the rebound to hold on for the win.

The Pies were beaten out of the centre early in the match but tightened up as the game went on to even the honours by match’s end. Young ruckman Aaron Highlands came up against a much taller and heavier opponent but jumped and contested all day to make a good contest and at least give his ground level players a crack at the football.

In midfield Ben Jaenke-Cain knocked up getting possessions and Val Pope, while not as productive around goals, was able to break the shackles of a hard tag to win plenty of contested football. With Jake De Winter well held, it was up to tall half forward Liam Dwyer to step up and he booted 4 goals and took some strong marks and competed hard all day. Tom Ielasi was busy on a wing and laid dome important tackles and Drew Mitchell was at the contest all day.

Defenders Harry Marshall and David Lewis repelled many a Gorilla attack and Lewis’ marking, a feature of the first two matches, was again prominent. He took a “hanger” in the last quarter to get the crowd to their feet and at that time looked to be a catalyst for the Pies resurgence.

The Magpies remain second on the ladder and travel to Labrador next Saturday to meet the undefeated Tigers in another big match for the Pies. The Magpies do not fear the trip to Labrador as they had a magnificent win their last year and just 4 points in total seperated the 2 sides in home & away encounters in 2016.

Western Magpies     4.2   7.4     10.5   14.8 - 92

Wilston Grange        6.1   11.4    13.6   15.7 - 97

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: L. Dwyer 4, B. Jaenke-Cain 2, J. De Winter 2, B. Saunders 2, J. Goodall, D. Mitchell, D. Lewis, C. Pershouse
Best Players: B. Jaenke-Cain, V. Pope, H. Marshall, D. Mitchell, T. Ielasi, D. Lewis

Metis Wealth Match Review - Reserves

SLOW START COSTS RESERVES DEARLY

The Western Magpies Reserves went missing in the first quarter and allowed Wilston Grange to kick 7 unanswered goals which proved the difference in the match.

The Pies won two and a half quarters of the football game but were still beaten by 40 points, going down 7.9-51 to 13.13-91.

However, if an impartial observer had arrived half way through the second quarter and watched the match they would think the Pies were the better side.

A number of late changes to the side before that match caused some disruption and it showed in the first quarter with Grange dominating and the Pies minds and bodies seemingly elsewhere. The coaching mantra of the 5 Ps -- " perfect preparation prevents poor performance "-- comes to mind! 

Coach Craig Allen concedes that the-before-match preparation was less than ideal and will remind his charges in future matches of the 5 Ps. 

Sean Mewing was a late call up to Seniors after Aaron Maricic was ill and in came Jake Farrell who performed well.

Grange dominated the first quarter and ex-Magpie coach Nathan Clarke (and ex Lion!) showed his class to boot 3 early goals after suiting up for the Gorillas.

Half way through the second quarter it was a case of how far Grange but to the mostly young Pies credit thefought hard at all contests to muscle their way back into the match. It was improbabale that they would get close enough to win but they outscored a bigger and older Gorillas team for the second half.

Craig Allen asked his players at halftime  not to let their opponents lead them to the ball, to be close and tight and make every contest a battle.

The Pies started to win the football and were able to close the gap somewhat and kick 5 goals to 2 in the final quarter.  

Youngsters Dom Morrison on a wing won plenty of the football and Matt Mazarolle across half back worked hard all match, especially early to stem the tide. Riley Easton up forward returned to his busy self, while Joshua White on the ball also had another good game.

Sean McEvoy worked hard in the unaccustomed ruck role and Jamie Page was a hard working defender. Key forward Jeremy DeRooy kicked 3 goals and took some good grabs up forward and he will only get better as the season progresses. New recruit in Matt Dillon, returning to the club after a stint elsewhere,  also slotted into the side nicely and will be a valuable player over the next few weeks as he regains his fitness.

The Magpies will gain a lot of confidence from their second half but it won’t get any easier next Saturday against ladder leaders Labrador at Labrador . They will need to apply the 5Ps if they are to match the Tigers.

Western Magpies    0.2    0.4   2.6      7.9.51
Wilston Grange       7.4    8.6   11.11  13-13.91

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: J. DeRooy 3, R. Easton 2, J. Farrell 2
Best Players: D. Morrison, M. Mazerolle, R. Easton, J. White, J. Page, S. McEvoy

CFMG Capital - Colts Review

COLTS REMAIN UNDEFEATED AFTER TOUGH CONTEST

The Western Magpies Colts have consolidated a good start to the season to be 3 – 0 after a hard fought victory over Wilston Grange at Chelmer on Saturday evening.

The Colts celebrated their first home game under lights this year after having to come from behind to win by 19 points, 8.7-55 to 5.6-36. 

The game was set to be an arm wrestle from the start with both teams tied up at quarter time in a low scoring affair. After the break the larger bodied Wilston Grange boys came out of the blocks faster and harder than the Magpies allowing to jump away to a 3 goal lead by the main break. The challenge for the Pies would be to stop their opponents outside run and ability to break out of contests with limited pressure.

A much more determined and physical Magpies side came out after half time and slowly started to work away at the deficit. Controlling much of the football in the third quarter, some sloppy entries into the forward 50 cost the Colts several quality scoring opportunities. However, they managed to grab a 6 point lead by the last break and kept their noses in front for the rest of the game.

Once again the backline held firm lead by Hamish Campbell and Whitlam Bishop playing their best games of the year at fullback and centre half back respectively.  Tristan Jackson was dynamic on the half back flank and the running brigade of Sam Hartog, Saxon Pobjoy and Tristan Dowdy were devastating on the turnover. Max Webber lead from the front all day, working tirelessly through the midfield. The inclusion of Sam de Nys in the middle provided plenty of grunt for the Magpies side which included a cracking goal to open up the final quarter of play. Once again the forward line looked dangerous, particularly with Jordan Bonney deep and Abdullah Haddad using his pace and smarts inside the forward 50. The wings of Daniel Edwards and Cal Grant imposed themselves on the game in the second half providing a much needed spark on the outside of the contest.

The young Magpies team showed plenty of character to tough out the hard fought win which now sees them undefeated and on top of the ladder after three rounds. In saying that, there is still plenty to work on and fine tuning to be done over the next few rounds as the side prepares for some big challenges ahead.

Western Magpies   1-2   1-3 5-4 8-7-55

Wilston Grange      0.2   3-34-4    5-6-36

Western Magpies

Goal Kickers: J. Bonney 3, A. Haddad 2, S. de Nys, D. Edwards, J. Sheath
Best Players: M. Webber, H. Campbell, C. Grant, W. Bishop, T. Dowdy, A. Haddad

Coopers Friday Night Footy - Woodsmen Preview

Woodsmen looking for 3-0 start vs UQ

The Western Magpies 3rds (Woodsmen) are looking for the perfect 3-0 start to the season when they take on 2016 Grand Finalists UQ at UQ tonight at 7pm

Whilst not playing their best football, the Woodies have managed to get away with 2 wins the opening rounds as the side slowly ‘gels’ due to mass player turnover from last season, as well as in-between rounds.  This week is no different, with a further 5 forced changes from Round 2! (after 6 between Rounds 1 and 2!)  - welcome to Friday Night Footy!

Into the side for their Woodsmen debuts come Hunter Heath (after burning up the track in pre-season) and Magpie stalwart Scott ‘Burnsy’ Matthews to join younger brother Greg in the forwardline.  Also returning to the side is big Gerard Moore and CHF, Andrew Bell into fullback and U/16’s coach the livewire Jakey Fuentes.

UQ have traditionally played a fast paced brand of footy with their youthful nature  and fitness troubling the older Woodsmen side, however despite many close encounters a late season 4 point loss in 2016 has been the only game the Woodies have ever dropped vs the Red Lions and the Woodsmen will be looking to avenge this loss to complete a 3-0 start to 2017.

After 5 changes, the team has a new look forward line – with ‘Burnsy’ slotting into the goal square to ease himself back into football, and Jake Fuentes in the pocket – shaving close to 15 years from the average age of the full forward line in Round 2!

Hunter Heath will make his debut in the familiar wing position, Lachlan Woods remains in the centre – while the biggest positional change has seen gun fullback Paul Eaton shifted to a wing to use his size, pace and long kicking as more of an attacking weapon.

As a result, games record holder Kiran Verma pushes back to the half back line to form an experienced partnership with Tim Green in the key post and the vastly experienced Sam Long on the other flank.  Dylan Mudge has played solid footy in the opening 2 rounds in the unfamiliar back pocket, where his footy smarts, strength and composure have been a feature – while Andrew Bell returns to the side at fullback, perhaps a victim of his own versatility with several stints all over the ground in his opening 2 seasons at the Woodies.

The on-ball division appears formidable, with Sam Curtis leading the way at ground level, Chris Davis looking to hit the ground running and Andrew Thomson returning to the Ruck.

With so many changes week to week, to go with the year on year list turnover – the Woodies have found it hard to gel in the opening rounds.  However, there is a certain level of familiarity in this lineup tonight and coach Chris Mihalopoulos will be hoping the boys can improve their brand of footy, use the ball a little better and make good decisions through the middle of the ground when moving the ball forward.

Get on down to UQ to watch the Woodsmen take on UQ at 7pm tonight to whet your appetite for the first home game of the year for Seniors/Reserves/Colts at the Nest tomorrow.  Hopefully the club can repeat the Round 2 dose, with 4 wins from 4 starts for the senior footy program.

Westpoint Autos - Reserves Preview

PIES’ RESERVES BOOSTED WITH BIG INCLUSIONS

The Western Magpies Reserves have been boosted by several big inclusions for their clash with Wilston Grange at Chelmer on Saturday.

2012 Seniors premiership player Matt Dillon returns to the club after a stint with PBC and Broadbeach over the past few years. Dillon lives at Beaudesert and decided to play with his “local” club Jimboomba in 2016 but after they were unable to field a team in 2017, he has returned home!

He is joined by Bryce Crossley, Matt Mazarolle and Ethan Sivijs back from Seniors and fullback Tom Hall for his first official match after showing good pre-season form. They are among eight changes for the Magpies, with key outs being key defender Gabe McKinnon, ruckman Josh Uebergang and CHF Alex Dickfos.

Into the key forward role comes  Tadiwa Parirenyatwa and Sean McEvoy moves from defence into the ruck, a position he has played with aplomb in Senior football in the past . Sean Mewing relished the opportunity ofa midfield role and his experience will be invaluable and new player in rover Joshua White has been good in the first two games.

Youngsters in Damon Allen, Kurt Vine, James Gainford and Dom Morrison have stepped upin the first two matches to be good players who will only get better as will big forward Jeremy DeRooy.

Coach Craig Allen will be happy with the inclusions but understands the nature of Reserves football is that there is often lots of changes week about. After last week the team will havetheir confidence restored but the reality is Sandgate Reserves will likely finish on the bottom and Grange, a finalist last year, will pose a new challenge for the resurgent Pies.  Allen’s task is to have his side playing team oriented football and a win in this match will be a big step toward a possible finals appearance at seasons end. 

Western Magpies Reserves v Wilston Grange at Chelmer on Saturday May 6th at 11.30 am

B: Rohan Smith Tom Hall  James Page
HB: Kurt Vine Matt Dillon Damon Allen
C: Dom MorrisonBryce Crossley James Gainford
HF: Matt Mazarolle Tadiwa Parirenyatwa  Matt Cowton
F: Riley Easton Jeremy deRooy  Phil Stumer
Rucks: Sean McEvoy, Sean Mewing
Rover: Joshua White
I/c: Tom Roderick ,  Thomas Luke , Will Lloyd, Ethan Sivijs

Emerg: Julian Tabe Will BurgessScott Taylor

PLACE PREVIEW - PIES BOOSTED BY KEY INCLUSIONS

PIES BOOSTED WITH BIG INCLUSIONS FOR FIRST HOME MATCH AGAINST GRANGE

The Western Magpies will be looking to go 3-0 when they welcome old rivals Wilston-Grange at Chelmeron Saturday for the Pies first home game of the season.

Magpie supporters are excited at the manner of the club’s first 2 victories and they are playing an spectator friendly and fast moving brand of football. Most importantly, so far it has proven a winning brand of footy as well!

In comes Redlands listed Jack Goodall to centre half back, Charlie Pershouse back from Lions Academy duties to slot into centre half forward, and youngsters Lachie Dennis back in after uni exams and Dom Misso has overcome a thigh injury, both to slot into the midfield.  

Goodall had a purple patch for the Pies this time last year and then spent the rest of the year in the Redlands team, while Pershouse set the house on fire in round 1 against Mt Gravatt and adds height to the Pies forward line.

With Liam Dwyer the Pies forward line is taller than last week and with Jake De Winter (QAFL Syd Guilford nominee for Round 2) on fire with goal hauls of 5 and 7 in the first two rounds, the Pies forward line now looks quite potent. With Brenton Saunders also in good form and Drew Mitchell pushing forward the Pies have some strike power with class in the air and at ground level.  

Young ruckman Aaron Highlands has slipped into the big man role seamlessly and with the engine room of Gareth Crawford, Ben Jaenke Cain, Brodie Easton and Val Pope purring along nicely the Pies should win plenty of midfield possession.

David Lewis and Tom Ielasi have been in superb form in the first 2 rounds and with Goodall form a strong and rebounding half back line. Behind them, new recruit Harry Marshall has blended in nicelyand has formed a good team with livewire back pocket Luke Mitchell.

The Pies under new coach Brydan Morgan are playing an exciting brand of football with quick ball movement and with De Winter in scintillating form, both in the air and at ground level and options in Pershouse and Pope up forward, the Magpies have the firepower to overcome the Gorillas.

Grange are 1-1 and with ex-Magpie coach Nathan Clarke at the helm  will be well preparedand primed for a big effort against the Pies. Anything less than 100% from the Magpies could open the door for the visitors and this is a message Morgan will have reinforced to his side

A big crowd is expected for a great days football, the first at Chelmer this season.

Western Magpies v Wilston Grange at Chelmer on Saturday, May 6th  at 2 pm

B: Aaron Maricic, Harry Marshall, Luke Mitchell

HB: Tom Ielasi, Jack Goodall, David Lewis,

C: Val Pope, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Chris Hunt

HF:  Matt Davis, Charlie Pershouse, Liam Dwyer

F: Drew Mitchell, Jake De Winter, Brenton Saunders  

Rucks: Aaron Highlands, Gareth Crawford

Rover: Lachie Dennis

I/C: Brodie Easton, Rory Johnson, Dom Misso, Logan Murray

Emerg: Ethan Sivijs

Anytime Fitness - Colts Preview

COLTS KEEN FOR THREE IN A ROW IN LATE GAME

The Western Magpies Colts are in an enviable position this week with almost a full list to choose from for their Round 3 match up with Wilston Grange. Playing at home for the first time this year, and with a 4:45 pm start after the Seniors match, the Colts will be pumped and primed for a big outing.

The focus this week has been about ensuring that the  intensity remains up for the full four quarters and that all players remain switched on and dedicated to the team’s structures for the entire game. If the Colts are able to minimise the gap between their best footy and their worst footy they should be able to present a difficult challenge for the other teams in the QAFL.

This week sees the return of Abdullah Haddad, Max Webber, Saxyn Pobjoy and Tristan Jackson which should provide some much needed run and energy around the contest. Hopefully the forwards all pack their kicking boots this week and finish off some of the good work happening further down the field. Jordan Bonney, Jack Austin and Jacob Sheath have been in great form so far this season and coach Reid Dobson is looking forward to them really taking a game by the scruff of the neck. The Pies defence looks far more settled this week with Hamish Campbell and Whitlam Bishop holding down the key posts, which should give the running backs the opportunity to spread and create from the half back line.

With competition for spots heating up it's important that the group prepares well this weekend and puts their best foot forward in what promises to be a real challenge up against the Gorillas.

Western Magpies Colts v Wilston Grange at Chelmer on Saturday, May 6th at 4.45 pm

B: Saxon Pobjoy, Hamish Campbell, Tristan Dowdy

HB: Sam Hartog, Whitlam Bishop, Tristan Jackson

C: Cal Grant, Sam DeNys, Dan Edwards,           

HF:   Jordan Bonney,  Christopher Jenkins, Jacob Sheath

F: Jayden Johnson, Jack Austin,  Abdullah Haddad,

Rucks:  Finn Collison,  Noah ResugganRover:  Max Webber

Int: Josh Commons, Will Gillespie, Jye Enever, Tom Slatter

New Sponsor Alert - ONE2ONE Plumbing

The Sherwood Football Club welcomes local plumbing business, ONE2ONE Plumbing on board as a sponsor for 2017.

ONE2ONE Plumbing is owned and operated by past player and 2009 Woodsmen Premiership Player - David Green, who is also local to the area.

Affectionately known as 'Lavender' to his teammates (due to his older 2 brothers already playing at the club and being dubbed 'Greeny' and 'Bluey') Dave was a Premiership winning defender before going onto become a Best & Fairest winning Centreman, however his dedication to his plumbing career and starting his new business 'ONE2ONE Plumbing' resulted in a premature retirement!

ONE2ONE deliver a new standard of professional and friendly service to the plumbing industry. They stand out through understanding the care and quality of workmanship that is expected within your home and or business.

ONE2ONE remain flexible with working hours to suit the busy lifestyles of clients, ensuring that requests can always be met. They also delivery 24 hour emergency services that provide peace of mind that any job can be taken care of by a member of their team.

Next time you need some plumbing work done, please ensure you support those that support your club by giving ONE2ONE Plumbing a call, not just because they support your club - but because we can highly recommend their customer service and workmanship.

SPECIALISING IN:

• Water supply and sewer repairs
• Taps and toilets
• Blocked drains
• Roof and gutters
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• No job too big or small

http://www.one2oneplumbing.com/

0430 229 881

Coopers Review - Woodsmen

Woodsmen hang on for close win

The Western Magpies 3rds, affectionately known as the Woodsmen held on for a hard fought 7 point win over Morningside on Friday night in what was a high quality game of footy.

Newcomers to the competition in 2016, the Panthers are more of a known quantity in 2017 and had selected a strong side to put the new look Woodsmen side to the test, and test them they did.

The Woodies started as they did in Round 1, with a strong first quarter – winning the ball out of stoppages and moving it up the centre of the ground with accuracy.  Thomson got on the end of a couple early to kick 2 goals in the early quarter after strong marks, while Mihalopoulous also found himself on the end of some good stoppage work to mark and goal to send the Woodies to a 3 goal quarter time lead.

In the second quarter, the Panthers started to push a couple of talls back into the defensive 50 to clog up the space and the Woodies failed to react with repeated poor entries being cut off with uncontested intercept marks.  The Panthers began to look through the middle of the ground with short passes from half back, but ultimately it was a low scoring quarter with Morningside registering their first goal from a 50m penalty and the Woodies kicking 2 behinds after Thomson missed two relatively simple shots on goal.

Unfortunately, the 3rd quarter was more of the same.  Lachy Woods had enjoyed a dominant opening half, but with a hard tag applied was pushing both forward and back to take some telling marks.  However, with the younger Panthers side working harder for longer the Woodies were held scoreless in the 3rd quarter to go into ¾ time just one goal up and looking a bit tired.  The Panthers certainly had the better of the term, but for the efforts of Tim Green and Chris La Burniy in defence, constantly rebounding the ball out, only to see it come flying back like a boomerang.

However, with the game on the line – the Woodies kicked the first 3 of the final term via Woods, Thomson and Mihalopoulous to get out to a 4 goal lead before also spurning several easy chances in front of goal, including a dropped handball on the goal line (culprit shall remain nameless! To hold a 30 point lead with just 10 minutes remaining.  The Panthers sensed their opportunity as a few Woodies struggled to get to the next contest and put their foot on the pedal to kick 3 quick goals, while also missing some simple chances of their own to close to gap to just 7 points.

An experienced Woodies lineup sensed the danger and outnumbered the Panthers at the contest late in the game to force repeat stoppages in the attacking half of the ground for the Woodies and prevent any clean exits.  After 5 or 6 ball-ups in a row, the Woodies pushed forward and unfortunately for best on ground defender Chris La Burniy, his shot at goal split the middle but the siren sounded just 1 second before he got the kick away and the Woodies held on to go 2-0, registering a 7 point win.

The Woodies are away vs 2016 Grand Finalist UQ next week in what promises to be another tough battle, with the 2 encounters last year shared 1 each with a 1 point win and a 3 point win respectively.

Western Magpies (Woodsmen ) 3.1 -19 | 3.3 – 21 | 3.3 – 21 | 6.9 -45

Defeated

Morningside Panthers 0.3 – 3 | 1.3 – 9 | 2.3 – 15 | 5.8 – 38

Best: La Burniy, Woods, Green, Mudge, Thomson, Long

Goals: Thomson 3, Mihalopoulous 2, Woods 1

Anytime Fitness - Colts Review

COLTS GRIND OUT GUTSY WIN

The Western Magpies Colts didn't get things all their own way on Saturday as they were forced to grind out a hard fought 13 point over Sandgate in the first game of the day.

The Pies overcame inaccuracy to triumph by 13 points, 8.16-64 to 8.3-51.

A late withdrawal from Saxon Pobjoy saw the team run out with 21 players, a situation that was compounded throughout the game with several players picking up niggling injuries. By the end of the game the Magpies bench was without a fit player and the boys were required to dig deep and protect their lead against a fast finishing Sandgate outfit.

They say bad kicking is bad football and this was certainly the case for the young Magpies as they held sway for the majority of the game but couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard. Sandgate, on the other hand, managed to keep the score board kicking over with some very handy goals over the back and taking their opportunities when they arose.

Whilst it was a tough day at the office, there were some really pleasing signs with young Jack Austin starring in his first game for the club in the forward line and co-captain Noah Resuggan having a cracking day on the ball. Running defenders Sam Hartog and Tristan Dowdy continued their good run of form and once again Jordan Bonney and Jacob Sheath looked dangerous up forward. The ruck pairing of Finn Collison and Jye Enever are starting to click and this should provide more opportunities for the key midfielders to get first hands on the ball. Sam de Nys, Jayden Johnson and Josh Commons also showed some good signs throughout the game and will be looking to consolidate on this good form in the coming weeks.

A key learning for the Pies Colts this week will centre around maintaining consistency and intensity for a full four quarters of football. When they stick to the game plan, are relentless around the contest and maintain their team structures they are hard to beat. The challenge for the team is maintaining this high standard from quarter to quarter, game to game.

The Colts now set their sights firmly on Wilston Grange in the first home game of the year. It'll be great to play under lights for the first time in 2017 and the team is really looking forward to playing in front of a big crowd after the Senior match.

Western Magpies 3.3 - 21 | 5.7 - 37 | 7.11 - 53 | 8.16 - 64

defeated

Sandgate Hawks 3.0 - 18 | 4.0 - 24 | 7.1 - 43 | 8.3 - 51

Best: Austin, Resuggan, Hartog, Dowdy, De Nys, smith

Goals: Collison, Sheath 2, Jenkins, Hartog, Bonney, Johnson

Metis Wealth Match Review - Reserves

MAGPIE RESERVES ENJOY BIG WIN

The Western Magpies Reserves had a resounding 78 point victory over Sandgate on Saturday, keeping the home team goalless until the last quarter in their 12.16-88 to 1.4-10 victory. It will be a confidence boosting win for the Pies and they will be confident of 2 wins in a row when they face old rivals Wilston-Grange at Chelmer on Saturday.

The win was set up with midfield dominance led by a couple of new young players to the club in Josh White and Will Lloyd, who attacked the ball with relish and won numerous possessions. They were ably assisted by a long serving club veteran in Sean Mewing, who relished his chance in the centre of the ground and led his young charges well. 

Another highlight was the return of small forward Riley Easton, who sizzled on his time managed return to the side and notched 2 goals.

Three youngsters in Kurt Vine, Damon Allen and Dom Morrison all had big games where they blocked many Sandgate attacks across half back and played excellent rebound football.
Ruckman Josh Uebergang  showed he will be a fine acquisition as he played well in only his 3rd official AFL match. 23 year old Lochie McDonald backed up from Friday night's Woodies victory to be a key player across half forward, while Kiran Verma also backed up less than 24 hours later to be an important link player.

Coach Craig Allen was pleased with the manner of the victory but last quarter inaccuracy cost the team a bigger victory. The Reserves look to be building and will only get stronger each week. 

Sandgate      0.0 - 0 |   0.1 - 1 |   0.3 - 3 |  1.4-10

Western Magpies   2.3 - 15 |    6.5 - 41 |  11.6 - 72 |   12.16-88

Best: Lloyd, White, Mewing, Morrison, Uebergang, Vine

Goals: Dickfos 3, Mewing, Easton, De Rooy 2, Mckinnon, Verma, Vine 1

MACK TRUCK MATCH REVIEW - PIES FLEX MUSCLE EARLY IN BATTLE OF BIRDS

Western Magpies new forward Jake De Winter has stamped his class with a 7 goal haul as the Pies had a 59 point victory over Sandgate at Sandgate on a bright Autumns Saturday over the weekend. De Winter booted 4 of the Pies first 5 goals of the match and had 5 goals before quarter time as the Pies kicked 7 first quarter goals to take control of the contest early.

The Pies dominated the first quarter with slick ball movement by keeping it simple-- a quick handball to a running player who delivered quickly toward De Winter,  who was thriving in one on one contests in a wide open 50.  De Winter started with a strong pack park, before kicking 2 more after marks inside 50 on the lead and going back with the flight.  The Hawks responded by putting a bigger key defender to him to curb his advantage in the air, and he responded with 2 more quick goals using his ground level speed.  Certainly a tough match up, when you can play tall and small!  The midfield dominance and quick ball movement, also plays into the hands of a good forward in a one on one battle - and the Magpies had it on a string in the first quarter.

The Magpies won 17.17- 119 to 8.12-60. The victory means the Magpies and Labrador are the only two teams with 2 wins  after 2 rounds. 

The only blot on the copybook was inaccuracy in front of goal in the last quarter with the Pies booting 5.8 for the quarter.

With such blistering opening quarter it was no surprise that the midfield  dominated with Drew Mitchell, Tom Ielasi, Brodie Easton and Ben Jaenke-Cain continually running through the middle and pumping the ball forward. Sandgate blocked up the centre corridor after quarter time and this forced the Pies to go to the flanks and reduced their efficiency. The Pies were guilty of not playing smart football with long kick to a clustered forward arc being less productive and playing into the Hawks hands.

Harry Marshall and David Lewis continued their good early season form with another dominant display across half back which restricted the home team's ability to score.

Bryce Crossley came into the team as a late replacement for youngster Dom Misso, who could not shake off a thigh injury, and while not as fit as he could be, Crossley played his role well. Also doing the job asked of him was Matt Mazarolle, who came into help cover the Sandgate tall forwards.

It was good day for the Pies with three victories on the day, with the Reserves notching up a  78 point win and the Colts earning a hard fought 13 point victory. 

This Saturday the Magpies have their first home game for the season when they host Wilston-Grange at Chelmer, who are 1-1 after 2 rounds.

Western Magpies 7.3 - 45 | 11.7 - 73 | 12.9 - 81 | 17.17 - 119

defeated

Sandgate Hawks 1.2 - 8 | 4.4 - 28 | 7.11 - 53 | 8.12 - 60

Best: Jaenke-Cain, De Winter, Lewis, Ielasi, D.Mitchell, Marshall

Goals: De Winter 7, Davis 2, Dwyer 2, Johnson, Saunders, Ielasi, Jaenke-Cain, D.Mitchell, Pope 1