QAFL colts Players of the Season revealed ahead of the grand final
QAFL colts: The top 80 Players of the Season revealed ahead of Saturday’s grand final. Check out which next-up young guns are featured from your club here.
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The QAFL colts grand finalists have been revealed after a battle for the death between cross town rivals Sherwood and Morningside for the right to confront favourites Wilston Grange this Saturday.
Morningside dealt with Sherwood 120-35, pitch forking them into the decider against the Gorillas.
QAFL COLTS GALLERY: MORNINGSIDE, SHERWOOD
To celebrate the season, named here were the finest players of 2024 from your club after a desperately close battle for the premiership.
The strength of the Players of the Season list is considerable when you consider the quality of players from teams which did not feature in the finals.
In no particular order, here’s our tilt at naming some of the very best players in the Colts competition.
REDLAND VICTORIA POINT BEST OF THE BEST
Marty Owens
An under-16 All Australian selection, Owens has been a star for the Sharks.
His disposal was elite and he won the Lions academy best and fairest at the under-16 carnival.
Not far behind him at the Sharks wasMax Boutlbee and Bailey Burrows who were all tremendously consistent down by the bay.
Special mention: Brodie Bourke showed great development across the season and built his game more and more as the season progressed.
NOOSA
Jai Mure and Ethan Slaney
St Teresa’s College junior Mure was one of the finest midfielders in the competition and would make a Team of the Season in a heartbeat.
His performances for Noosa earned him elevation into the seniors.
Key back Ethan Slaney played a dozen senior games off the back of some outstanding performances for the colts and the centre half back was absolutely outstanding and a big part of his team’s recovery across the opening two thirds of the season.
Harry Caspers
Caspers was another top 1-5 player all season who also earned promotion into the seniors.
A small forward or midfielder, Caspers was was a high pressure player with elite tackling and a keen goal sense.
Jed Bullman
The time honoured servant Jed Bullman stood the test of time and was always in the best player votes.
Noosa special mentions:Rory McKenzie, Jasper Delaney-Taylor and Will Cooke performed strongly and all played senior footy at some stage.
SURFERS PARADISE
James Carrigan
Mid field ace James Carrigan was a glittering diamond this season after returning to the code from a representative water polo career.
One of the competition’s very best, he tasted life in senior footy via the reserves and will be a big player at the club again in 2025.
Special mentions: Lochie Morrissey who did everything, and more, the team asked of him including playing in the ruck.
MT GRAVATT
Lachie Lavigne
A genuine x-factor player, Lavigne shone from mid field and halfback line duties with his elite foot skills.
He was footy smart which complimented his running game and so often he chose the correct option.
Luke Kirkman
Kirkman was special for his stoic work around the mid field, although he could swing across a variety of roles.
Special mentions: Jonathan Pang, Rhone Prendergast and Christian Dowling, who were real “give it everything’’ type players that just kept toiling.
LABRADOR
Lachlan Roche and Leo Johnston
This mid field dynamic duo were the heart and soul of the Labrador side.
Johnston was superb for two seasons in a row, using his strong body well in the mid field contests.
Always hard at the ball, he was also a stellar performer down back who led by example.
Lachlan Roche was a winner of his own footy around the mid field, a consistently good performer no matter the scoreboard picture.
While having a goal sense up the front, he was also a potent attacking half back line player.
Cooper and Brock Whitecross
The pair caused double the trouble down back with their hardness around the ball and calm performances under pressure and thoroughly earned their rating in this company.
Special mentions: Riley Sherlock-Clark, Tjahkai Walker both had intent and intensity in every outing.
PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN
Sam Wundtke, Damon Clark and Brock Johnston-Smith
Ruckman Wundtke and back men Clark and Johnston-Smith were superb in their respective roles for PBC who reached the second week of the finals.
Clark led by example as captain while the 200-game player Johnston-Smith had a huge winter swinging from one end of the field to the other and always looming as an intercept threat.
Wundtke was an all-or-nothing performer who tried his heart out all game and they need to shout this bloke a drink at the end of season presentation dinner.
That is how hard he worked.
Bailey Rawson, Mitch Beafoy, Rory Withers
PBC were a new look side this season and the team’s chase of finals football was led by a terrific trio of mid field talent - Rawson, Beafoy and Withers.
The big bodied Withers was just a high quality solid performer while Rawson, an under-17 eligible player, was clean over the ball and able to go forward and find majors as a small forward.
Beafoy offered the best of both worlds.
Sam Longobardi and Max Cruse
Longobardi and Cruse were potent, with Longobardi also dangerous around the mid field.
Special mentions: Ryan Davis, Ethan Willet and Jake Simons who all had their moments across the season.
BROADBEACH
Harry Marsham and Kyle Burgess
A renowned trainer with a good temperament, the cool in a crisis Marsham was always a threat as a goal sneak.
Burgess was supreme as a half forward a Mr consistent for the Roos that stood tall in good times and bad.
Josh Horton
Horton was a powerhouse back man or half back, someone who gave his side tremendous drive from the back and run.
He was also a goal sneak threat.
Special mentions: Mason Young and Charlie Gwynne.
MORNINGSIDE
Matt Robson and Cooper Joseph
The Panthers had a magnificent season and front and centre was Matt Robson and Cooper Joseph.
Robson was a Team of the Season defender, a captain with an uncanny knack of intercepts while the big body of Joseph was used effectively at full back where he gave opposition spearheads nightmares.
Joseph Wilson, Oscar Tanks and Josh Thomsen
What a midfield pairing Joseph Wilson and Oscar Tanks were, and their work alongside Josh Thomsen in the ruck went a long way to generating Morningside’s success.
Tanks was a under-17 eligible player who shone with the big boys around the ball while Thomsen would be a contender for player of the season.
He barely lost hit outs, made tackles and was high up on clearances.
Sporting all-rounder Wilson, the Villanova old boy, continued to impress each week for the Panthers.
Tom Johnston
Johnston was a superb full forward with a great grab who kicked majors for fun.
Every champion team needs a champion spearhead and he was prolific for the Panthers.
Ben Morison
Another mid field ace and occasional back man, Morison was a hard nosed, under 17 eligible footy player who could really play any position and beat his opponent.
Lawson Shirley, Cooper Short and Frasier Lay
Lawson Shirley was magnificent in the mid field, Cooper Short a revelation up forward and Lay, a senior member of the leadership group who was so reliable in the mid field.
It is little wonder Morningside had such a strong season with these top guns leading the squad.
SHERWOOD
Jack Slater, Julian Cruice and Cooper Stone
The Magpies lived and died by the performance of their mighty mid field and this terrific trio gave the side plenty of life.
Slater was a real leader, a big bodied midfielder with great aggression at the contest and a lethal kick which made him an x-factor player.
Jamie Preston
It all started with the spring heeled ruckman who stood barely over 183cm, but had an incredible vertical jump.
Jamie Preston was so versatile, the gun rucknman moving forward and kicking lots of goals where his quick and agile skills at ground level came into play.
Will Munro and Clem Boston
Wingman Munro and back man Boston were stellar performers in this winning Sherwood outfit.
Munro missed a good slice of football because he was playing for the Lions, but the Queensland under-17 representative made his presence felt on the wing or at halfback where his composed play was welcomed.
Key defender Boston has been one of the finds of the season after moving from Wide Bay to attend University.
Jake Cockerell and Cooper Stone
Centre half back Cockerell had a great season and was always a threat with his potential intercepts and ability to rebound ball up forward while inside mid Stone was slightly unsung given how tremendous he was getting ball from the contest.
Jack Harrison
The versatile Harrison was a prolific finisher and great all around player who kicked 40-plus goals and rewarded the effort of his teammates with his finishing skills.
Money can’t buy a bloke who can finish off well at the pointy end of the field and what a morale boost it would have been for Sherwood players having Harrison up forward.
Special mention: Alex Peacock who was the captain, but after dominating early he missed two months with an ankle injury.
He also played senior football this season.
ASPLEY
Judah Crocker, Lachie O’Dwyer, and Harrison Grills
Judah Crocker was a tough cookie around the ball who hunted down the footy like it was his own.
The creative Lachie O’Dwyer could influence games with his drive from half back, his reading of the game and intercept marks while Harrison Grills was so consistent across half back where his stunning speed could break the match wide open.
Duncan Lewis
Duncan Lewis was tall with a great leap, an athletic type who could play forward or in the ruck.
He featured a strong overhead mark.
Cambell Harrop
Harrop was an influential, tough inside midfielder or forward, a left footer who gave the Hornets a point of difference.
WILSTON GRANGE
Jack Thompson
Mid field magic man Thompson was a bit special with his capacity to dominate at the stoppages while always being a threat to hit the scoreboard.
Marcus Zipf
Ruckman Zipf was sublime at the centre bounces and stoppages with his tap work, but he could also get around the field and use his footy smarts to be in position to take a mark.
An old boy of Marist Ashgrove like Jack Thompson, Zipf was one of a half players for the Gorillas.
Lucas Keramidopoulas
The backman could read a match like a book, the way he could snare an intercept mark.
Keramidopoulas won so many one-on-one battles, it would be impossible to total them all up.
He was great at locking down his area of the field.
Ryan Lewis
The Gorillas’ captain was the spiritual leader of Wilston Grange’s magnificent season where his competitive nature lifted standards at training, while also impacting games from the mid field.
The Kedron SHS student won one-on-one contests for fun.
Aston Wilson and Blair Humphreys
Mr Reliable Wilson was a comfort to his teammates because he was so trustydown back.
The Padua College student had high skills and a mighty mark in his game which complemented a thrilling run and carry capacity.
Blair Humphreys added to Wilston Grange’s potency with his ability to finish in front of goals.
Kieran Micheletti
Kieran Micheletti was a mid field master who would have finished games with one of the dirtiest jumpers in the wash.
Hard work was his middle name whether he was in the middle, forward or back.
Grady Turner
Another stoic backman whose work deserves highlighting, Turner’s point of difference was his ability to grab a mark across the half back line.
He was one of the competition’s big improvers.
Cooper Mataia and Fletcher Callaway
Cooper Mataia was a sensation with his ability to work all day in the ruck, culminating in a finals BoG effort.
His buddy Fletcher Callaway was a hard working tall forward, only 17, who has been identified by the Lions.
Special mentions: Tom Bowers, Oli Spence, Hayden Hall, Bailey Morgan, Archie Smith, Carter Simpson, Jack Williams were fabulous second effort players, no matter what role they were called upon to perform.
Morgan and Smith, for example, had the hearts of a lion swinging forward and back to the mid field, and then back again.
It was a wonderful squad performance and these special mention boys played a crucial role in Wilston Grange’s season.
The season by Carter Simpson was particularly rewarding given he returned from an ACL injury.
Originally published as QAFL colts Players of the Season revealed ahead of the grand final
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