Surfers Paradise Demons and Broadbeach Cats progress in QAFL finals

A first quarter ground level ambush has enabled Surfers Paradise to flip the script on last year’s finals and end Morningside’s run at the QAFL premiership.

A first quarter ground level ambush has enabled Surfers Paradise to flip the script on last year’s finals and end Morningside’s run at the QAFL premiership.

A year after the Panthers bundled out of the 2018 finals, Surfers Paradise exercised their demons and did the same to Morningside with a dominant 17.15 (117) to 11.6 (72) qualifying final win at Sir Bruce Small Park on Saturday.

Surfers Paradise will now play minor premiers Palm Beach Currumbin in the major semi-final this week where a win would cement their place in the grand final.

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The win was built off a huge first term for the Demons who kicked 8.4 (52) to 1.2 (8), restricting Morningside’s ability to shift the ball by foot while gaining ascension at ground level.

“It was a very good win. We came out ready to play and got a dominant lead early in the piece and we were able to maintain that throughout the course of the game,” Surfers Paradise coach Brad Moore said.

“It came on the back of a lot of the stuff we have been working on. Our transition of the ball was really precise and clean but mostly our defensive work, our defensive pressure and harassment on the opposition to create turnovers.

Round 9 of the QAFL Australian rules competition. Surfers Paradise (Demons) v Mt Gravatt at Sir Bruce Small Park. Photo of Joshuah Matulis. Photo by Richard Gosling

“We knew Morningside were a team who liked to kick and mark the ball a lot and use the short kicking game.

“We created numerous opportunities because we were able to create those turnovers.”

It continued a solid run of form for the Demons who have now won their past seven games. The individual form of players meant Moore didn’t need to call upon Southport NEAFL-listed player Cody Filewood.

Rene Lefeuvre kicked four goals while Matt Green (three goals), Harrison Fraser (three goals) and Noa Corbett (two goals) all had major influence.

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It was a successful weekend for both Gold Coast teams playing in finals games with Broadbeach beating Mt Gravatt by three points at Subaru Oval on Saturday in the elimination final.

The Cats trailed by six points going into the last term and conceded the first of the final quarter of a tight contest but a run of four straight goals by Jason Cloke and another major from Liam Nelson gave them 20-point lead that Mt Gravatt couldn’t run down.

Broadbeach will play Morningside in the minor semi-final at Jack Esplen Oval this Sunday, with the winner to play the loser of the Palm Beach Currumbin and Surfers Paradise encounter in the preliminary final.

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