Harvey Norman Oxley - Colts Match Review

COLTS CHALLENGED BEFORE TAKING THE POINTS

The Western Magpies Colts weathered a first half challenge from a determined Mt Gravatt before taking control in the second half to run out 32 point victors, 9-8-62 to 4-6-30.

Mt Gravatt, second last on the ladder came to play and had the pies on the back foot  for the first half. The Magpies lifted after half time and kept the Vultures goalless in the 2nd half and restricted them to just 3 behinds in windy conditions.

The defence was superb with CHB Whitlam Bishop, half back flanker / wignman Lawson Campbell and full back Tom Evans holding Mt Gravatt at bay.

Cade Scott was strong on ball and Jackson Paynter provided a high forward target at CHF. Lachlan Davies in ruck just gets better each game and Cam Ferguson sent a strong message with a quality game up front putting 4 goals on the board.

The Magpies will be looking for a sold win over the Surfers Sharks to secure a top 3 position but they will need to on guard as the Sharks will be a dangerous proposition at home in their last game of the season.

Magpies 3.1 - 19 | 4.5 - 29 | 6.5 - 41 | 9.8 - 62

defeated

Mt Gravatt 2.2 - 14 | 4.3 - 27 | 4.6 - 30 | 4.6 - 30

Best: Bishop, Campbell, Paynter, Scott, Davies, Evans

Goals: Ferguson 4, Crowell, Davies, Mehari, Thorpe, Paynter 1

McCarthy Homes Milestone - 'SMACK' Brings up 200!

If you are looking for the definition of loyalty then look no further that Sean "Smack" McEvoy, who played his 200th Senior club match for the Western Magpies on Saturday.

Sean has been a constant at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer since he started Auskick as a little tacker in 1994 then began in Under 8s in 1996 and went through the ranks in junior football to the Colts then Reserves and Seniors. 

He played his 183th Reserves game on Saturday to add to his 16 Senior games and a lone outing for the Woodsmen earlier this year. 

Sean has Black and White flowing through his veins as a member of the McEvoy family. Dad Michael was club President for many years and is a Life Member, Mum Julie was club Treasurer for 6 years, brother Tim played over 200 Senior games and is also a Life Member and brother Brett also played for many seasons at the Pies. And there is brother-in-law Reid Dobson who also played over 200 Senior games and is another Life member of the club.  

Sean played most of his football in number 8 but he says he wore number 5 in the 2007 Reserves premiership, which is one of the highlights of his career. This year he was a late starter so lost his coveted number 8 but as per usual there were no complaints from him and he wore whatever jumper was available—number 17 on Saturday.

He graduated from Sherwood juniors in 2005 to the Colts team, which is still regarded as one of the best teams to don the Black and White.   Sean reckons it could have taken on any Under 18 side in the country and been competitive. 

Coached by the legendary Alan Hagley,  the Pies defeated Southport in the Grand Final at the Gabba with a side that contained the likes of the Scott brothers, Luke and Andrew, Mick Hamill, Val Pope, Rohan Bail, Ben Heffernan-Roper, Adam Peel and Dean Nipperess to name a few. He regards that as the best team he has played in. Sean missed the premiership as he was recovering from a fractured tibia but says it was comfortably the best team he played in. 

The other highlight was the 2007 Reserves premiership when the Pies defeated Surfers Paradise at Zillmere.  The disappointments were the Reserves Grand Final losses in 2008 to Aspley after leading by 6 goals and then the loss to Sandgate at Maroochydore  in very windy conditions in 2011. 

He played mainly in defence and had the occasional run in the ruck and in many matches was giving away height and weight but he always managed to win many of the contests. He has never won any best and fairest awards but was always a consistent performer and won a couple of best player in the finals awards which says a lot as he played well at the business end of the season. 

Going back to the beginning, his first mentor was Kevin Kluver in Auskick then had Graham Shaw from Under 8s through to under 12s where he captained the side for one season. His father Michael also coached him for a couple of seasons before Graham Shaw again and Steve Mitchell coached in Under 14s and Under 16s.

In Colts he had Alan Hagley and then Craig "Sounda" Barden  and he credits all his coaches for the skills he learnt and also for continuing to teach as well as further develop his love for the game. In Reserves he had some excellent coaches in Peter McClennan, Des Lashman and Craig Allen.

Other than his fractured leg, he says he has been lucky with injuries, only missing with a back injury several years ago. He also says, tongue in cheek, that his night shift work as an electrician at Australia Post was a blessing in disguise and has probably extended his career as he has missed training so has not worn himself out too early!! 

Some of the better players he has played with include Val Pope, the Scott brothers, Mick Hamill, big Gerard Moore and was always amazed at what Matt "Clock" Thompson was able to do. 

Sean has spent 26 years at the club and has probably donned the black and white of Sherwood and Western Magpies for about 350 matches in total. He is forever thankful for a supportive family and that now includes wife Jasmine who has supported him in playing footy and the club can look forward to another dynasty of McEvoys with his 2 boys, Ted 3 years and Hugh, 6 weeks, probably not having much choice in their preferred footy code or club!!  

So to loyalty you can also add dependability and putting club before self. Sean has had his ups and downs selection wise but you never hear him complain and in recent seasons he has always been ready to fill the gaps in the Reserves when and where required. 

All at the Western Magpies and extended Sherwood family congratulate Sean "Smack" McEvoy on reaching the 200 match milestone, a great achievement for any footballer. 

ANYTIME FITNESS COLTS PREVIEW - DOUBLE CHANCE THE AIM FOR THE COLTS

The Western Magpies Colts will be keen to return to the winners list on Saturday morning when they host the eighth placed Mt Gravatt in the second last round of the home and away season.

The Pies are currently in 5th place on the ladder but play lower sides in Mt Gravatt and Surfers Sharks and wins in both matches puts them on track for a 3rd place finish and the double chance.  Currently they trail 3rd placed Broadbeach and 4th placed Morningside by 4 points and with Broadbeach having the bye this round and then playing the top placed Palm Beach-Currumbin in the final round  the pies could go a game ahead while Morningside play second placed Wilston Grange tomorrow and if they lose then the Pies better percentage will see them ahead of the Panthers.

That all rests on the young Magpies winning their final two matches.

Coach Dallas Gallagher has his side playing good football at the business end of the season and despite a loss to Wilston Grange last week, there was plenty to like about the Pies. They matched the Gorillas for large parts of the match and did not get reward for effort.

They regain speedsters Jonty Macdougall and Ritti Batilimoyo and big forward Cam Ferguson, who they missed last week. They will miss the hardness of Darcy Prest in the midfield as he represents Queensland under 17s against Vic Metro at Ikon park on the weekend and tall forward jack Briskey, who is out with an injury. The Pies have a strong midfield led by Noah Resuggan, Cade Scott and Sean Ryan and Lachlan Davies in ruck has been in good form. The defence has been solid all year with Whitlam Bishop, and lawson Campbell being consistent defenders all year and  up forward ferguson and Jackson Paynter are the big forward targets.

The Pies must win this match if they want to secure the double chance and at home have the incentive to pocket the four points.

 QAFL Round 18: Western Magpies Colts v Mt Gravatt  at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday, August 10th at 09.30 am 

B:  Lawson Campbell Jacob Aurisch  Tom Evans

HB: Charlie Thorpe  Whitlam Bishop  Jack Spry                                           

C:   Rory Edwards Noah Resuggan  Brodie Gardner

HF:   Sam Mehari Jackson  Paynter  Ritti Batilimoyo

F:   Jonty MacDougall  Cam Ferguson   Cooper Crowell

Rucks:  Lachlan Davies

            Cade Scott             

Rover:  Sean Ryan   

Int:   Abu Kante,  Morgan Smith, Tyler Bobin, Kelly Siemer

Emerg: Byron Kohler, Kai Tierney

In: Jonty MacDougall, Tyler Bobin, Ritti Batilimoyo, Cam Ferguson

Out: Darcy Prest (Qld Under 17), Jack Briskey (injured), Lachlan Pearson, Ethan Mooney

Coopers - Friday Night Footy Preview

In a huge night down at McCarthy Homes Oval tonight, where  Pie Night will be in full swing, there will be 4 junior games across the back and front ovals – the headline act will be the Woodsmen hosting Morningside in a QFA Elimination Final.

It was a tough start to the year for the Woodies, with injuries and unavailability rampant in addition to extensive injury to the senior squad resulting in many players who expected to play Woodies ending up playing plenty of QAFL Reserves footy instead.

However, a late season surge where the Woodsmen managed to go from fighting for a finals berth to hosting the elimination final has seen them enter the finals having won 6 of their last 7 including defeating Morningside just 2 weeks ago on their home deck.

Even in the back half of the year, it hasn’t been smooth sailing with the win over Morningside costing the Woodies key players in Matt Garland (hamstring), Reid Dobson (calf) and Nick Kelly (ankle). However, despite this they have managed to name an extremely strong 26 with depth across the park making it a formidable side.

Key ins are the electric Irishman, Sammy Banim who can create a goal from nothing and the evergreen Chris La Burniy to provide defensive cover.  The midfield looks particularly strong lead by former senior Premiership players in Chris Judson and Lachlan Woods as well as the consistent performers Sammy Curtis, Sam DeNys nd Dom Morrison.  The ruck division is again likely to be a solo effort from Andrew Thomson, though Jason Evans has shown plenty of grunt in his stints on the ball at ground level and is more than capable of giving a quality ruck chop out if required.

Down back there is a mix of experience and youth, with club stalwarts Matty Prior and Tim Green marshalling the troops along with Chris Davis giving them plenty of run across half back with Josh Young and classy left footer Matt Bilko.

On the wings, the coaching architects of the 2018 Colts Premiership will be roaming each side in Kiran Verma and Jake Fuentes and they will be looking to show they can do more than move magnets!

The veteran fowardline contains plenty of smarts, with the injection of speed from the electric Irishman.  Holding down key posts are the sharp shooter Matt Hockley and the strong marking left footer, Jason Evans.  In the pockets and on the flanks will be a mixture of resting mids and club legend Chris Mihalopoulous is a dangerous proposition for opposition players to match up on.

Making up the bench are the evergreen 40 year old in Chris La Burniy, the versatile Mitch Merritt along with midfield/wing rotations in Dom Morrison and Will Gillespie.

The Woodies play an incredibly physical style of game and will again rely on their intensity around the ball, tackling hard, hitting packs hard and putting their bodies on the line. This often comes at the expense of a bit of speed and fitness, but is the trademark of the Woodies outfit!

However, this hardness and enver say die attitude has been nicely complimented in 2019 by the addition of a bit of youthful speed and the class of a select few.

It should be a cracking contest, with the Pies having plenty of scoring power in this week and a deep running midfield to compliment the always stingy defence.

Get down for a look, enjoy a Pie on the club Pie night and cheer on the boys.

U11 matches start from 6pm, with the Woodies commencing at 745pm

GUT FEELINGS - BROUGHT TO YOU BY REGIS AGED CARE CHELMER

• It was a reunion of sorts for the Western Magpies  in Vienna last weekend where a number of Magpies personalities were attending the wedding of a schoolmate.

• The highlight of the weekend ( after the wedding festivities, of course) was a footy game involving the  Vienna Galahs. Our very own legend David “Barts” Bartlett was the umpire for the fixture - it was like the good old days when there was only one umpire and he never left the centre square!!  Ex- Pies  Pablo Calderola, Paul Zilmann and Curtis McNamara attended along with current player Peter “Killa” Kilroy.

• Curtis McNamara  reportedly  rode from Belgium to Vienna over 3-4 days to be at the wedding— may be the fittest big Curtis has been for sometime!!

• To get in the swing a fortnight ago Barts modelled the very distinctive Galahs guernsey which is - you guessed it— grey, white and pink!!

• Barts is doing a European trip which will include a day at Lords for the second an Ashes Test. A good time to be an Aussie in London, I reckon!!

•  Gut Feelings mentioned the spread of AFL overseas in an early season story and the Vienna Galahs are testament to that.

• There is a new set of twins in the club with Luca Winton shaving the head a fortnight ago and, lo and behold, he looks like the skipper, David Lewis. A bit of man love there!! Several spectators got them confused and it is no wonder as they both had plenty of the footy against the Gorillas.

• The Grey Magpies Awards for the Wilston  Grange game went to Riley Easton for Firsts, Brady Allen for Reserves and Lachlan Davies for the Colts. Easton was also awarded the prestigious BG Award for “Courage and Commitment”, which he displays every match in spades!!

• Allen is now showing what he is capable of with a couple of good games in the Reserves, playing mainly in defence, after a late start to the season. Davies is a tall key position player finding his way in the ruck and has continued to grow in the role as the season has progressed.

• The Ladies' Day a fortnight ago was a huge success and a big thanks to Shelby Beams for doing a great job in organising the event. Over 100 beautiful ladies attended all looking absolutely gorgeous and they enjoyed the entertainment with MC Brett Staker looking dapper as always and keeping the day moving.

• It was also great to see a big contingent remain at the club well into the night to celebrate the Pies’ big win. And the Ladies’ Award went to a tall, dark and handsome young man--who else could it be but Aaron Highlands!!

• Ryan Harwood did an Eddie Betts with his seventh and final goal against against Grange when he booted a brilliant check-side goal from the boundary on the scoreboard flank late in the final quarter. It will certainly be a contender for the AFLQ Goal of the Year. And he celebrated as they all do with arms raised while lying in his back!!

• Speaking if goalkicking feats, Val Pope turned back the clock with 6 goals in the Reserves. Val has several 6 goal hauls in Seniors over the years and he was actually the Pineapple Hotel  Cup leading goal kicker for the competition one season playing as a small forward with 78 goals — not a bad effort!!  He also had an affinity for Mt Gravatt over the years with a few 5 and 6 goal matches against the Vultures over the years!! Hmmm, food for thought next week!! (Late mail—Pope has been re-called to the Seniors for the Mt Gravatt match)

• Also showing the class which gained him 70 odd AFL matches with the Brisbane Lions was Claye Beams, whose game a fortnight ago oozed all class. Beams started in defence, rolled through the midfield then was dangerous when he was post forward later in the game. Several of his passes were bullet like and one or two 20 metre handballs which hit their intended target “left breast, lace out” brought tears to an old timer brought up on Polly Farmer and then Diesel Williams ( look them up) brought tears to the eyes!!

• It is fantastic to have quality people like Claye and Shelby Beams in the club and they have contributed already with Claye in the playing leadership group and Shelby getting involved with the Ladies’ function.

• Gerard Moore showed he is up there with the best ruckmen in the QAFL with another great display in ruck against the Gorillas. The “Big G” knows how to position his body, reads the play well and is strong overhead but also clean below his knees, which is “gold” for a big man. Enough said— “G” got a headline in the QAFL review from Round 16 so better not get him too excited!!

• Ex-General Manager of the Western Magpies in 2009-11 Anthony McDonald was the guest interviewer of David Parkin at the Sportsmans’ Luncheon recently and did a great job from all reports.

• Macca was also Reserves coach for a season and he has a special place in his heart for the Magpies. He has had a part-time role as an assistant coach with Brisbane North Under 16s in the past few years but has devoted time in recent years to building his corporate coaching business, which is now very successful. I hear he may be looking to get back into a Senior coaching position next season and with a wealth of coaching experience and man management skills will be a valuable acquisition for any club which manages to snare him.

• The Magpies’ Darcy Prest has been named in the Queensland Under 17 team to play Vic Metro this Sunday at Ikon Park (Princes Park) in Melbourne so all at Magpie land wish the talented youngster all the best. Prest will be a key player for the Colts in the upcoming finals’ series.

• Three Sherwood Under 12 players are currently representing Queensland in the Australian Under 12 Carnival in Perth. Jack Slater, Jack Harrison and Jacob Edwards were selected for the team which is coached by the Magpies legendary Brett “Noodles” McEvoy. The future at Chelmer is  looking assured.

• Kevin Kluver, as we know, is a great clubman and is willing to put his hand up to do most jobs if it helps the Magpies. However, Kevin was required to man the scoreboard for all three matches at the Pies home match against Wilston Grange a fortnight ago and that is asking a bit much of him. The pies are no different to most footy clubs in that it is run by volunteers and thjere is a shortage of those at the club at the moment. The likes of David Bartlett, Phil Kelemen, Bryan Millar have put their hands up year in and year out and the club is looking for anyone else who might want to be involved. The aim is to have enough volunteers to share the load so  no one person has too much to do, as was the case for Kevin two weeks ago.

• Great story on Deng Arok last week on this Facebook  page which is well worth a look. The story originally appeared on ABC News and on the AFLQ website. Deng was the recipient of the  Alex Jesaulenko Coaching Internship scholarship which goes to a community coach from a diverse background . Deng, from a South Sudanese background, was born in a Kenyan refugee camp when his family fled a vicious civil war and then moved to Toowoomba when granted refugee status. The scholarship gives Deng the opportunity to spend time at the Brisbane Lions and the report stated that Deng has impressed at the Brisbane Lions. He had the fantastic experience of sitting on the sidelines with coaching staff when Pies played Western Bulldogs last Sunday. The lions said he is a willing learner and always has a smile on his face, which we have noted at the Magpies as well!! Deng is a ripping young man with a ready smile, always greeting everyone and willing to help out where he can. He is currently coaching the Sherwood under 16s and for a young man not much older than his charges he is doing a great job. And he is also playing for the Pies Reserves team as well.

• Well done, Deng.    

• The Grey Magpies have produced a great Magpie Chatter newsletter No 5  with plenty of stories and photos on the David Parkin luncheon and the Ladies’ Day as well as bio-pics on past players Greg Adams, Dennis Hogan and Bruce O’Neill. For a great read have a look at the Sherwood and Western Magpies Old Boys Facebook page. The newsletter is produced by Grey Magpies convenor Shane Bridley who is doing a great job with Greg Adams and Terry O’Shea in resurrecting the Old Boys Association and reconnecting past players with the club

350 SENIOR MATCHES FOR CRAWF

Western Magpies hard as nails midfielder Gareth Crawford played his 350th Senior match when he took the field for the Western Magpies in their QAFL clash with Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday.

The balding Crawford is your footballer's footballer, socks down and always at the coal face in the midfield tussles, loving the contest and using his footy smarts to win the footy  time and again for the Pies. 

Some players are Ferraris, some are V8s, but Crawf is your tractor who just keeps going all match, never looking flash but always on the go and when the going gets tough he will get going!!  

He played just his 54th match for the Magpies on Saturday and says he is loving his footy at the Magpies. The popular Crawford says it is obviously  a proud club with a lot of good people and great players and has made lots of close mates in the process. How could you not like him with with his lopsided smile and waddling running style!! 

It was good mate Ricky Dudley, who joined the Pies in 2015,  who lured him to the Magpies when he moved north in 2016 looking for new employment opportunities. They had player together at Eaglehawk in Bendigo where Crawford played in a premiership in 2008.

He grew up in Hamilton in Victoria's western district where he made his senior debut and then played in close to 150 senior games for the Hamilton Magpies, including a premiership in 2004. 

He was highly regarded in the western district of Victoria and arrived at the Western Magpies with a big reputation,  having won the Brian Hennessy Medal in 2012 as the Western Border Football League Best & Fairest when representing the Hamilton Magpies.  Crawford is also a 5 time Inter League representative and multiple senior best & fairest winner for Eaglehawk in the Bendigo League and at Hamilton Magpies.

Crawford has brought  leadership skills and experience to the Pies  having served as Captain, Vice-Captain and Senior Assistant Coach at the Hamilton Magpies, Hamilton Kangaroos and Old Collegians. In 2015 before moving north Crawford played for Merrivale Tigers in the Warnambool District League where he was among the Tigers best in their Grand Final lost to Dennington.  Crawford joined Merrivale as part of a desire to have a season with a good mate. 

That was a bit of a theme as he played for 9 clubs in his career with the main reason for moving around was to play with good mates. 

His senior games tally is:

--Hamilton Magpies --142

--Lake Wendouree (Ballarat) --9 

--Palmerston (NTFL) --15

-- Kerang (Mid Murray league)-- 16

--Eaglehawk (Bendigo) -- 51

--Old Collegians (Warrnambool) --19

--Hamilton Kangaroos (amalgamation of Hamilton Magpies and Hamilton Imperials)--27  

--Merrivale (Warrnambool) --17

--Western Magpies -- 54

Total = 350

He says the standard of football at the QAFL is the equal of any he played in Victoria and he stamped himself at the Western Magpies by being the joint winner of the Bill Peirce Medal with Drew Mitchell in 2017. 

He moved north to further his accounting career and has been lucky enough to meet his girlfriend Miranda while in Brisbane and will be around for awhile yet. He thinks the Pies are on roll now and reckons they will win their final match and if they sneak into the five are good enough to go all the way. That would be a very proud exclamation mark for a wonderful football career.

Fingers crossed!! 

ONE 2 ONE PLUMBING PREVIEW - RESERVES BOOSTED FOR VULTURES CLASH

The Western Magpies Reserves have been boosted by the four players back from the Seniors in Harrison Kerr, Macauley Lonergan, Lachie Dennis and Jordan Bonney as well as the return of Ben Jaenke-Cain, Joel Workman, Rory Johnson and Peter Kilroy to the team.

The Pies cannot make the finals but they would like nothing better than to give fierce rivals Mt Gravatt a "bloody nose" on the eve of the finals. The Vultures sit in fourth place on the ladder and gave the Pies a bit of a hiding in their round 1 clash this season. 

This Magpies side is much stronger and with the inclusions listed above as well as Jesse Hampel, Jayden Gallagher, Jack Austin, Zane Lovell and Brady Allen in the side have the firepower to inflict a defeat on the visitors. 

Coach Kiran Verma will be keen to continue the Pies winning run and end the season on a high. 

QAFL Round 18: Western Magpies Reserves v Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday, August 10th at 11.30 am 

 B:   Zac Collison Brady Allen Harry Marshall  

HB:  Joel Workman  Hamish Campbell Sam Hartog

C:   Lachie Dennis Jordan Bonney Deng Arok  

HF:   Macauley Lonergan Jesse Hampel Harrison Kerr 

F:  Rory Johnson Jack Austin  Zane Lovell

Rucks:  Monty Vine

             Jayden Gallagher 

Rover:   Ben Jaenke-Cain 

I/C:  Chris Jenkins, Aiden D'Roza, Isaac Bongaarts, Peter Kilroy 

 Emerg: Sean McEvoy, Matt Mazarolle 

In: Harrison Kerr, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Jordan Bonney, Rory Johnson, Macauley Lonergan, Lachie Dennis, Joel Workman,  Peter Kilroy, 

Out: Val Pope (Firsts), Rhett Lloyd (ankle), Finn Collison (hamstring), Gabe McKinnon (Woodsmen), Sean McEvoy  (omitted), Cam Ferguson, Byron Kohler, Oscar Murphy (all Colts)  

PLACE PREVIEW - YOUNGSTERS COME IN FOR DO- OR- DIE CLASH

The Western Magpies have included three class youngsters for their virtual Elimination Final against Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday in round 18 QAFL action. 

Three youngsters in classy ruckman Samson Ryan, speedy winger Bruce Reville and tough on-baller Caleb Franks all return from Redland while at the other end of the spectrum the experienced Val Pope comes in after recent good Reserves form.

The four unlucky players to miss out after such an emphatic victory 2 weeks ago are Harrison Kerr, Macauley Lonergan and Lachie Dennis. 

The Pies must win over the Vultures otherwise they cannot make the finals. A win will put the Pies on level points with Mt Gravatt going into the final round next week and it may come down to percentage after the final round is completed. 

The Magpies are hitting their straps at the right end of the season with AFL recruits in Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams playing some inspirational football and Gerard Moore in ruck giving the Pies on-ballers a fair crack at first use of the footy. Moore has a big job with Ryan on Saturday against the Vultures highly rated ruck duo. 

Brodie Lumbar up forward has really lifted in the past few weeks and with Aaron Highlands provide the tall targets up forward. Pope has a good record against Mt Gravatt and will relish the chance to prove he still has what it takes at the top level. 

Down back the Pies will need to keep tabs on the Vultures key forwards with David Lewis and Jack Goodall both in good form and they should be up to the task. 

Franks joins Riley Easton in the midfield mix and these hard at it youngsters compliment the experienced Gareth Crawford, who will be lining up for his 350th Senior match on Saturday. 

Brenton Saunders is back to his best across half back and Riley Greene has been consistent all year and shows maturity beyond his years--how he has not had a Rising Star nomination is a mystery to this observer while Dan Edwards and Reville on the wings give the Pies leg speed through the middle of the ground. 

The Magpies have closed the gap quickly on Mt Gravatt in recent weeks and will need to be at their best to match a fired up Vultures side who know their season is on the line.

The match will be played in a finals like atmosphere with finals like pressure and the crowd will be entertained by a high quality QAFL match. 

QAFL Round 18: Western Magpies v Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday, August 10th at 2.00 pm

B: Luke Mitchell David Lewis  Brenton Saunders

HF: Riley Greene, Jack Goodall,  Claye Beams

C:  Bruce Reville Luca Winton  Dan Edwards 

HF: Will Fletcher Liam Dwyer  Val Pope

F:  Kale Reed Brodie Lumber  Aaron Highlands  

Rucks:  Gerard Moore

             Ryan Harwood

Rover:   Riley Easton

I/C: Caleb Franks,  Ethan Sivijs, Samson Ryan,  Gareth Crawford, 

In: Samson Ryan, Val Pope, Bruce Reville, Caleb Franks

Out: Macauley Lonergan, Jordan Bonney, Lachie Dennis, Harrison Kerr (all Reserves) 

ANYTIME FITNESS - WOODSMEN SECURE HOME ELIMINATION FINAL WITH WIN OVER MAYNE

The Western Magpies have secured a home Elimination Final this Friday night after defeating Mayne in QAFA Division 4 at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer last Friday night, while rivals Morningside went down as expected to the ladder topping Park Ridge.

The Pies will host Morningside , the team they defeated a fortnight ago. Chris Judson continued his fine form with another BOG display while Matty Prior, Mark Hopkins, Matt Hockley (3 goals), Joshua  Young and Jason Evans were others to shine in the 41 point victory.  

Western Magpies

3.1-19 | 6.5-41 | 9.6-60 | 11.8-74

Mayne

1.1-7 | 2.2-14 | 3.2-20 | 5.3-33

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: M. Hockley 3, C. Judson 2, H. Brereton, J. Fuentes, C. Mihalopoulos, D. Bailey, J. Evans, I. Bongaarts
Best Players: C. Judson, M. Prior, M. Hopkins, M. Hockley, J. Young, J. Evans

CFMG REVIEW - WOODSMEN IN GUTSY WIN OVER MORNINGSIDE

The Western Magpies Division 4 team aka the Woodsmen have had a gutsy win over close rivals Morningside under what can only be described as dim conditions at Morningside on Friday week ago.

The win may be enough to secure a home Elimination Final against the same opponent on Friday night.. 

The Woodies won despite a number of injuries  and at one stage the umpire checked the numbers before he bounced the ball after a goal and told of skipper Andrew Thomson that the team did not have a 6-6-6- formation, to which "Thommo" replied , "We only have 17 on the ground so how would you like us to line up?"

Morningside

2.2-14 | 4.5-29 | 6.5-41 | 8.6-54

Western Magpies

2.2-14 | 5.2-32 | 7.5-47 | 9.9-63

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: M. Hockley 4, C. Judson, C. Mihalopoulos, A. Thomson, S. de Nys, B. Hocking
Best Players: S. Curtis, S. de Nys, M. Hockley, C. Judson, C. Davis, M. Prior

CARTER CAPNER - COLTS DOWN IN TOUGH CONTEST

The Western Magpies Colts have gone down in a tough battle against the second placed Wilston Grange on Saturday week ago. 

The 10-5-65 to 5-8 -38 loss means the Pies remain in 4th place on 28 points with Broadbeach and Mornjngside also on 28 points with Labrador in 6th on 24 points.

The first quarter was an even contest but Wilston Grange gradually got on top in the midfield and extended their lead at every change. The Magpies went down by 27 points, 10-5-65 to 5-8-38. 

Cade Scott and Darcy Prest both worked tirelessly in the midfield, Sean Ryan was busy around the packs and Jack Briskey was strong up forward booting 3 goals and also having a run in the ruck. Lachlan Davies as also a good player in ruck and was named as the "Grey Magpies" best player

Lawson Campbell at half back tried hard to keep the Grange forwards out while Rory Edwards was also a good player on the wing. 

The Magpies have a bye then will be keen to take on Mt Gravatt in a fortnight. 

Western Magpies

1.3-9 | 2.6-18 | 4.7-31 | 5.8-38

Wilston Grange

2.4-16 | 5.4-34 | 8.4-52 | 10.5-65

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: J. Briskey 3, S. Mehari, L. Davies
Best Players: C. Scott, S. Ryan, D. Prest, J. Briskey, L. Campbell, R. Edwards

ARABON FINANCIAL - VINTAGE VAL POPE FIRST QUARTER SETS UP RESERVES WIN OVER GRANGE

The Western Magpies Reserves set up their 34 point win over Wilston Grange Saturday week ago with a 7 goal to nil first quarter.

It was vintage dual Bill Peirce Medallist Val Pope who set the scene for the Pies with 3 first quarter goals as he went on the boot 6 goals in the 15-7-97 to 9-12-66 victory.

The only downer on the win was that the Pies were outscored by 9 goals to 8 goals after quarter time.

However the first quarter was close to the best the Pies had played this season with the midfield gaining early ascendancy with youngster Zane Lovell and ex-Southport player Rhett Lloyd winning plenty of the ball to remind the selectors that are still about and ready for a Senior recall. 

Jayden Gallagher was also an imposing presence in the midfield to also remind selectors he is starting to regain his early season form. 

Brady Allen had a strong game at CHB then fullback against some tall opponents and his long clearing kicks opened up play for the Pies. He was well supported by half back Zac Collison, who was solid across half back and also returned to n=his fine early season form. Jesse Hampel booted 3 goals  when moved forward after starting in defence to be another good player. 

The Magpies have a tough encounter in a fortnight against Mt Gravatt but the Pies would like nothing better than upset their long time rivals. 

Western Magpies

7.5-47 10.6-66 | 14.7-91 | 15.7-97

Wilston Grange

0.2-2 | 3.7-25 | 8.9-57 | 9.12-66

WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: V. Pope 6, J. Hampel 3, J. Austin, Z. Lovell, B. Allen, C. Jenkins, J. Gallagher, R. Lloyd
Best Players: V. Pope, Z. Lovell, R. Lloyd, B. Allen, J. Gallagher, Z. Collison

MCARTHY HOMES QAFL MATCH REVIEW - HARWOOD BOOTS 7 GOALS AS PIES STAY IN FINALS RACE

A fit and firing Ryan Harwood booted 7 goals as the Western Magpies kept their finals hopes alive with an emphatic 74 point victory over Wilston Grange before a healthy crowd at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer  Saturday week ago in Round 16 QAFL action. 

After a slow start when the Gorillas made a contest in the first quarter and a half, the Pies clicked into gear midway through the second quarter to boot 14 goals to the visitors 1 goal from the 16 minute of the second quarter to go on to a percentage boosting 19-7- 121 to 7-5-47 victory.

With Palm Beach-Currumbin kicking a last second goal to defeat Mt Gravatt by 1 point, the door is still ajar for the Magpies to make the finals. 

Harwood and CHF Brodie Lumber got the Pies going with 3 goals each before halftime  then Harwood added four goals in the final quarter, one a superb check-side goal from near the scoreboard which was every bit a good as any Eddie Betts special!!  

Wilston Grange came out firing in the opening stanza  with the first 2 goals then Pies got going with the next 4 goals followed by a goal early in the second quarter to lead by 3 goals. The Gorillas hit back with the next 4 goals to take the lead but this stirred the Magpies into action who replied with 4 goals of their own to have a 21 point buffer at half time. 

The Magpies stamped their authority on the game after half time and with percentage to play a key part in finals aspirations the Pies opened up play and with the best forward movement for the year were able to outscore the gorillas by 10 goals to 1 goal in the second half. 

The Magpies dominance began with a superb display in the ruck by Gerard Moore who won the ruck contest then marked all-around the ground. Moore's footy smarts will be crucial in the next 2 matches. Riley Easton was, well, Riley Easton, with a typical bustling display, winning the ball from the centre as well as laying plenty of tackles, one late in the third quarter caused an eyebrow laceration which needed a few sutures after the match. The Magpies were not happy with how his cut occurred and there was a fair bit of niggle in the final quarter as a result of this.  

Claye Beams showed his obvious class with a polished display, starting at half back then rolling through the middle and also spending time up forward.

His foot and hand skills were a delight to watch. 

David Lewis led from the front with great generalship across half back with numerous intercept marks and Brenton Saunders also continued his great form , starting in defence but also pushing forward at times. He also had the head swathed after also copping an eyebrow laceration early in the match. 

Will Fletcher in midfield was up and about early before fading slightly and Lumber provided a strong leading target once again. Liam Dwyer was his usual busy self up forward and Jordan Bonney had a solid game and enjoyed his first Senior goal, a long kick from 50 metres in the last quarter.  

The Pies can rest some sore bodies this week with the bye before resuming in another virtual  elimination final when they host Mt Gravatt at McCarthy homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday.  

Western Magpies

4.1-25 | 9.5-59 | 14.5-89 | 19.7-121

DEFEATED

Wilston Grange

2.2-14 | 6.2-38 | 7.4-46 | 7.5-47

 WESTERN MAGPIES

Goal Kickers: R. Harwood 7, B. Lumber 3, C. Beams 2, H. Kerr 2, L. Dwyer, W. Fletcher, J. Bonney, M. Lonergan, J. Goodall
Best Players: G. Moore, D. Lewis, R. Harwood, R. Easton, C. Beams, B. Saunders

PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIES FACE TOUGH CONTEST AGAINST RESURGENT GORILLAS

The Western Magpies have the second of  their four elimination finals when they face a resurgent Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer in QAFL Round 16 action on Saturday.

The Pies have to just keep on winning and see what happens elsewhere. With a bye coming up the Magpies will leave nothing in the tank this week. Coach Brydan Morgan has laid down the challenge to his team to play hard, smart football and if the Pies sneak into the five they will be on a roll and anything is possible. 

The Gorillas caused an upset last week over Labrador and with the inclusion of several NEAFL players are a different proposition to the side that had some big losses mid-season. 

The Pies will be wary  of an ambush and should be fired up to avenge their early season loss on Good Friday --the Pies were ordinary that day, and while there was a host of injury and unavailability, the effort was not QAFL standard.

The Pies have been strengthened by the return of big man Aaron Highlands, who is versatile and can play back or forward and in the ruck, while Dan Edwards, arguably the Pies most consistent player this season,  comes back in onto a wing. 

Out goes Billy Johnson to Redlands and Zane Lovell to the Reserves

A fit and firing Ryan Harwood is crucial for the pies as he leads by example and he is vital for the Pies in the midfield but is also a dangerous forward when rested.

Brodie Lumber just needs to get his goal kicking radar tuned in and he will kick a handful and the Pies need him to continue his spectacular marking form.

Skipper David Lewis has shrugged off a niggling ankle to be back to his best across half back last week and with Jack Goodall was a key player in last weeks victory.

Gerard Moore continues to get better each week in ruck and with Gareth Crawford just loving his footy at the moment and Riley Easton and Will Fletcher both hard nuts the Pies should get enough centre clearances to give Lumber, Highlands and Liam Dwyer plenty of opportunities up forward.

The Pies have struggled to kick big scores but on paper the Pies have a potent forward line so this Saturday may just be the day it all clicks.

With the Pies having more at stake than the Gorillas they should have enough firepower to win and stay in the finals race for at least another fortnight. 

QAFL Round 16: Western Magpies v Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday, July 27th at 2.00 pm

B: Lachie Dennis  David Lewis  Brenton Saunders

HF: Riley Greene, Jack Goodall,  Claye Beams

C: Macauley Lonergan  Luca Winton  Dan Edwards 

HF: Will Fletcher Liam Dwyer  Harrison Kerr

F:  Kale Reed Brodie Lumber  Aaron Highlands  

Rucks:  Gerard Moore

             Ryan Harwood

Rover:   Riley Easton

I/C: Luke Mitchell, Ethan Sivijs, Jordan Bonney,  Gareth Crawford, 

In: Aaron Highlands, Dan Edwards 

Out: Billy Johnson (Redlands ), Zane Lovell (omitted)

Carter Capner Law - Reserves Preview

RESERVES LOOK TO MAKE IT TWO IN A ROW

The Western Magpies Reserves will be hoping for two in a row when they host the 8th placed Wilston Grange on Saturday. Like their Senior counterparts on Good Friday, the Reserves were understrength  but were still disappointing in losing to a struggling Grange outfit. 

There are another large number of "ins" and "outs" with key inclusions being Joel Workman, Rhett Lloyd, Hamish Campbell, Monty Vine and Cam Ferguson, while the cavalry from last week who came to the rescue return to whence they came--Judson, Verma, and Merritt to the Woodmen and Thorpe, Ryan and Prest to the Colts while the two permit players return to their home clubs.

Last week we saw vintage Val Pope with 5 goals and Brady Allen looks dangerous as he gains match fitness. Rhett Lloyd is a class player and gives the Pies a lift in midfield  and Hamish Campbell has also been one of the Pies success stories this year. 

Gabe McKinnon continues to defy father time and has relished his ruck duties while Sam Hartog has returned to the form he showed last year when he played Senior football. 

While only pride is at stake in this match for both sides, the Magpies will be keen to notch another win and as everyone knows, a win gives a much nicer feeling than a loss.

QAFL Round 16: Western Magpies Reserves v Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday, July 27th at 11.30 am 

 B: Aiden D'Roza  Harry Marshall  Gabe McKinnon 

HB:  Zac Collison Jesse Hampel  Sam Hartog

C:   Deng Arok  Rhett Lloyd Hamish Campbell  

HF:  Val Pope   Brady Allen Joel Workman

F:  Chris Jenkins  Jack Austin  Zane Lovell

Rucks:  Monty Vine

             Jayden Gallagher 

Rover:   Ben Jaenke-Cain 

I/C: Finn Collison, Isaac Bongaarts, Sean McEvoy, Cam Ferguson

CFMG Capital - Colts Preview

FINALS LIKE TEST FOR COLTS

The Western Magpies Colts face an early test of their finals credentials when the Pies host the second placed Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Saturday morning.

The Pies have been bolstered with the return of key playmakers in centreman Noah Resuggan, key tall Jack Briskey, small forward Sam Mehari and centre half back Whitlam Bishop.

On the debit side they lose twin speedsters Jonty MacDougall and Ritti Batilimoyo.

The Pies are close to full strength though its hard to judge, as the squad has tremendous depth creating countless selection headaches for the brains trust.

Players in good form include ruck rover Cade Scott, ruckman Lachlan Davies and defender Lawson Campbell.

This match will provide a challenge for the young Pies and will give them a good indication of where they sit in the finals equation. A win gives them the confidence that they are in the premiership mix and will likely secure third on the ladder and the double chance while a loss will only be a temporary setback but makes it a bit more tricky to finish in the top three.

The Colts are in strong form and continue to build nicely as they regain a more consistent list of available players and build momentum with less frequent mass changes to the side.

Magpies vs Wilston Grange - 930am, Sat 27 July @ McCarthy Homes Oval

*final selected 22 not available at time of writing

Gut Feelings XIII - Brought to you by Regis Aged Care Chelmer

• Great backs against the wall win against Sandgate on the weekend in front of a big home crowd, and with other results going the Magpies way - finals are still in the mix

• However, its all academic if the Pies don’t win over Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval today.

• Well done to Jordan Bonney on his senior debut on Saturday, Jordan has been a consistent performer in the Reserves all year after reinventing himself as a midfielder. His 2018 season was wrecked by injury and after a promising junior career as a key position player, he shed 13kg this pre-season and has only missed one training session all year to underline his dedication and commitment.

• Jordan is enjoying his footy, was a popular debutant among the playing group and played a sold first up game after being bundle of nerves. Presented his first senior jumper by club legend and renowned hard man, Jimmy Rozynski, that same jumper was subject to the mandatory gatorade shower in post match celebrations

• The Seniors had the big crowd which was swelled by the Past Players and Officials who attended the David Parkin luncheon on tenderhooks for most of the match before the Pies were able to get on top late in the match. Not good for the ticker of the Old Boys  and the coaching staff  but coach Brydan Morgan made some positional changes at three quarter time which opened up the scoring for the Pies, with Ryan Harwood, who had been ill, shifted forward to boot 2 goals which put the Pies in front for the first time in the match at the 20 minute mark of the last quarter. . Billy Johnson kicked tow vital goals from a wing with his trusty left foot and the magpies pocketed the valuable 4 points to keep their season alive.

• The Reserves had a strong victory after a slow start and with a large number of players unavailable due to other commitments, injury and illness it was up to the likes of coach Kiran Verma, the evergreen Chris Judson, a senior premiership player, club Director Mitchell Merritt, permit players in Jacob Zingelmann from Beenleigh and john Harding from Jindalee and all were among the better players. A few of the club’s legends in Val Pope and Gabe McKinnon also showed their younger teammates and the opposition they still have it in spades by also being named in the best players.

• A few youngsters also stepped up after playing in the Colts game in Charlie Thorpe, Sean Ryan and Darcy Prest and all acquitted themselves well in the 13 goal victory. The Pies will be looking for the return of a number of players this week so the selectors may have some headaches fitting them all in so what a difference a week makes

• The Colts are slowly but surely building toward September action and as they get close to a full list to choose from  will be in the serious premiership mix. Their aim is to finish third on the ladder and secure the double chance. They will get a good idea where they sit in the premiership rce when they take n the second placed Wilston grange on Saturday in what shapes as a finals like match with plenty riding on it for the pies. A win almost secures third place and a loss makes it a bit tougher but with matches to come against the 7th placed Mt Gravatt  and 8th placed Surfers Sharks they should still get the double chance but will rely on Broadbeach losing at least one of its remaining matches to either Morningside or PBC.

• The Woodies put up a brave fight last Friday night when they went down in a low scoring affair against 2nd placed Jimboomba. In freezing conditions, they started with just 16 players before emergency players began to arrive late in the first quarter!

• In a must win match the Woodies traveled to Morningside in a battle for a home final last night and despite losing 5 players to ankles and hamstrings during the game, managed to sneak home for a 10 point win. The match played in farcical circumstances with bumped in lights blinding the players, making the game very unsafe. Guess not all rules apply to everyone!

• The Magpies host ladies day today with over 100 pre-sold tickets it promises to be a fantastic event. Local community partners and sponsors have jumped on board the event with catering from Goodness Gracious Cafe, Superior Fruit and Wendy’s Kitchen and a host of other donations.

• The day features live music, special drinks and food packages, a keynote presentation from Donna Thistlewaite (Australian Story) , MC Brent Staker and so much more.

• Congratulaions to Shane Bridley, Terry O’Shea and Greg Adams for organising a wonderful Sportsmans Luncheon with David Parkin last Saturday attended by almost 100 Past Players, Officials and Supporters.

  Shane Bridley has done a lot of work to re-energise the past players which is now universally known as the “Grey magpies”.

  Shane went to the trouble to note all the following guests and Gut feeling has re-produced his welcome speech below  

• HONOUR BOARD OF ATTENDEES:

  . Guest Speaker: Former VFL/AFL Legend – David Parkin

  . State Member for Seat of Miller/Minister for Transport: Hon Mark Bailey(MP)

  . Club President:  Andrew Thomson

  . Club Directors: Martin Sinfield, Niall Powell

  . Club Sponsors: Heath Grosvenor (Coopers), Peter May (Place Real Estate), Bryce

                                Hatton (Any Time Fitness), Nick O’Sullivan (McCarthy Homes).

  . Life Members ( 12 Present )– Bill Peirce, Kevin Kluver, Michael McEvoy, Chris    

                                                      Arnold, Matt Vowles, Tim McEvoy, Warren Selvage,

                                                    Chris Dennis, Paul Grentell, Bruce O’Neill, Adolfs Lacis, David Bartlett.

  . Past Club Presidents: (4)

    Matthew Vowles, Michael McEvoy, Kevin Kluver, Adolfs Lacis

  . Local Businessmen / Parents of Players/ Supporters

  . Apologies:  Peter Sherwood (Club Patron), Des Lashman, Rob Lawson, Rocco Stewart, Dr Greg Thompson (all Life members)  

  . The Travellers: David Parkin(Melbourne), Rod Selvage (Sydney), David

     Atkinson (Darwin), Merv Schloss (Perth), others from Gold & Sunshine Coasts, particularly Len Whitney who collected David  from Noosa to bring him down.

  . The Ladies: (2) - Jan Hogan (wife of Dennis), and Barbara Beerling (wife of Vic)

  . 1957  First Junior Teams – U12’s(3) – Kevin Kluver, Wasyl Malar, Merv Schloss

                                                  -  U14’s (1) - John Lynch(1st Junior Premiership in 1958)

  . 1968 First Senior Team (Metropolitan Division):  (1)

    Bob Blank(Won George Hall Best & Fairest Medal), Vic Beerling.

  . 1970 First Senior Premiership Team (SQAFA Division): (9)

  Bob Blank, Merv Schloss, Ken Kassulke, Dennis Hogan, Kevin Kluver, Vic Beerling,

   Wasyl Malar, Gary Glazebrook, Ray Pinnington.

  . Premiership Players:

    1973 – (8) Dennis Hogan(C), Ken Kassulke, Warren Selvage, Glenn Crompton, Vic  

                 Beerling, Wasyl Malar, Gary Glazebrook, Shane Bridley.

    1975 – (9) Dennis Hogan( C ), Ken Kassulke, Warren Selvage, Vic Beerling, Gary

                 Glazebrook, Rod Selvage, Bruce O’Neill, Don Beerling, Greg Adams.

  1976  – (7) Dennis Hogan, Warren Selvage, Rod Selvage, Bruce O’Neill, Glenn 

                 Crompton, Don Beerling, David Greer.

  1976 (1st Reserve Grade Premiership) – (2) Terry O’Shea, Lee Rush.

  1977 -  (5) Bruce O’Neill, Glenn Crompton, David Greer, Warren Selvage, Rod

                     Selvage.

  1978 – (6) Warren Selvage, Glen McDonald, Craig St John, Greg Butler,

                      Bill Peirce, Paul Hope.

  1979 – (10) Mark Gersekowski, Paul Gersekowski, David Greer, Bill Peirce, Greg

                       Adams, Bruce O’Neill, Warren Selvage, Glen McDonald, Craig St John,

                       Greg Butler.

  1981 -  (6) Bill Peirce, Steve Mitchell, Chris Arnold, John Cawcutt, Ian Anderson,

                     Warren Selvage, Glen McDonald.

  1982 – (10) Craig Anderson, Craig St John, Steve Mitchell, Bill Peirce, Chris Arnold,  

                       Bruce O’Neill, Ian Anderson, John Cawcutt, David Atkinson, Glen

                       McDonald, Warren Selvage.

  2006 /2007(G/F)/2008 – (6) Tim McEvoy, Jimmy Rozynski, Sean Mewing, Tom

                                                     Roberts, Will Ivinson, Scott Matthews, Brett McEvoy.

  2012(Last Premiership) – (4) Tim McEvoy, Jimmy Rozynski, Ed McDonnell, Lachlan

                                                       Woods.

    Whether you were a champion player or like most of us ‘”Just a Local Boy trying to get a kick of the footy” stand tall boys and be proud of your contributions to this club, because the Club is proud of you all.

  THE GREY MAGPIES-Welcome address by Shane Bridley

  Fellow past player Terry O’Shea and myself met with President Andrew Thomson last November and discussed the possibility/desire to establish a Past Players & Supporters Association, with a range of Goals, including – Player Welfare / Mentoring / Club Projects & Fundraising / Social Involvement through Football / Improving Communication between past & present players & supporters / and Re-connecting the Past with the Present.

  Andrew and the Board were very supportive of our endeavours, and by the start of the season we were up and running as The Grey Magpies.

  Communication - Spreadsheets have been established with players/supporters names, however we have more blank spaces than details. Eventually all those contact details will come together on the Club’s Data Base for ease of communication.

  The Magpie Chatter seems to be reaching players/supporters near and far, and provides a bit of an update of what is going on around the club, and we hope to keep that going next year.

  If you would like to receive The Chatter, make sure you are registered as a Grey Magpies Supporter.

  Finance - Home Game Day Raffles have been commenced with a tidy little profit each day going in to The Grey Magpies Bank Account, and all funds will eventually come back to the Club to fund agreed to projects.

  A big thank you to Michael McEvoy who has arranged for a meat tray to be donated for each raffle, and to Paul Grentell who has arranged some wine to also be raffled.

  Bob and Debbie Lawson add some chocolates and a neat little pack, and they sell quite easily. Terry O’Shea drives from the Gold Coast and back each home game just to sell tickets and enjoy the banter. Next season we hope to have a roster system where players from other eras will join in to ease the load. (Gut Feelings note—Shane Bridley drives from the Sunshine Coast so he and Terry can meet in the middle!!)

  Socially we hope to be able to attract past players/supporters from all eras to come along and meet/mix, and thanks go out to Paul Grentell and Tim McEvoy who have already provided assistance in that area.

  Player Welfare – The opportunity to meet and socialize with others who we had so much in common with as players is an important part of  dealing with health issues as we get older, and functions like today we hope will assist in that area.

  Future – Next season we hope to have an official Grey Magpies Committee set up, and perhaps offer Membership Packages, if the idea is well supported.

  Finally – When Billionaire Steve Jobs from Apple fame was on his death bed, he wrote that “ Whatever stage of your life you are at now, with time we will all face the day when the curtain comes down. Material things can be replaced but Life cannot.

  Treasure love for your family and friends. Treat yourself well and cherish your friends.

  “When you have mates, buddies and old friends, who you chat with, laugh with, and tell stories about north, south, east or west, that is true happiness.”

  Today is a classic example of an occasion for all of us present, to take advantage of such an opportunity, tell some old lies about football days, meet and mix with others from different eras, bearing in mind wat it was that brought us together – Football.

• David Parkin had the audience eating out of his hand with a fantastic monologue, then through a Q&A with Kev Kluver and Anthony McDonal plus a roving mic he regailed the crowd with some fantastic insight into the modern game and how it operates.

• The room also heard from Senior Coach Brydan Morgan and had a Presidents Address from Andrew Thomson where the club ethos from top to bottom was spelt out, Parkin noted it was the best local footy event he’d attended for many years and had never heard what a local footy club should be so well articulated.

• In other news, the McCarthy Homes Oval surface is looking fantastic given the time of year and extensive use. A nice even coverage of grass! Big thanks to Kenmore Senior Football club who through a JV arrangement brokered between the clubs have allowed the u11,u12, u14 and u16 squads to train over their to reduce the wear and tear on the oval.

Carter Capner - Colts Match Review

COLTS WIN WELL--PUSHING FOR DOUBLE CHANCE

The Western Magpies Colts shrugged off a dogged Sandgate to win a danger game and continue the Pies push toward the double chance. 

With several key players missing, the Colts matched the visitors early intensity then blanketed the Hawks after quarter time to dominate the last three quarters.

The Pies kept Sandgate to 2 behinds after quarter time to win comfortably by 69 points, 12-11-83 to 2-2-14. 

Cade Scott provided plenty of drive from the middle of the ground and shows the benefit of several early season Firsts matches. Sean Ryan was again busy around the packs and is providing spark for the Pies after his return several weeks ago from injury. Jackson Paynter continues his good from at the key centre half forward position and he has been a shining light for the Colts so far this season with his constency and quality, a senior player of the future in the making. Jacob Aurisch slotted back into the team after missing with an ankle injury and his strength around the contest was a highlight. Lawson Campbell and Tom Evans dominated across half back to blanket the Sandgate forwards and restrict the visitors scoring opportunities. Campbell is another who has been a consistent player all season. 

The Pies host second placed Wilston Grange at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer on Saturday in what should be a quality contest between 2 good sides.

Magpies 12.11 - 83

defeated

Sandgate 2.2 - 14

Best: Scott, Ryan, Paynter, Aurisch, Campbell, Evans

Goals: Mooney, McDougall 2, Kohler, Aurisch, Kante, Davis, Smith, Ferguson, Scott, Crowell 1

CFMG Capital - Reserves Match Review

The Western Magpies enjoyed an emphatic win over Sandgate on the weekend with an incredibly colourful side featuring young and old and everything in-between.

Due to extensive injury and unavailability, the Reserves included coach Kiran Verma, regular Woodsmen player and former senior Premiership player Chris Judson (who rose from his sick bed), Club Director Mitchell Merritt (backing up from the night before), 2 permit players in Jacob Zingelmann from Beenleigh and John Harding from Jindalee as well as 3 Colts lads in Charlie Thorpe, Sean Ryan and Darcy Prest backing up from the prior game.

It was an especially special day for Merritt who made his long awaited debut for the Magpies on a Saturday after starting the the club close to 20 years ago as a junior!

Harding acquitted himself extremely well in the step up from Division 3 Senior Football, while young Zingelmann also found plenty of the footy.

However, it was the older brigade that shone brightly on the day with Ben Jaenke-Cain dominating through the middle with former Senior premiership teammate Judson, while Gabe McKinnon in the ruck was tireless and Val Pope turned back the clock up forward with a bag of 5 goals.

The Pies were slow started, not hitting the lead until midway through the 2nd quarter but ran away with the victory in the 2nd half piling on 13 goals to 3.

Former senior players finding their way back after injury and absence in Brady Allen and Sam Hartog were also good performers.

Magpies 17.13 - 115

defeated

Sandgate 6.6 - 42

Best: Jaenke-Cain, Judson, Pope, Hartog, Allen, McKinnon

Goals: Pope 5, Verma Collison, Jaenke-Cain 2, Austin, Jenkins, Gallagher, Marshall, Hampel, Arok 1

McCarthy Homes QAFL Match Review - Magpies stay in finals race with grinding win

It was a big day at McCarthy Homes Oval as an eclectic mix of Sherwood Old Boys enjoyed the Grey Magpies Lunch with special guest David Parkin. With players from the first Sherwood team in 1956, the first Sherwood Premiership teams, the first Senior sides and the first Senior Premiership sides - it was a wonderful turnout!

However, they exited the function room midway through the first quarter to find the fast starting Sandgate already 3 goals up, which became 5 goals early i the 2nd quarter. The Magpies weren’t panicking, but were not clean with the ball and were once again innaccurate in front of goal, kicking 6 straight behinds before Billy Johnson registered the Pies first goal nearly 20 minutes into the 2nd quarter and then just minutes later added a 2nd goal to really get the Pies started.

The Pies were being well served by their big men, with Brody Lumber again marking everything and Liam Dwyer showing strong hands to be a quality target. With Gerard Moore getting his hands on the footy in the ruck, it was also another vintage display from the ageless Gareth Crawford who was a dominant presence around the stoppages.

The 3rd quarter was a little more even, though it felt like the Pies were getting on top in general play but couldn’t finish their work. Lumber in particular looked like he had found his radar with a goal late in the 2nd quarter, but likely finished with 6 or 7 behinds in what was still a best on ground performance. An ill Ryan Harwood was spending plenty of time back and forward, but shwoed his class with a clean finish before spectacular left foot stunner from Gareth Crawford after busting through several tackles put the Pies within just 3 points midway through the 3rd quarter.

To Sandgates credit, their better players continued to hunt the footy and create chances and the final break saw Sandgate with a 12 point lead.

The final quarter was an arm wrestle early and it looked like the Pies may not get off the chain, before Kale Reed opened the scoring at the 10 minute mark to reduce the margin to less than a kick. A rare forward entry to Sandgate and the Pies again were victims of an incredibly dubious free kick right in front of goal to the opposition to again find themselves 2 kicks from an important victory.

Kale Reed again found himself in open space to close the margin, before Harwood showed his class with 2 goals in 3 minutes from a contested mark deep and a snap around the body from the pocket. The icing on the cake came late with a 40m set shot from an angle from Claye Beams and the Pies were home with a 5 goal last quarter securing a hard fought 11 point win.

Captain David Lewis arguably had his best game of the year after struggling with injury for much of the season with a polished display down back, while riley Easton was his usual rugged self winning contested ball and laying countless tackles.

Youngster Jordan Bonney made a well deserved Senior debut and acquitted himself well after being presented with his senior jumper by club legend Jimmy Rozynski in the rooms prior to the game. It was a testament to young Bonney who has re-invented himself in 2019 to make his way to Senior football. After playing a majority of his underage footy as a highly skilful but aggressive and hard key position player then an injury interrupted 2018, Jordan had a huge pre-season losing 13kg before Round 1 to play in the centre for the Reserves week in week out before debuting as a mid-foward in the senior side.

Attention now turns to the return game vs Grange on Ladies Day at McCarthy Homes Oval next week.is what should be a quality encounter.

Western Magpies 0.4 - 4 | 3.9 - 27 | 6.13 - 49 | 11.14 80

defeated

Sandgate Hawks 3.1 - 19 | 5.4 - 34 | 9.7 - 63 | 10.9 - 69

Best: Lumber, Lewis, Crawford, Easton, Dwyer, Johnson

Goals: Harwood 3, Reed, Johnson 2, Crawford, Beams, Lumber, Kerr 1