Palm Beach Currumbin flip the script with standout QAFL, QAFLW performances revealed
A special final quarter victory is one of the key talking points this week while a few ‘underrated’ stars shined bright for their teams. See the full list of top performers plus the biggest QAFL, QAFLW news.
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It was a win for the ages.
Palm Beach Currumbin trailed Aspley at every break, but a barnstorming 37-point final quarter turnaround in which Aspley were held goalless flipped the match on its head.
“It was something quite special,” said Lions coach David Armitage.
“For the guys to claw their way back just shows the belief in the group, and to do it against the best team in the competition, extremely happy.”
Adding the gravitas of Palm Beach’s final quarter heroics was the fact they played most of the game with just two players on the bench.
Thomas Thynne was lost to a calf injury in the opening minutes, before Matt Holier hurt his hamstring. The Lions were already missing key cog and ex-AFL talent Aaron Hall, who tore his ACL last week.
Paradoxically, Armitage attributed his side’s comeback to the losing position it found itself in.
“We were the ones in the position that had nothing to lose, (Aspley) maybe slowed down a bit and went away from their game,” he said.
“We threw the magnets around and said boys go for it, so we got a lot more aggressive and ran forward a lot harder than what we probably would, and it worked out.”
Armitage also noted that the accuracy with which they kicked for goal in the second half was decisive.
Tom Hickey was a clear standout, particularly in the second half.
“He grabbed everything out of the ruck and got the ball going forward,” Armitage said.
“Our forwards then started to get into the game, our half back’s were kicking goals from 50, guys that had quiet first halves came out and had big second halves.”
He said that the AFL journeyman was “best on ground by a mile”.
“The hit outs in the ruck and also knowing when to take it out of the ruck as well, therefore (Apley’s) ruckman was out of the game.
“(Aspley) brought one of their midfielders in to try and tackle Tom and then that gave us one on the inside which propelled us going forward.
“Even late in the game when they started coming back, Tom sat behind the ball and marked two really important marks ... he was the match-winner basically.”
It was Aspley’s first loss of the season, and the win has entrenched the Lions within the top-three, as they now have a two-match buffer on the fourth-placed Wilston Grange.
Last season, the Lions limped into the final six before copping a 95-point lashing at the hands of Broadbeach in the first week of finals. Talk about a stark contrast.
Armitage attributed his club’s upturn in performance to recruiting - particularly the leadership the likes of Hall and Hickey have brought to the side - as well as a newfound drive from all players to improve.
The Lions will travel to Noosa Oval to take on the Tigers this Saturday, before they host the undefeated Morningside in a mouth-watering round 11 match-up.
QAFL (Round 9)
Matt Hammelmann and Campbell Aston (Redland-Victoria Point Sharks)
Hammelmann has been one of the best consistently for the Sharks this season and that was no different against Noosa on the weekend in an 88-point walloping, with the forwards bagging six majors. Campbell Aston also played a great contested game, laying a game-high 10 tackles (no other player had more than four), while also racking up 26 disposals and four clearances.
Jono Freeman (Noosa Tigers)
Big man Freeman was a shining light in Noosa’s heavy loss. He would finish with five majors to his name from just 10 touches - talk about impact. Jesse Tuohey was Noosa’s leading ball-winner with 24 disposals.
Jake Goldsmith and Tom Miller (Labrador Tigers)
Jake Goldsmith was the most dominant player on the ground in the Tigers’ special win over Surfers. He played ruck but also managed two goals and would finish with 14 touches. Tom Miller was among the best and finished with 25 touches for his efforts. Special mentions also to Jayden Young and Aiden Fyfe who racked up a solid amount of the footy and were impactful.
Joe Kennedy (Surfers Paradise)
The Demons may have been dealt their heaviest ever defeat under Matthew Lappin at the hands of crosstown rivals Labrador, but there was one positive to take away, and it was the debut of 17-year-old Joe Kennedy. The Suns Academy product was a shining light in defeat for Surfers and played well, demonstrating great composure under pressure at half back and looking a class above. Had 13 touches and laid three tackles.
Nakia Cockatoo and Daniel Lloyd (Morningside Panthers)
Ex-AFL player Nakia Cockatoo was at his best in the Panthers’ big win over Sherwood. The former Cat and Lion hit the scoreboard plentifully with five majors, but also made his presence felt with five tackles to go with his 15 touches. Daniel Lloyd was also super with 30 disposals, seven clearances, eight tackles, and four inside 50s to show for his efforts. As is the case in such a barnstorming victory, the best wasn’t limited to two, with Keegan Downie (five goals) and Garrett McDonagh (30 disposals) also shining.
Tom Hickey (Palm Beach Currumbin)
Tom Hickey take a bow. The ruckman played a contested game for the ages, with 21 contested possessions from 24 disposals. Coach David Armitage labelled him the match-winner following a historic come-from-behind victory over powerhouse Aspley. He dominated in the ruck with 45 hit outs to show and was pivotal in giving his midfielders first use, and he also sat behind the ball late in the game two clunk two decisive marks.
Coen Harker (Aspley)
Harker played a great game despite the disappointing loss to Palm Beach, amassing 27 disposals and 15 contested possessions. He was also strong out of the middle and racked up 10 inside 50s. Connor Stackelberg was another Hornet to impress, with four goals from nine disposals.
Thomas Reeves, Blake Erickson, and Jai Murray (Broadbeach Cats)
It was hard to look past Thomas Reeves as one of the top performers in the eyes of Cats coach Danny Nolan given he bagged seven snags and also won plenty of the footy with 20 touches. Blake Erickson and Jai Murray were the major ball-winners in the 138-point thumping of Mt Gravatt that returned Broadbeach to the winner’s list, with both racking up 38 touches of the footy. Jai Murray also had 16 contested possessions, eight clearances and a goal in what was just his second game of senior footy. Erickson was a physical presence and set the standard as he does most weeks with his hard tackling.
William Martyn (Wilston Grange Gorillas)
It was a round for hefty margins, with the Gorillas downing Maroochydore by a whopping 79 points. Martyn stood tall in the triumph, with 34 disposals, six clearances, five tackles and a goal.
QAFLW (Round 7)
Chelsea Winn (Yeronga)
Despite the loss, you couldn’t discount Winn’s effort against Southport as she finished with 23 touches, 17 contestes positions, five clearances, four tackles and an intercept mark. Defender Alana Lowery was also strong with seven intercept marks and 15 disposals.
Maighan Fogas (Southport)
Every week there’s a host of standout players for the Sharks but Fogas was the pick of the bunch in round seven after helping guide her side to a 83-point victory over Yeronga. Fogas finished with 32 disposals, 17 contestes positions, two marks and four clearances. Her teammates Maddy Baldwin and Hunt were also strong with Baldwin booting four goals.
Mia Geere and Zimara Hussain (Wilston Grange)
It was a key victory for the Gorillas in round seven and it ultimately boiled down to a strong team performance. Geere, a true rising star, combined with Hussain to finish with 60 disposals, 26 contested possession, 11 marks, seven clearances, three tackles, four intercept marks and Geere had two goals. A further seven Grange players finished the match with 10 contested possessions or more while Summer Hamilton also proved too much to handle with 10 tackles and a goal.
Jane Childes and Gracie Roy (University of Queensland)
Childes earns her place in this list once again this week after another whopping performance against Bond. Childes had 19 touches, 18 contested possessions, seven clearances and a huge 16 tackles. Roy was also strong with 18 disposals, 15 contested possessions, two marks, five clearances and five tackles.
Louise Tyson, Alanna Perry and Jessica Davy (Aspley Hornets)
The Hornets snagged another victory on Saturday and as always, had a number of key performers. Combined, Tyson, Perry and Davy had 68 disposals, 32 contested possessions, seven marks, 17 clearances, 11 tackles, three intercept marks and two goals.
Lucy Schneider and Ayla Fetahagic (Coorparoo Kings)
The Kings duo were everywhere against Aspley and despite going down by 46 points Schneider and Fetahagic never stopped running. By the end of the match they combined for 47 disposals, 22 contested possessions, eight marks, five clearances, eight tackles and Fetahagic had four intercept grabs.
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