An undermanned Western Magpies Reserves were no match for the ladder leading Palm Beach Currumbin side on Saturday. Due to extensive injury and unavailability in the Senior side, several top line Reserves players were given well deserved opportunities in the Senior game leaving the Reserves slightly depleted despite the inclusion of several top line Colts players.

Some late NEAFL call-ups resulted in more ‘uphill’ flow, leaving the Magpies with just 18 players, resulting in a couple of Colts backing up and coach Kiran Verma also suiting up despite having played the previous evening.

In contrast, the Lions side were up and about on their home deck in front of a Premiership reunion crowd and featured many quality players with senior experience displaying a depth that would be the envy of many clubs, and many Lions were quick to point out that until this point in the year, their senior side had enjoyed minimal injury interruption allowing their Reserves to settle into a cohesive unit.

A cohesive unit they were, running out 106 point winners after a 10 goal to nothing first half. The Magpies did compete well around the ball, and the inside 50 count was likely not as the scoreline suggests, but the young Pies outfit had no answer to the experienced forwards of Palm Beach who took full advantage of quality forward entries.

The Pies best performers were 16 year old Jack Briskey who again showed he has a big future despite the scoreline, while 3 other teenagers in the midfield worked hard to stem the tide in Jordan Bonney, Zane Lovell and Chris Jenkins.

Special mention also to Lawson Campbell and Luke Beetham who backed up from the Colts for their 2nd match of the day.

Lions 6.6 - 42 | 10.9 - 69 | 15.11 - 101 | 21.17 - 143

defeated

Magpies 0.1 - 1 | 0.5 - 5 | 4.6 - 30 | 5. 7 - 37

Best: Briskey, Jenkins, Vine, Bonney, Lovell, McDougall

Goals: Not recorded