AFLQ Schools Cup: Palm Beach Currumbin State High want revenge
It’s the rivalry to end all footy rivalries these two schools will write another chapter in their colourful history on Tuesday. READ ALL THE DETAILS.
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IT’S the rivalry to end all footy rivalries and Palm Beach Currumbin and Helensvale state high schools will write another chapter in their colourful history on Tuesday.
Compared by Palm Beach Currumbin head of sports excellence Neil Mackay to the enthralling PBC v Keebra Park rugby league battles, 11 of the past AFL Schools Cup grand finals have seen the two sides battle for Aussie rules supremacy.
PBC had won six cups in a row until a dramatic finish saw Helensvale clinch victory with a goal on the siren in 2019.
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And 2020 isn’t set to be any different with Mackay predicting fierce competition when the two lock horns on Tuesday morning as part of AFL Queensland’s invitational gala day.
“Both schools always look forward to playing each other,” said Mackay, who is also the coach of the Aussie rules excellence program.
“It’s most likely a bit of a preliminary final but Mountain Creek also looks like they have a strong side with a couple of state players.
“We counted at least a dozen Queensland representatives in our side and Helensvale would have around the same so it’s going to be a high-quality contest.
“We’ve had a very successful few years and if everything goes our way, we’ll be there at the pointy end once more.”
Mackay expects about five members of PBC’s senior male side will nominate for the AFL draft this year and potentially follow PBC-produced Suns talents Jesse Joyce, Max Spencer, Brad Scheer, Brayden Crossley, Jacob Dawson and Jacob Heron.
Jack Johnston and Ethan Hunt are two Mackay predicts will go on to bigger things, though both look like they will be unavailable for gala day action due to senior QAFL football commitments with the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions.
The PBC footy factory has already been in operation for 21 years and Mackay hopes the school will soon produce more AFLW talents after graduate Lauren Ahrens finished runner-up in the inaugural Suns AFLW best and fairest award.
“We’ve had a huge increase of participation in the female program so we’re excited to watch our coaches continue to build our program,” he said.
“We started all of our sports excellence programs in 1996 and back then, we had about 20 males in total and now if you add up the senior and junior boys, we have around 90 students.”
Palm Beach Currumbin faces Mountain Creek, Narangba Valley, Park Ridge and Helensvale in its three round-robin matches on Tuesday before the top four teams progress to finals.
The Bulletin will also be live streaming senior male matches involving Helensvale State High School.
The senior boys gala day will be followed by senior female matches on Wednesday and junior boy matches on Thursday.
EARLIER: Pac Pines building Gold Coast footy dynasty
PACIFIC Pines State High School’s Aussie rules program is a dynasty in the making.
In 2016 the school announced as the latest addition to AFL Queensland’s excellence program and next year that group of inaugural students will move into year 11.
From staging mixed male and female Aussie rules classes back when the program first formed, Pacific Pines now boasts a junior male and female side – both set to compete at the AFLQ Invitational Gala Day which kicks off on Monday with the junior females.
“We were running combined boys and girls classes with our year 7 and 8 students so it’s crazy to think those same kids are going into year 11 next year,” Pacific Pines director of AFL excellence and junior boys head coach Mitch Montgomery said.
“The first year, the girls didn’t even have a team but we knew we would have to wait and bide our time.
“Once it all happened, we got a few wins but didn’t manage to make finals last year in our first year in the excellence competition and our boys haven’t made finals yet either so there’s an incentive there for both teams.”
While a double finals berth is on the immediate radar, Montgomery said the long term vision was to field teams in both senior and junior divisions.
And both junior male and female gala days this week could provide a glance into the future and some of the talents that could soon be representing Pacific Pines in senior football.
“Looking at next year, it’ll be the first time we’ll field a senior male and senior female team so our succession and progression planning is coming to fruition,” Montgomery said.
“It gives our year 9 girls something to play for and also will hopefully attract new girls to the program who can come in and replace those moving into the senior ranks so that’s our goal for running the program.
“The junior age group evolves and changes each year and our girls started the year well with a win over Victoria Point until COVID disrupted our season but we were really surprised at how well the older girls took the lead after a core group of girls moved into year 10 last year.”
Montgomery said the growth of the AFLW competition and the addition of the Suns side also resulted in an uptake in female participation.
“A lot of our girls also play for local junior clubs but the AFLW has given junior female athletes something to aspire to but I think the interest and drive has always been there for most,” he said.
Pacific Pines take on Narangba Valley State High School, Mountain Creek State High School and Palm Beach Currumbin High School in their three round-robin clashes on Monday before the top two teams from each pool progress to finals.
The Bulletin will also be live streaming games involving Helensvale State High School.
Junior Female live stream schedule: Monday September 7 @ Sandgate AFC
9:30am: Helensvale State High School v Park Ridge State High School
10:15am: Narangba Valley State High v Pacific Pines State High School
11am: Park Ridge State High School v Woodcrest SC
11:45am: Pacific Pines State High School v Mountain Creek SHS
12:30pm: Woodcrest SC v Helensvale State High School
1:15pm: Narangba Valley State High v Mountain Creek SHS
*Top two sides in each pool to progress to finals
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