MCCARTHY HOMES MATCH REVIEW - WASTEFUL PIES ENJOY STRONG WIN

The Western Magpies have had a 64 point win over Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday.  Both teams were down on key personnel, but it was the Magpies who showed their superior depth in a dominant display.

At half time the Pies had kicked 4.13 with the coaching staff tearing their hair out at missed opportunities, with not many of those rushed or touch shots as a string of simple set shots were burned.  However, on the positive side - the Magpies had picked up where they left off the previous week, absolutely dominating general play and field position, with the inside 50 disparity significant.

Luckily for the Pies, their invitation to the Gorillas to get back into the match through a strong 2nd half was ignored and a dominant 6 goal to 2 goal third quarter put the Magpies well on top with the 4 points in their keeping by three quarter time. 

The Pies then also put the foot on the throat in the early parts of the last quarter to lead by 12 goals late in the game but to Coach Brydan Morgan's disappointment the Pies eased off and allowed the home team three late goals. The Pies won 15.21-111 to 7.5-47 to move to fourth place on the QAFL ladder. 

Drew Mitchell regained his Bill Peirce winning form from last year to be a powerhouse in the centre and he kicked 2 early goals to get the Pies going.  It was important for the captain to show strong composure to bang home important goals off either foot in general play as teammates were missing simple set shots.  Meanwhile Jono Macanawai continued his great early season form to also add to the Pies midfield dominance, where he was dominant in tight despite close attention from his opponent who tried to put him off his game repeatedly, only for the reply to be yet another clearance or hard ball get from Macanawai.

Another midfielder in Ben Jaenke-Cain celebrated his 150th Senior match for the Magpies with another non stop workmanlike performance, something Magpies supporters have come to expect from him. 

Brady Allen was again solid across half back in his 2nd game back for the Senior side with his raking left foot opening up scoring opportunities for the Pies and his ability to slip forward and knock one through the big sticks from outside the paint also a handy attribute!

Anthony Corrie only kicked 2 goals but he worked hard up forward on the lead to create scoring opportunities, and was again solid with his inside 50 ruckwork and Kale Reed hustled at ground level to put pressure on the Grange defenders to create several turnovers and he kicked three goals himself after being a regular hit up target to the surprise of many!

Jake De Winter also kicked three goals as the Pies shared the goal kicking around, and despite a hanger of his featuring in 'marks of the week' - it was inexplicably called back for a push by the umpires!

The Magpies have another bye next weekend and while goalkicking practice may be on the agenda, they will have a light week this week to recharge the batteries before hosting Labrador in another big game at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday 16 June

Western Magpies 2.8-20 | 4.13 - 37 | 10.19 - 79 | 15.21 - 111

defeated

Wilston Grange 1.0 - 6 | 2.1 - 13 | 4.1 - 25 | 7.5 - 47

Best: D.Mitchell, Macanawai, Allen, Corrie, Jaenke-Cain, Reed

Goals: DeWinter 3, Reed 3, Goodall 2, Corrie 2, Allen, Saunders, Franks

Genuine Garage Door Solutions - Reserves Review

RESERVES GET SEASON BACK ON TRACK

The Western Magpies Reserves have got their season back on track with a comprehensive 47 point victory over Wilston Grange on Saturday. 

Like their Senior counterparts, the Reserves were generous in the last quarter to allow Grange late goals to reduce the winning margin, but generally dominated the contest. The Pies won 16.8-104 to 8.9-57.

The Magpies were on the front foot from the first bounce and established an early lead which they held onto for the match and had the game well in their keeping by three quarter time. 

Young rover/small forward Sam Parker was a livewire all match and he has been a good inclusion for the Pies, while Aaron Maricic continues to push his case for a Senior recall with another polished display in midfield and up forward. His clean ball handling skills and accurate disposal are back to what they were several years ago before a spate of injuries affected his fitness. Gerard Moore was again a tower of strength at centre half forward with his marking ability and deft touches bringing teammates into the play and veterans Sean Mewing, Peter Kilroy and Sean McEvoy were almost impassable at half back and they showed there is plenty of life in the old dogs yet.

Jeremy DeRooy was a strong marking forward target and he finished with 4 goals after missing last match.

The Pies will be strengthened in coming weeks with the expected return of Lachlan Woods and Val Pope as they host Labrador and Morningside in successive weeks.

Western Magpies.  4.2-26  |  9.4-58 | 12.4-76 | 16.8-104

defeated

Wilston Grange.      2.3-15 | 3.3-21 | 3.4-22 | 8.9-57

WESTERN MAGPIES

Best: S. Parker, S. Mewing, A. Maricic, S. McEvoy, G. Moore, P. Kilroy

Goals: J. DeRooy 4, S. Kwizera 2, G. McKinnon 2, G. Moore 2, F.Collison 2, L. Dennis, A. Maricic, S. Parker, T. Dowdy

Arabon Financial Services - Colts Review

COLTS SNATCH NARROW WIN IN NAIL-BITER

The Western Magpies Colts have won a nail-biter over Wilston Grange in a Colts heavyweight battle between the second and third teams on the ladder. The Pies Colts now go to second place on the ladder to establish themselves as one of the teams to beat in 2018.

The Pies looked down and out late in the game at one point but fought back with 2 late goals to snatch a 5 point win, 7.9-51 to 6.10-46.

The match was an evenly fought game with both defensive units not giving an inch, making scoring difficult. 

Rover Dan Edwards continues his fine 2018 form with another prolific ball winning match, defender Chris Moloney was tight at the back, centreman Jacob Sheath was again in the thick of the action and Zane Lovell and Chris Jenkins were also busy players.  Ruckman Samson Ryan was again impressive and it was a quality first outing in the Black & White for Bruce Reville.

An innacurate Grange side costs themselves a half time lead before bursting to life in the 3rd quarter to kick 5 straight and take an 8 point lead into the final change, however the Magpies came home strong with 5 scoring shots to 2 in the final term to convert their field position to goals and the 4 points in a tight contest.

The Pies have another bye before they get a string of matches in a row starting in a fortnight, will go a long way to allowing these team to build momentum as the season progresses.

Western Magpies 1.2-8 | 3.2 - 20 | 5.6 - 36 | 7.9-51

defeated

Wilston Grange 1.5 - 11 | 1.8 - 14 | 6.8 - 44 | 6.10 - 46

Best: Edwards, Moloney, Sheath, Lovell, Jenkins

Goals: Johnson 2, Resuggan, Pearson, Ryan, Reveille, Arok

Coopers Friday Night Footy - Match Review

Woodsmen overrun by Eagles to drop to 2nd spot on % at halfway mark

The ladder leading Woodsmen sunk to a 2 point loss against Zillmere in a tough loss on Friday night in Kiran Verma’s 150th game.  Having controlled the match for a majority of the play, they fell in a heap to give up 3 quick goals in the final 10 minutes to give up a 17 point lead.  In hindsight, failing to convert their momentum throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarters after a 5 goal opening term was the real killer – but to fold in the final 10 minutes was hugely disappointing.

Given the last 4 outings vs Zillmere have now resulted in 2, 5, 1 and 3 point losses – the boys certainly should have known they wouldn’t lie down, but instead there was a sense of ‘job done’ well before the siren sounded.

It was a bright opening in the opening quarter after Zillmere were able to kick the opening goal from the first centre bounce inside 30 seconds, the Woodsmen then banged home 5 consecutive goals in a commanding 15 minute period, with Jason Evans up and about with 3 first quarter goals.  For the opening goal, Roderick was able to find Hockley who took a quality contested mark before kicking long to Evans who outmuscled his opponent and kicked truly from 50m.  Hockley was then able to convert his own set shot soon after before Evans managed to snap one over his shoulder and convert another tight set shot after some beautiful leadup work was finished with a spearing pass to his chest from Chris Davis and the Woodies were up and about.

Unfortunately some ill-discipline (apparently?) then resulted in 2 late 50m penalties to Zillmere to close the ¼ time margin to 15 points, a disappointing scoreline given Zillmere entered their forward 50 just twice prior to the late 50m penalties.

The 2nd quarter was more of an arm wrestle as Zillmere broke even around the clinches as the game was largely played between the 2 arches with just the 1 goal each and minimal scoring opportunities, but the half time margin was cut to just 12 points.  It was again a bright opening to the 2nd half, with Will Lloyd and Chris Judson in particular getting on top in the middle of the ground with some quality clean exits from stoppages to set up 2 mercurial goals to Shayne Baldwyn.  Sadly some more simple set shot were missed and the Woodies again failed to convert a period of dominance to a match winning lead with a 16 point lead and the final change.

The opening of the final quarter started with a flurry, with Zillmere getting repeat forward 50 entries for the first time in the match and applying plenty of pressure around the footy with multiple run down tackles to create turnovers.  Meanwhile the Woodies scoring opportunities were starting to dry up, and failure to convert was an issue with a couple of shots out on the full and a simple missed shot.  Once again, 2 more mystery 50m penalties created 1 goal and further forward momentum for Zillmere and the margin was 9 points with just 6 minutes on the clock.  The Woodies were then left without a ruckman due to dislocated fingers for a brief period, leading to confusion at the centre bounce and 2 quick centre clearances and 2 quick goals to put the back to back premiers in front for the first time since the 2nd minute of the game.  The Woodsmen responded, pushed the ball forward from the final centre bounce but the potential match winner sailed agonisingly wide to cut the margin to 2 points before the siren sounded on a disappointing loss.

While it was just the 2nd loss of the season, it was disappointing only for the result as the effort of the players couldn’t be questioned.  Giving up 4 goals (half the opposition goals) from 50m penalties in hindsight was a killer blow, and while 3 of the 4 were questionable at best – the players must learn to maintain discipline and play the umpires whistle.  (Apologies to Mika, if the umpire calls play on, it may not actually mean play on!)

Woodsmen 5.3 – 33 | 6.4 – 40 | 8.6 – 54 | 8.8 – 56

Defeated by

Zillmere 3.0 – 18 | 4.4 – 28 | 5.8 – 38 | 8.10 – 58

Best: Lloyd, Judson, Ness, La Burniy, Hocking, Roderick

Goals: Evans 3, Hockley 3, Baldwyn 2

PLACE PREVIEW - PIES LOOK TO BUILD MOMENTUM

The Western Magpies will want to keep the momentum from the past two wins going as they travel to the northern suburbs to do battle with old rival Wilston Grange. While the word revenge is not a positive one and dwells on the past, the Pies will still be keen to avenge a couple of narrow losses from last year which cost the Pies a finals spot.

The situation is a bit different with the 2018 Magpies looking a much stronger and more versatile outfit than the 2017 model and the Gorillas sit in eighth spot on the ladder with a single win to their name. However they have been competitive in all their matches to date and while the Black and Whites will be nominal favourites, there are no guarantees in the QAFL this season.

The Magpies will be without their best player to date in Ryan Harwood and also will be missing Will Fletcher—both are unavailable for this match. Another big loss is Dylan Adkins, who misses with injury, and also out of the side are Lachie Dennis and Luke Brennan to the Reserves.

In comes Ben Jaenke-Cain for his 150th Senior Game for the Magpies after recovering from back spasms and young Queensland Academy player Caleb Franks also returns for the Pies from Lions NEAFL duties. Doug Lawrence returns after missing last week and Redlands listed Stephen Mills come back in and both will bolster the defence after key defender Aaron Highlands goes into the ruck in the absence of Adkins and half back Fletcher is missing. Also back in after a remarkable selection run is Brodie Easton, who has gone from the Woodsmen to the Reserves to the Seniors in successive weeks.

Obviously the loss of Harwood and Adkins will hurt the pies but the return of Jaenke-Cain offsets the loss of Harwood somewhat and Highlands when asked has been excellent in the ruck.   Arguably the result of the 5 ins and 5 outs is a net gain to the Pies.

Jack Goodall remains at the Pies for this week and he has been good whether in a key forward or back post or pinch hitting in the ruck. He will start at centre half forward this week and will provide the Pies with a marking option up forward to complement Jack Austin  and Jake de Winter. Franks joins Kale Reed and last week’s QAFL Rising Star Riley Easton as the small forwards and they all provide forward pressure and know where the goals are.

Gareth Crawford has found the elixir of youth in the past two matches and his grunt work with Jono Macanawai in midfield has given the Pies midfield dominance in the past two victories.

The Pies need to be on-song from the first bounce as they were last week to establish control to ensure no repeats of 2017 when they let the four points slip in tight matches against Grange. A win here sets the Pies up for a mid-year assault after next week’s general bye.

QAFL Round 7: Western Magpies v Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday, June 2nd @ 2 pm.

B:  Brodie Easton  Stephen Mills   Luca Winton

HB: Brady Allen Doug Lawrence  Luke Mitchell

C:   Brenton Saunders  Gareth Crawford  Dave Lewis (VC)

HF:  Anthony Corrie  Jack Goodall  Kale Reed

F:    Tom Ielasi  Jake De Winter  Riley Easton

Foll:  Aaron Highlands Drew Mitchell (Capt) Jono Macanawai

I/C: Matt Davis,  Jack Austin, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Caleb Franks

In: Ben Jaenke-Cain, Brodie Easton, Doug Lawrence, Stephen Mills, Caleb Franks

Out: Dylan Adkins (injured), Ryan Harwood, Will Fletcher (both unavailable) , Lachie Dennis, Luke Brennan (both Reserves )

One 2 One Plumbing - Reserves Preview

RESERVES LOOK FOR TWO WINS IN A ROW

The Western Magpies Reserves will be looking to make it two wins in a row when they take on Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday.

The Pies have several keys ins for the match with Logan Murray in for his first match of the season and he will add some strength to the midfield in the absence of the promoted Brodie Easton and still injured Bryce Crossley.  

Also in are winger Luke Brennan and Lachie Dennis goes into the centre and both will be keen to impress the selectors to get an early recall back to the Seniors.

Jeremy DeRooy and Sempitake Kwizera come back in after missing last week and both will also add to the Pies forward power and Kurt Vine returns to add height to the backline.

The Pies midfield looks strong with ruckman Nathan Congram impressing with his strong marking and contested work and with Sam Hartog, Sam DeNys and Murray form a formidable midfield quartet. Add Aaron Maricic and the Pies should get the ball forward often enough to kick a winning score. Another good match by Maricic and he will be knocking on the door of Senior selection. Gerard Moore provides the big forward target as he continues to build match fitness and youngster Finn Collison the mobile forward target and with Kwizera and Sam Parker livewires at ground level the Pies are capable of kicking a big score.

The half back line of Peter Kilroy, Chris Hunt and Sean Mewing is solid and can be an attacking weapon and with Harry Marshall and Sean McEvoy in the backline with impressive newcomer Zach Collison the Pies back six looks strong. Marshall’s goal last week did not get him out of the backline and McEvoy’s goal kicking deficiencies  have resulted in him moving deep into defence!!

The Magpies will want to consolidate in the five against a Grange team sitting eighth on the ladder and they cannot afford any more losses in matches they should win.

QAFL Round 7: Western Magpies Reserves v Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday June 2nd  at 11.30 am.

B: Zach Collison, Harry Marshall Sean McEvoy

HB: Peter Kilroy Chris Hunt  Sean Mewing

C: Luke Brennan Lachie Dennis Tristan Dowdy

HF: Sam Parker  Monty Vine Finn Collison

F: Aaron Maricic Gerard Moore Sempitake Kwizera

Rucks:  Nathan Congram  Sam Hartog Sam DeNys

I/C:  Logan Murray,  Gabe McKinnon, Jeremy DeRooy, Kurt Vine

In: Luke Brennan, Lachie Dennis, Logan Murray, Sempitake Kwizera, Jeremy DeRooy, Kurt Vine

Out: Brodie Easton (Seniors), Max Webber, Matt Mazarolle (both unavail), Jordan Bonney, Chris Jenkins (both Colts), Angus Wyllie (Woodsmen)

Anytime Fitness - Colts Preview

MAGPIES COLTS FACE STERN TEST AGAINST WILSTON GRANGE

The Western Magpies Colts, currently third on the ladder, face a stern test against the second placed Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday morning.

Both team come off the bye and should be fresh but after the Pies recent intermittent matches where they have not had 2 games in a row some rustiness may be a concern.

The Pies welcome Mitchell O'Dea and he has speed to burn on the wing and young beanpole ruckman Samson Ryan impressed on debut a fortnight ago with some old time clever tap ruckwork. Chris Jenkins enjoyed his spell in the reserves last week and he will again be a livewire with other speedy forwards and on-ballers in Deng Arok, Dan Edwards and Noah Resuggan.

The backline looks solid with Whitlam Bishop and Chris Moloney leading the way and Jayden Johnson and Harry Keenan will be the forward targets.

It is a big match for the young Pies and if they can get the 4 points in this match it will set them up for a top two finish at season’s end.

QAFL Round 7: Western Magpies Colts v Wilston Grange at Stafford on Saturday, June 2nd at 9.30am

B:   Zane Lovell  Chris Jenkins (vc)  Cooper Crowell         

HB:  Chris  Moloney  Whitlam Bishop (vc)  Charlie Thorpe

C:  Mitchell O'Dea  Jacob Sheath  Jacob Aurich  

HF:  Sean Ryan  Jayden Johnson Abdullah Haddad  

F:    Harry Keenan Noah Resuggan (Capt)  Cameron Ferguson

Rucks: Samson Ryan Deng Arok Dan Edwards  

I/C: Harrison Radcliffe Lachlan Pearson Tom Slatter  Bruce Reville

Coopers Friday Nighty Footy Preview

The ladder leading Woodsmen come up against the competition benchmarks of the past 2 seasons tonight in back to back Premiers, the Zillmere Eagles.

These 2 sides played out 3 thrilling contests in 2017, decided by 3 points, 1 point and a heartbreaking 4 point Major Semi Final loss that ultimately ended the Woodies season - so the Woodies will be eager to put their best foot forward.

Not just in 2017, but over many seasons it has always been a great contest between these two teams who have plenty in common.  Plenty of older experienced heads, a dash of youth, questionable training habits and the ability to outlast opposition clubs in the bar post match are certainly common traits, as are a strong will to win and two sides who want to compete hard when they cross the white line.

As has been often the case this year, the Woodsmen have made plenty of changes this week but have at least managed to keep it to a (relatively speaking) low number of 5, which is a good sign as the side looks to build continuity.

Out go Mitch Merritt, Dylan Mudge both rested, Jamie Page and Jeffson Fehr-Smith who are unavailable and Brendan Garvey an unlucky omission after a solid outing on debut last week.

Into the side come Angus Wyllie & Braydon Thomas from the Reserves, live-wire Jake Fuentes and gun defender David Jackson back from injury and tall defender Simon Purkiss back from being unavailable due to family commitments.

It's a strong looking lineup this week, with a good mix of youth and speed to compliment the experienced core. 

The Woodies strength has always been their resolute defence and this week will be no different, as there is an embarassment of riches to pick from with at least 12 blokes in the squad having claims to being part of the best back 6 on offer!

Matty Prior will line up in the opposite pocket to regular Reserves player Angus Wyllie making his Friday night Woodies debut.  He is rumoured to be a bit of a hard nut, so should slot in nicely for the Woodies.  In the square is the 'stopper' in Simon Purkiss, while its a very attacking half back line in 150 gamer Kiran Verma, Josh Young and the 'Minister of Defence' himself, David Jackson!  Not to mention the versatile Chris 'Stink' La Burniy coming off the pine as a defensive rotation.

The starting on-ball division consists of experienced veterans in Andrew Thomson and Chris Judson, nicely complimented by the youth and speed of Will Llloyd and Sam Curtis with elder statesment in Ben Ness and Brenton Hocking changing from the pine.  On the wings will be the youngters from Ipswich in Braydon Thomas and Tommy Roderick who will give the side plenty of speed and a quality work-rate.

Up front the Woodies will be looking for a little more from the Captain/Coach Chris Mihalopoulos who is down on form and has struggled to hit the scoreboard of late, while in contrast fellow veterans in Matt Hockley (20 goals in last 4 matches) and Jason Evans (3 on Woodies debut last week) will be key targets and will look to bring Mika into the game to get some confidence back. 

At ground level the live-wire Jake Fuentes transforms the look of the team with his speed and agility, while the mercurial Shayne Baldwyn will be looking to take some hangers and crumb plenty of footy as well - not even he knows which option he'll take!  Mr Consistent, Chris Davis will be applying plenty of forward pressure with his tackling and harassment while also looking to hit the scoreboard and key forwards with his accurate kicking.  The in form Alec Parsons offers versatility off the bench where he can change on the wing, as well as play small or tall up forward.

Get down to McCarthy Homes Oval tonight at 7:30pm for what should be a cracking night of footy to celebrate Special K's 150th game.

Woodsmen vs Zillmere - 730pm Fri June 1

B: MattyP - Simmo - Angus
HB: K - Josh - Jacko
C: Braydon - Juddo - Tommy
HF: Davo - Hocks - Shayno
F: Mika - Evo - Jakey
Foll: Thommo - WillL - Sammy

Int: Alec - BrentonH - Stinko - Nessy

EMG: Mitch - Brendon - Mudgee

Mack Trucks Milestone Alert - Jaenke-Cain notches 150th Senior Game vs Grange

Ben Jaenke-Cain will play his 150th Senior Game for the Western Magpies on Saturday at Wilston Grange.

Ben's first season in Senior Football as a 17 year old was a memorable one as he was a member of the Western Magpies 2008 Premiership side that came from 45 points down in the Grand Final to defeat Palm Beach-Currumbin at Broadbeach. 

He started playing as a junior at Springwood then crossed to Sherwood and was the Brisbane JAFL Under 16 Division One League Best & Fairest winner in 2006. 

Ben says he joined Sherwood in 2004 in under 14s for two reasons

1. He wanted to play with a few mates

2. He wanted to wear the famous black and white stripes as he was (and still is) a passionate Collingwood supporter. (thats the only type isn't it??)

Ben has experienced the highs and lows of football at the Magpies as after the 2008 Premiership, the Pies were elevated into the Velocity Sports Cup in 2009 and struggled to make an impact. He was among the Pies most consistent players in a tough two years and when the Pies decided to drop back a level when the NEAFL was formed he elected to play at the highest level he could and joined Redland in 2011.

He rejoined the Pies in 2013 and slotted into the midfield where he has played most of his footy since then. He had his best year in 2014 when he won the Bill Pierce Medal for Best & Fairest  after a prolific season and has figured in the top 5 in voting in every year since then.

Not endowed with searing pace and sometimes struggling to kick the ball over a jam tin, he never stops working and competes hard at the contest and just wins the football over and over again - one of the more important traits of a midfielder one would think!

In the Magpies player profiles over the years he is regularly dubbed both "Mr Perpetual Motion" and "Mr Consistency" and comments along the lines of “works hard at both ends of the ground’, “works hard back into defence"  "provides  a link forward as well as winning plenty of hard ball in the centre square” and “a fine contributor all season and rarely had a bad game”.   These frequent comments underline his contribution over 149 senior games to date!

Ben turns up week in, week out, is also “ Mr Durable” as he has missed only a handful of games in his 9 years at the Pies and continues to play well in the middle of the ground. He is a coach’s delight as he goes about his work with a minimum of fuss and is a popular clubman at the Pies.

He says the highlights of his career are the 2008 flag, the Bill Peirce Medal in 2014 and being elevated to the Magpies Leadership Group in 2018.

He credits his grandfather Ron for getting him into Australian Rules footy and developing a love of the game and has had great support from his Mum Karin and Step-Dad Stuart ( a Magpies trainer for many years) and his father Donald who all contributed to his development as a player and gave him the determination and dedication he has today.  His partner Danica is also a great support to him and he credits the guidance and support of family and friends for the success he has had to date. 

At 27 years old he has plenty of footy in front of him and he still enjoying he game and says there is a buzz about Chelmer at the moment as the Pies build momentum this year. He still has the fire in the belly to compete at a high level and  strongly believes the 2018 Pies have the ability to go all the way.

"Gut Feelings V - A WEEKLY COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS FROM INFLUENTIAL MINDS DEEP INSIDE THE NEST

"Gut Feelings V"

Some deep thoughts from deep in the nest!

• Everything about the Sandgate clash had a feeling of 'upset' written all over it.  Home side coming off a morale boosting win, unfamiliar night game, sprinkle of rain...but the Pies sure put that to bed with a ferocious opening half and were as dominant as anyone has seen for many a year.
• The Pies won virtually every position, with miserly defence, a strong midfield and a busy forward line
• There were 5 multiple goalkickers, with a Ryan Harwood masterclass nabbing 6 goals, Jake De Winter and Tom Ielasi 5 each and Kale Reed and Anthony Corrie 3 each.
• Harwood suggested in pre-season it may take 5 or 6 rounds to adjust, turns out it was only the 3-4 as his past 2 outings have been superb, polling the maximum 10 votes in the Syd Guilford medal voting, taking him to 4th place.
• Jake De Winter was spotted dishing off a few handballs on Saturday, and even at one stage in the third quarter he was looking to pass when 35m out - sanity prevailed and he went back, line up and slotted it straight through the middle.  He now has 20 goals to his name in 4 games and sits 2nd on the QAFL leaderboard.
• The Senior side played an exciting and free brand of footy, with plenty of handball form congestion and run through the middle.  The players certainly look to be enjoying their footy and its starting to show in the results.
• Certainly kudos must go to Coach Morgan in keeping the group up, as while they appear to be playing free flowing footy - there is hours of training and preparation to create that illusion, as every player is adhering to clear structures and roles.
• The Pies will be looking to continue the momentum this week when they head to Stafford to take on Wilston-Grange.  Two close losses to the Gorillas in 2017 cost the Pies a finals berth, so we certainly owe them one!
• On that theme, interestingly the Pies will come up against a recent team-mate and club junior Luca Mason who opted for an 'in-season switch' of allegiance.  Should be an interesting day for the youngster.
• The only dampener on the big Sandgate win was injury to Dylan Adkins who will likely miss this week, at least its an injury and not a poorly timed birthday shindig!  With the bye only a week away, if he does miss, hopefully its just a week.
• SAVE THE BUMP - Jack Goodall was involved in 2 massive collisions early in the match, he won the first battle but the 2nd caught him off guard as he was 'ironed out' with a good old fashioned bump.  He's made of stern stuff though, and was back to his feet laying a tackle within seconds and continued his good form and battled manfully throughout the 2nd half in the ruck against a couple of big units!
• The Reserves and Woodies also had good wins over the weekend, with the Reserves boosting their %  by 36 to 114 to lift them into 5th place (the Seniors lifted by 33% to 138%) and the Woodies re-claiming top spot with a big win over UQ.
• Tommy Ielasi once again showed his class with another polished display. Arguably the best kick at the club off either foot, and his ability to pinpoint targets off one step is a great asset.
• Forwards Kale Reed and Anthony Corrie were also rewarded for several weeks of effort with 3 goals each.  Reed's forward pressure was a highlight, and he also hit up the ground and brought his teammates into the game.  Corrie provides great direction and a target up forward that demands respect, his forward 50 ruckwork is also underrated just quietly!
• Zach Collison played his first match for the Pies in the Reserves and was joined by younger brother Finn.  Both are what can be described as having tall, lithe builds but both throw themselves at the contest and cannot be missed with their mops of hair.
• The Reserves had a few small livewire forwards on fire on Saturday with Max Webber, Sam Parker and Colts player Chris Jenkins in his first match in the reserves.  Jenkins has good ball skills and knows where the goals are, he should be pushing himself to greater heights this year.
• Good to see Harry Marshall sneak forward for a goal in the Reserves to join regular defender Sean Mewing amongst the goals.  We think this would have to be Harry's first goal for the Pies, Sean McEvoy could have joined them but another shanked attempt cost him.  Might be time for Lasho to give up and leave him in D50 where he belongs!
• The Magpie Colts sure have a stop start year, with their schedule reading bye, match, bye, match, bye - makes you wonder why other clubs didn't support an extended Colts season to make up for Sandgates withdrawal.
• Despite having no opportunity to build momentum, they sit 3rd on % and take on the 2nd placed Wislton Grange this week in a big match, cooincidentally the Gorillas are also coming off a bye in a quirk of fixturing - should be a cracker!
• Bit of chat about the AFL introducing zones, one can only hope this is a joke. The local U/10 side can't wait to get out of their zones! Like many of us - they might just give it away if they don't leave the bloody game alone!
• Bit of temptation at lower levels of footy to always play your best players on the ball, the Woodies have recently switched Matt Hockley to CHF after flogging him unchanged in the midfield for 12 months.  The reward?  Hauls of 6,6,3 and 7 goals in the most recent 4 week stretch!
• Will be good to see Logan Murray back this week, he'll be itching to go after a long pre-season and a carry-over suspension from 2017.
• It looked like it could be the end of the road for the Club President in the Woodsmen on Friday night, ironed out early and sporting a cracking shiner - he was then unceremoniously dominated in the ruck to the point where he didn't bother competing at some centre bounces.  At the end of the game, he vigorously enquired as to the identity of his conqueror and was told it was a recently arrived US College Baskeballer who has a decent vertical leap.  Old Thommo was said to have felt much better upon that news!
• Speaking of old dogs, 2017 B&F Winner Gareth Crawford has been drinking from the fountain of youth, how good has his recent form been?  #evergreen
• The Woodsmen won on Friday night 14.15-99 to 3.4-22.  When team manager Craig Nipperess asked those who kicked goals to let him know, the final tally came to 22 - seems honesty isn't always the best policy.  (usual suspect Chris Mihalopoulous was correctly awarded just the 1 after claiming 5, but there was still a phantom goal in the end as Brenton Hocking was robbed of his debut goal in the books)
• Couple of 150 game milestones this week, more on that elsewhere - but the Magpies will be looking to celebrate some big ones this year.

MCARTHY HOMES MATCH REVIEW - PIES SHINE BRIGHT UNDER LIGHTS

The Western Magpies had a comprehensive and emphatic 126 point victory over Sandgate under lights at Sandgate on Saturday night.

In what many thought was a danger game for the Pies with the trifecta of the Hawks coming off a fantastic win last week, a night game and some rain about, the Pies came out on song and put the result to bed with a 6 goal first quarter and a brutal 10 minute period in the 2nd quarter where they banged home 6 straight goals, setting the scene which for the final 126 point margin 26.16-172 to 7.4-46

The Pies made a statement to the QAFL with the manner of the victory in that they put Sandgate to the sword with rapid ball movement, accurate disposal, a strong midfield presence, resolute defence and multiple scoring options up forward.

The Pies played more freely than in recent matches and their handball inside and disposal at the contest was a highlight. They were not afraid to attack through the middle and kick long although they forgot what got them 9 goals in the second quarter to be a little guilty of overusing the football in the third quarter, almost too eager to share the spoils of their dominance.

A simpler use of the football in the final quarter garnered a further 7 goals to finish with a percentage boosting win and fifth place on the QAFL ladder.

The Pies percentage received a boost from 105.8% to 138% to have the second best percentage in the competition which may prove vital at the end of the season. 

Led by a Ryan Harwood masterclass, the Pies took control from the first bounce to stamp their authority on the match. Harwood kicked 6 goals, missed a handful of others and dished off 5 or 6 to be involved directly in 10+ goals while also gaining 40+ quality possessions in midfield and across half forward. His disposal by hand and foot, combined with his vision was, well it was AFL standard!

Not far behind was a "workmanlike performance" from Jono Macanawai but that description does not do him justice. He was hard at the contest, his tackling was ferocious, but he also won plenty of ball in tight contest and his vision under pressure to find a teammate with hand and foot was a highlight and gave the Pies midfield dominance.   If you have time to watch the replay, I'd invite you to keep an eye on some of his work, absolute pure silk at times!

Not much further behind was Tom Ielasi, who keeps winning the hardball, finds space and his foot skills off both feet are top shelf. He topped his game off with 5 goals, several from 50 metres on both right and left foot.

Luca Winton, a former club junior, but unknown quantity at the start of the year at senior level was given an opportunity early in the season and has made every post a winner.  Another composed match down back where his reading of the play, ability to spoil at the contest and then mop up and deliver to a teammate has been a revelation and a bonus recruit for the Pies. He has shown clean ball skills and as medium tall has good skills in the air and at ground level and a strong willingness to run and break the lines through sheer work-rate.

Riley Easton was very busy across half forward and he applied good pressure on the Sandgate defenders to force several turnovers and this game was his best this year but he had already started to find form in the past two matches.

Jack Goodall as pinch hitting ruckman was superb and with injury to Pies No 1 ruckman Dylan Adkins before halftime,  he with Aaron Highlands took up the cudgels against two very tall opponents to nullify them at the ball ups to give the Pies an even chance at the football.  Goodall's willingness and desire to compete 100% at every contest is why is fast becoming a Magpie favourite.

In reality the Pies did not have poor player and a 5 goal performance would usually get top billing but Jake De Winter does not figure on the best players list yet he was always a dangerous presence for the Hawks defenders to be good player and Kale Reed chipped in with 3 goals to also continue his strong form.

The injury to Adkins was the only dampener on the win and coach Brydan Morgan reminded his players that they need to prepare for another big game against a traditional rival in Wilston Grange at Stafford next Saturday.

Sandgate Hawks 3.3 - 21 | 3.4 - 22 | 7.4 - 46 | 7-4 - 46        

Western Magpies   6.2 - 38 | 15.6 - 96 | 19.9 - 123 |  26.16 - 172

Best: R. Harwood, L. Winton, T. Ielasi, J. Macanawai, R. Easton, J. Goodall

Goals: R. Harwood 6, J. De Winter 5, T. Ielasi 5, K. Reed 3, A. Corrie 3, D. Mitchell, J. Goodall, B. Saunders, R. Easton

Anytime Fitness - Reserves Review

RESERVES BACK IN THE GAME--HOLD SANDGATE GOALLESS

The Western Magpies Reserves are back in the QAFL season and the five after an emphatic victory over Sandgate on Saturday evening.

The Pies had a percentage boosting 107 point win over the winless Sandgate and in the process kept the home team to only 4 behinds for the match. 

The Pies won 16-15-111 to 0-4-4 and as a result of the big win the Pies percentage received a boost from 78% to 114.5% and it puts them in fifth place on the ladder. 

It was a patchy performance from the Pies who dominated long periods of the match but were at times wasteful when going forward.

Obviously the backline was strong with Chris Hunt controlling proceedings and he looks to be not only enjoying himself but getting back to form and playing the football he is capable of playing. 

First gamer Zach Collison settled in quickly in the back pocket and looks to be a find for the Pies with good ball handling and decision making. Half backs Peter Kilroy and Sam Hartog also thwarted many Sandgate attacks and initiated numerous Pies' counterattacks. 

Sean Mewing started across half back but enjoyed the opportunity to go forward and he kicked two goals and set up a few others in a good display.

Ruckman Nathan Congram returned from a last round injury and dominated in the middle of the ground with good ruck work but also strong marking around ground. 

Brodie Easton gained plenty of possessions as he begins to find good form and Aaron Maricic in his return match from illness showed he had lost nothing with a polished display in midfield and up forward that will put him in serious consideration for a Senior recall in the near future.  

The Pies had a bevy of young nippy forwards who created plenty of goal scoring chances. Chris Jenkins, promoted from the Colts,  was busy in his first Reserves match, while Max Webber, Sam Denys ad Angus Wyllie put forward pressure on the Sandgate defenders.

Young tall Finn Collison with Gerard Moore were strong targets up forward and brought team-mates into the match. 

The Pies have a must win match this week when they meet Wilston Grange at Stafford and a win will be the catalyst for a further charge up the ladder in coming weeks. 

Sandgate  Hawks    0.2 - 2 | 0.2 - 2 | 0.3 - 3 | 0.4 - 4

Western Magpies.   3.4 - 22| 6.8 - 44  | 14.11 - 95 | 16-15 - 111

Goal Kickers: B. Easton 2, M. Mazerolle 2, F. Collison 2, A. Maricic 2, S. Mewing 2, M. Webber 2, C. Jenkins 2, G. Moore, H. Marshall
Best Players: N. Congram, B. Easton, A. Maricic, S. Hartog, P. Kilroy, S. Mewing

Coopers Friday Night Footy - Match Review

The Woodsmen travelled to Coorparoo on Friday night to take on the UQ Red Lions in windy conditions.  With a few debutants in the side and the Woodies looking to bounce back, it was a strong start early with the Woodsmen banging home 5 goals in the first quarter to take a 27 point lead at the first break.  The run from defence was a strong feature in particular with Kiran Verma, Matty Prior and Jamie Page pushing hard for handball receives to link up through the midfield.  Tom Roderick and Alec Parsons were strong on the wings, with Roderick in particular impressing with his work rate.

In the clinches, Judson and Curtis were supreme – despite the dominance of UQ’s giant ruckman – the Woodies continually won it out of the middle to push forward where the prehistoric forwardline of Mihalopoulous, Evans and Hockley were getting aerial dominance – but struggled somewhat when the ball hit the deck!  The injection of Fuentes, Banim or similar into this side in coming weeks will be crucial!

The Woodsmen added a further 3 goals per quarter to slowly grind away a 13 goal win against a hard running and spirited opposition is what was a solid performance ahead of this weeks matchup with defending back to back Premiers the Zillmere Eagles at McCarthy Homes Oval.

Woodsmen 14.15 - 99 defeated UQ 3.3 - 21

Best: Judson, Curtis, Verma, Parsons, Page, Hockley

Goals: Hockley 7, Evans 3, Parsons 2, Roderick, Hocking 1

PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIES TAKE ON RESURGENT SANDGATE UNDER LIGHTS

The Western Magpies will face a quality young outfit high on confidence when they head to Sandgate to play a unusual Saturday evening timeslot (head to head with the Lions vs Swans!) against an opponent more experienced at night football.  With both teams coming off exciting wins, each of them their first win of the season - its a crucial match for the Pies to press forward after their 0-3 start.

After a string of big defeats, Sandgate caused a big upset when they defeated Morningside last weekend at Morningside.

With their confidence high the Hawks will be a keen to add another win and the Pies will need to be on their guard to ensure this does not happen. 

The Magpies also enjoyed their first win of the year last week in a comprehensive victory over Surfers Paradise but the Pies form in early rounds had been good and a win was in reality just around the corner., and could be the icebreaker the side needs

The Pies made three changes to the side with Brady Allen coming in to replace the unavailable Doug Lawrence, Will Fletcher back from Aspley to the back flank and exciting young key forward Jack Austin has worked his way back into the side. Also out is Ben Jaenke-Cain with back spasms, and Sam Hartog can consider himself unlucky to find himself back in the Reserves.  

Jack Goodall will show his versatility at centre half forward and while the key forward post has been a concern for the Pies this year, last week the livewire Jake DeWinter had a day out with 10 goals and was supported by Anthony Corrie working up the ground as well as contributing 2 goals. Tall youngster Jack Austin adds some height and marking power to the Pies forward line.

Dylan Adkins has gradually worked his way into the season and has been good in ruck and also has been busy around ground which pleases his coach Brydan Morgan.  Ryan Harwood has led from the front in midfield and on the flank and Jono Macanawai gets through a power of work and has been a model of consistency this year.

Last week the back six were fantastic, applying great pressure on the Demons forwards and Morgan will expect the same despite some personnel changes.

Brady Allen is no stranger to CHB while Aaron Highlands has been excellent in key defensive posts and Tom Ielasi has been solid all season.  David Lewis has been in great form and may have a run in the midfield this match and Will Fletcher looks bigger and stronger since last year and is key addition to the Pies for this match.  

Sandgate will be a big challenge at home and may be be further bolstered due to the Aspley bye.

The Pies cannot afford to drop another game this early on and if they bring the pressure game and clean ball handling skills they displayed last week should prevail on the big Sandgate ground that has recently been fully resurfaced and should be a treat in the autumn twilight.

QAFL Round 6: Western Magpies v Sandgate at Sandgate on Saturday, May 26th at 630pm.

 B:  Tom Ielasi  Aaron Highlands  Luca Winton

HB:  Will Fletcher Brady Allen Matt Davis

C:   Lachie Dennis  David Lewis (vc) Luke Brennan

HF:  Anthony Corrie  Jack Goodall  Ryan Harwood

F:    Brenton Saunders Jake De Winter  Riley Easton

Ruck:  Dylan Adkins Drew Mitchell (Capt) Jono Macanawai

I/C: Gareth Crawford, Kale Reed, Luke Mitchell, Jack Austin

In: Brady Allen, Jack Austin, Will Fletcher

Out: Ben Jaenke-Cain (back), Doug Lawrence (unavailable), Sam Hartog (Reserves)

Arabon Financial - Reserves Match Preview

PIES RESERVES BOOSTED WITH BIG NAMES RETURNING

The Western Magpies Reserves have made 9 changes to the side that lost in disappointing fashion last week with several big inclusions.

Aaron Maricic returns after missing 2 matches due to illness and he had been in superb form in the first 2 rounds so will be keen to regain touch and improve match fitness. Gerard Moore returns after a week out, 200 gamer Gabe McKinnon is in for his first Reserves match this year after regaining fitness with some quality displays for the Woodsmen after a late start to his pre-season, Sam Hartog comes back from Seniors, and Sean McEvoy and Nathan Congram come back in after missing a week to bolster the midfield.  Also in for his first game for the Pies is tall defender Zach Collison. Collison injured a groin in the pre-season and makes his long awaited Magpies debut on Saturday.  Another youngster in Jordan Bonney also gets his chance in the Reserves. 

Brady Allen gets a much deserved recall to Senior ranks, Bryce Crossley tweaked a knee, Rohan Smith injured a finger, Jeremy DeRooy has a Uni exam and Sempitake Kwizera is ill. 

With Moore in the key forward post the pies have a big target and youngsters in Max Webber and Tristan Dowdy might enjoy some crumbs. Chris Hunt moves to CHB and Sean Mewing to the flank and then there is tall utility McKinnon on the bench to cover any eventualities.

Nathan Congram was missed last week and is a big inclusion to give the Pies control of the ruck and will give the consistent Sam Denys, Sam Hartog and Brodie Easton first use of the ball.

Sandgate have struggled this year and the Pies will start warm favourites to win their second match of the season, but playing in difficult twilight conditions and will need to be on their game.

After indifferent early season form, Coach Des Lashman will want a four quarter effort from his side and with positions on the line will expect all his players to play hard consistent football.

QAFL Round 6: Western Magpies Reserves v Sandgate at Sandgate on Saturday May 26th  at 4:00pm. 
 

B: Zach Colllison, Harry Marshall Sam Parker

HB: Peter Kilroy Chris Hunt Sean Mewing

C: Sean McEvoy  Brodie Easton Tristan Dowdy

HF: Jordan Bonney Monty Vine Finn Collison

F: Aaron Maricic Gerard Moore Max Webber

Followers: Nathan Congram Sam Hartog Sam DeNys

I/C:  Angus Wyllie, Gabe McKinnon, Chris Jenkins, Matt Mazarolle

Emerg:  Alec Parsons, Tom Roderick

In: Gabe McKinnon, Gerard Moore, Nathan Congram, Sean McEvoy, Sam Hartog, Aaron Maricic, Zach Collison, Chris Jenkins, Jordan Bonney  
Out: Brady Allen, Jack Austin (both Firsts), Rohan Smith (finger), Bryce Crossley (knee), Jeremy DeRooy (exam), Sempitake Kwizera (ill), Zane Lovell (concussion), Alec Parsons, Tom Roderick (both Woodsmen)

Coopers Friday Night Footy Preview

The Woodsmen will be looking to bounce back this week when they take on UQ under lights at Coorparoo in a double header at the 'Friday Night Bites' event.  Bouncing back is not just about getting the win, its going to be about restoring some of the pride that somehow went missing in the last outing.

Once again, as is often the case with this outfit - 7 forced changes have been made with some big ins as well as some big outs to balance the ledger.

Into the side comes the ever green defender Chris 'Stink' La Burniy, ruckman Andrew Thomson, key forward Jason Evans and former Magpie junior Brenton Hocking for his Woodsmen debut.  That takes care of the 'older inclusions' while it will also be exciting to see young Tom Roderick back for his 2nd game for the Woodsmen, important inside midfielder Will Lloyd also returns and Brendan Garvey will make his Woodies debut.

Out go Brodie Easton, Max Webber and Gabe McKinnon to the Magpies Reserves, while Greg Matthews, Tim McEvoy, Travis Young and Simon Purkiss are all unavailable.

UQ sit 8th on the ladder, but are more than capable of taking a few scalps - including knocking off the Woodsmen in their last outing in 2017, so its expected to be a tight tussle and exactly what the team needs is a good solid hitout against quality opponents.

It will be exciting to see 2 fresh debutants in the side, as well as some familiar Magpies faces like Jason Evans coming out of the square and Tommy Roderick working up and down one wing.

the on-ball division will be bolstered by the return of Thomson i the ruck and will bat deep at ground level through the likes of Judson, Lloyd, Hocking, Curtis and Ness rolling through, as well as Davis, Baldwyn and Mihalopoulous if required.

The Woodies will look a little short down back, but make up for it in strength and desire.  Bell at fullback is like an immovable object and Young at CHB can play tall without too much trouble, just as La Burniy can as well despite his short stature.

Come down to Coorparoo to enjoy the great atmosphere, good tunes, amazing food and scintillating (!) footy 7:30pm, Giffin Park Fri 25 May

Woodsmen:

B: Prior - Bell - Fehr-Smith

HB: Verma - J.Young - LaBurniy

C: Parsons - Judson - Roderick

HF: Davis - Hockley - Baldwyn

F: Mihalopoulos - Evans - Merritt

Foll: Thomson - Lloyd - Curtis

Int: Garvey - Hocking - Mudge - Ness

EMG: Ormesher - Enright - Krause

"Gut Feelings" IV - A WEEKLY COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS FROM INFLUENTIAL MINDS DEEP INSIDE THE NEST

"Gut Feelings IV"

Some deep thoughts from deep in the nest!

• Jake De Winter bagged 10 on the weekend, matching other memorable 10 goal hauls from Senior Magpies in the last decade such as teammate Anthony Corrie in 2012 vs Mayne and one of the Pies greatest goalsneaks in Adam Gillespie who kicked 10 vs Springwood in 2008.
• De winter was one of 3 players in the QAFL in Round 5 to poll the maximum 10 votes in the Syd Guildford Medal.
• Luke Mitchell with 8 votes obviously caught both coaches eye, while Aaron Highlands polled 5 and Luca Winton polled 2
• Luke Mitchell played arguably his best Senior game in Magpie colours with 25+ quality disposals, poise in traffic and faultless decision making.  Pint point disposals while also maintaining a strong work-rate, applying plenty of pressure to the opposition ball carriers
• Luca Winton also played a sterling game in his 4th senior match at his junior club after returning in 2018.  Reading the play beautifully, Winton was the intercept king on the day - particularly in the 3rd quarter when he racked up 5+ marks and 10+ disposals alone.
• Also in the back 6, Coach Brydan Morgan was effusive in his praise.
• Aaron Highlands took yet another step forward as a senior footballer playing a quality match at Centre Half Back, displaying maturity beyond his years.  Several key contested marks were a highlight.
• 19 year old Sam Hartog impressed with his attack on the footy, and in one passage he laid three consecutive tackles to thwart what appeared a certain Surfers Paradise goal.  Repeat efforts are a great way to earn respect from the Magpie crowd!
• Dave Lewis, played like...well he played like Dave Lewis and Dougy Lawrence was damaging in the air, swithcing play, shutting down key forwards and also just for good measure, chased down a flying Demons midfielder on the wing to lay a textbook tackle and win a free kick.
• In the Reserves, youngster Sam 'Snowy' DeNys continues to impress and hasn't yet produced a bad game, a great way to put you name forward for Senior selection.
• Des Lashman struggled for words that could be repeated in polite complany after his  Reserves lost on Saturday. Des had  a few choice words to describe the overall effort of his side and as we know Des can be the user of "colourful" language so anyone who knows Des will have a fair idea how he described his team's performance. That said Lasho is working hard to turn his team's fortunes around and the Reserves should return to the winner's list against Sandgate this Saturday.
• Des was also seen  to infiltrate the Seniors winners circle singing the club song after the a great win--some wags suggested he was subbing in for Heathy!!  Heathy was also there to help sing the song and he decided this was more important than escorting the umpires off the ground--good to see Heathy has his priorities in order
• The Colts had a comfortable victory in the twilight game on Saturday and coaches Jake Fuentes and Kiran Verma have their side playing an exciting brand of football. Blessed with a fleet of nippy and fast onballers and forwards in Jayden Johnson, Deng Arok, Abdullah Haddad, Sean Ryan, Dan Edwards and Ritti Batilimoyo the Pies moved the ball quickly into the forward line and their skill levels were excellent.
• Young Toowoomba product, ruckman Samson Ryan brought tears to the old timers eyes with some brilliant tap work where he put the ball in the bread basket of his onballers several times to remind everyone there is still a role for the tap ruckmen. Some of his outstanding work directly resulted in Pies goals.
• It is still frustrating to watch the boundary umpires looking over shoulders and waiting for the ruckmen to arrive and set themselves for a boundary throw in. As suggested last week, get rid of the nominated ruckman rule, throw the ball in as soon as possible and get the game moving.  This pause is one of the greatest causes of congestion at any level of footy!
• This pause also lets ruckmen get a 'free rest' too as they dawdle to stoppages knowing umpires will wait.
• The crowd at McCarthy Homes Oval on Saturday was very healthy, and was swollen by the beautiful ladies of Chelmer who enjoyed the Pies victory from the sideline marquee.  Certainly added a touch of glamour to the 'Berg' and hopefully the champagne glasses were clinking as the Magpies posted each goal.
• Speaking of major sponsors McCarthy Homes - they were pleased to get one up on their friendly competitor Metricon Homes who sponsor Surfers Paradise Demons!
• With the Woodsmen having a bye, a couple of lads took the opportunity to have a kick with local Division 3 club the mighty Moorooka Roosters, with Kiran Verma and Matty Prior almost helping them to their first win in some time before going down by just 5 points.  'Special K' was happy to report to anyone that would listen that he had a severe bout of leather poisoning,
• Regular back pocket Matty Prior, when asked, told the Roosters coach he was a mid/forward and as a result managed to snag a couple of sausage rolls for his troubles.  Miracles never cease!
• Keen observers of the Woodsmen would have noted the match report from their recent loss to Jimboomba.  The scribe certainly pulled no punches!
• While it was their first loss of the season, our correspondent did not pull any punches in assessing the collective effort of the side on a cold and miserable night down the Mt Lindsay Highway.  Most frustrating for the suitably chastened group is that they then encountered the bye so have had to wait 2 full weeks to redeem themselves against UQ this wee,
• It must be said, the result was not the issue, but rather than effort.  As the author stated "This side has suffered far greater defeats when the stakes were higher, but never has he seen such a lack of effort from a traditionally proud and never say die footy side."

Important Note:

Sherwood Footy Club Celebration of 50 years of Senior Football is scheduled for Saturday August 18 when the Pies host Sandgate.  Celebrations will encompass all eras under the Sherwood Football Club banner. (Sherwood, West Brisbane, Western Magpies, Woodsmen).  There will be a commemorative guernsey with names of all players who have donned the black & white at open age level.

Combined 1978 and 2008 Premiership Reunions -  celebrating 40 years and 10 years respectively will be Saturday 21 July when the Pies host Palm Beach Currumbin at home.  The 1978 team in the middle of a dominant run of 8 consecutive flags(!) had an easy win over arch rivals Mt Gravatt while the 2008 Premiership is legendary at the club after coming from 45 points down for an improbable win against the hot favourites in Palm Beach Currumbin.

MCCARTHY HOMES MATCH REVIEW - DE WINTER IS HOT AS PIES KNOCK OFF DEMONS

The Western Magpies high leaping and dynamic forward Jakob De Winter has booted 10 goals to lead the Pies to their first win of the year with a comprehensive victory over the 4th placed Surfers Paradise at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday.

De Winter was on fire from the time he booted the Magpies' first goal at the 5 minute mark of the first quarter and then kicked a further 2 goals for the quarter. His bag of 10 goals were from  a combination of high flying marks, speed and agility at ground level and a couple of easy goals when the Pies were able to get past the Demons' press, leaving him open to run into the square unmarked.

De Winter's haul was the highlight of a comprehensive performance from the Pies as they won by 55 points, 18.7-115 to 9.6-60 in front of a healthy Ladies' Day crowd in perfect autumn weather.

The win boosts the Pies percentage and lifts them into fifth place on the QAFL ladder. The  Pies have 4 points but so does last placed Sandgate, who caused a boilover by defeating a struggling Morningside on Saturday, so the ladder is congested after the top 3.

After last week when they lowered their colours, the Pies midfield gritted their collective teeth and fired up and won the midfield battles which gave De Winter and Anthony Corrie plenty of chances to kick goals. Corrie contributed 2 goals but he also worked up the ground and took plenty of marks to then set up a number of Pies goals, including turning the clock back for a bit of a hanger in the 2nd term on the far flank!

Luke Mitchell played more on ball and had arguably his best match for the Pies with over 25 quality possessions and Tom Ielasi again showed poise and class with incisive kicking into the forward line. Dylan Adkins won the hitouts for the Pies and worked hard all around the ground and Gareth Crawford was busy around stoppages, winning some crucial clean breakaways to setup several scoring opportunities.

Aaron Highlands was strong in the key defence post and took some important contested marks to keep the Demons at bay. Luca Winton in defence was solid and played his best game for the Pies to date, with in excess of 10 marks and plenty of rebound. Matt Davis worked hard on his wing and Sam Hartog laid some key tackles at crucial times to stem any hope of a Surfers comeback.

Coach Brydan Morgan was pleased with the pressure his side was able to apply to the contest which forced plenty of turnovers and the ball movement by both hand and foot was by far the best of the season. He was also happy that the Pies kept the pressure on even when the game was well in hand to outscore the Demons 6 goals to 3 in the final quarter.

The win was also particularly pleasing for club sponsors McCarthy Homes who will enjoy friendly bragging rights over Metricon Homes who are a major partner of Surfer Paradise Demons!

The Pies travel to the northern suburbs on Saturday to play Sandgate who are coming off a solid win over Morningside at Morningside. There are absolutely no easy matches in the QAFL and the Pies will be very aware of the danger that awaits them on the weekend.

Western Magpies

 3.1-19 | 8.3-51 | 12.5-77 | 18.7-115

Surfers Paradise

 1.1-7 | 4.3-27 | 6.5-41 | 9.6-60

Best: J. De Winter, L. Mitchell, A. Highlands, L. Winton, M. Davis, T. Ielasi
Goals: J. De Winter 10, A. Corrie 2, J. Goodall, R. Harwood, R. Easton, B. Saunders, K. Reed, D. Adkins

One 2 One Plumbing - Reserves Match Review

RESERVES IN ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING LOSS

The disappointments keep adding up for the Western Magpies Reserves after another loss in a match that got away. Once again the Pies did not come to play and were behind the eight ball for the first half then when they got into gear to level the scores late in the game put the cue in the rack and the Demons kicked away again to win by 21 points.  The Pies went down 11.8-74 to 8.5-53 and now sit in eighth place on the ladder.

The Magpies teams look far stronger on paper than in 2017 so either the standard of the Reserves competition has gone up, the Pies are not as good as they think or they are just not turning up to play--likely a bit of all three but the last is the one that frustrates coach Des Lashman the most and who has vowed after the game he will keep searching for committed players to lift the side out of the doldrums.

Lashman was happy with a number of his younger players in young high flying forward Jack Austin, ruckman Monty Vine, nippy on ballers Sam Parker and Max Webber, rover Sam DeNys  and half forward Tristan Dowdy. Veteran Sean Mewing also worked hard across half back.

Austin provided a target up forward to boot 3 goals and put a case for a Senior recall, Vine worked tirelessly in ruck, DeNys was again good  and has not had a bad game this season and Webber was busy in his first match in the Reserves. 

The Pies have three winnable matches in the next 3 rounds and must start to get some wins on the board if finals are to be a realistic target.

Western Magpies

2.0-12 | 3.2-20 | 6.2-38 | 8.5-53

Surfers Paradise

4.2-26 | 6.3-39 | 7.7-49 | 11.8-74

Goal Kickers: J. Austin 3, T. Dowdy 2, S. Mewing 2, M. Mazerolle
Best Players: J. Austin, M. Vine, S. Mewing, S. Parker, M. Webber, B. Easton

Anytime Fitness - Colts Match Review

COLTS BOUNCE BACK TO WINNERS LIST WITH BIG WIN

The Western Magpies Colts have returned to the winner's list with a comprehensive 90 point victory over Surfers Paradise on Saturday evening.

Before a good twilight crowd, the young Pies put their stamp on the match early to boot 3 goals in the first 5 minutes and were never threatened thereafter.

The Pies midfield were on top and this gave the small and medium forwards plenty of opportunities and they nipped here and there to boot the majority of the Colts goals. The defence were solid and gave little away all night.

The Colts played a high standard of football and again look the real deal in 2018.

Abdullah Haddad and Deng Arok were both busy across half forward and in midfield and they applied forward pressure to the Demons defence and both got on the scorecard as a result. Charlie Thorpe led a rebounding half back line and midfielders Jacob Sheath and Sean Ryan controlled proceedings around the packs.

Tall ruckman Samson Ryan was impressive with some clever tap work to give his rovers an armchair ride.

The Colts have another bye this week as Sandgate do not have a Colts side in 2018.

Magpies 16.10 - 106 defeated Demons 2.4 - 16

Best: A. Haddad, C. Thorpe, J. Sheath, D. Arok, S. Ryan

Goals: S. Ryan 2, A. Haddad 2, D. Edwards 2, L. Pearson 2, J. Johnson 2, C. Ferguson 2, H. Radcliffe, O. Prior, D. Arok, H. Keenan