Race to secure finals football spots heats up across Queensland

With the race to secure finals spots heating up we’re shining a light on Queensland’s top footballers. Find out who cracked the list from your club here.

Ameer Sulaiman takes control of the ball for Rockville Rovers. Picture: DSL Photography

With finals footy just weeks away the action across the state is heating up.

Here’s a look at star players, big matches and top juniors from Cairns to the Gold Coast.

Information in this column is provided by Football Queensland Media Team.

FAR NORTH AND GULF

Far North and Gulf is celebrating its junior players and teams this week with two squads commanding the spotlight.

The Atherton Eagles under-10/11 side are a mixed skill level team with some players having played for years now and some playing their first season of football in 2024.

The Southside Comets U7 Halleys are a beautiful mix of players who are new to the sport or have a little bit of experience, they have lots of fun playing together and are getting better each week.

Atherton Eagles U10/11 coach and club Vice President Jimmy Pearsall with players Claire, Natalie, Dawson, Rex, Orran, Nate, Ethan, Zoey, Mya and Nash. Absent: Ava, Cooper and Lewis.

The Southside Comets Halleys under-7 team.

Round Review

There was plenty of action across the FQPL Far North & Gulf Men’s and Women’s leagues over the weekend, check out the scores and top performers below:

Men

Leichhardt Lions vs. Marlin Coast (0 – 3)

Leichhardt: Clay Bockman 3; Nazario Lim 2; Alex Russell 1

Marlin Coast: Cooper Kennedy 3; Lewis Hayden 2; Charlie Beverley 1

Mareeba United vs. Southside Comets (1 – 1)

Mareeba: Damian Avolio 3; Wayne J Srhoj 2; Steven Cater 1

Southside: Dylan Soares 3; Nic Del Manso 2; Michael Hood 1

Innisfail United vs. Edge Hill Tigers (0 – 5)

Innisfail: Cameron Epong 3; Julian Sujana 2; Patrick Pat 1

Edge Hill: Patrick Ballarin 3; Declan O’Shea 2; Harri Jones 1

Stratford Dolphins vs. Redlynch Strikers (2 – 1)

Stratford: Ronan Freeman 3; Houston Jackson 2; Lochie Jerome 1

Women

Stratford Dolphins vs. Redlynch Strikers (3 – 0)

Stratford: Esther Cousley 3; Alyssa Biancotti 2; Olivia Holmes 1

Redlynch: Cassie Ross 3; Lara Bennett 2; Zhen Fapani-Cuthbertson 1

Mareeba United vs. Southside Comets (1 – 2)

Southside: Megan Stokes 3; Leah Scroggie 2; Maia Fernandez 1

Innisfail United vs. Edge Hill Tigers (0 – 13)

Edge Hill: Liberty Berman-Hardman 3; Siobhan Macken 2; Xena Faddy 1

Fixtures

Friday, August 2

8.30pm (women): Stratford Dolphins vs Innisfail United at Nick Brko Field

8.30pm (women): Redlynch Strikers vs Southside Comets at Calanna Park

8.30pm (women): Leichhardt Lions vs Mareeba United at Leichhardt FC

Saturday, August 3

7pm (men): Redlynch Strikers vs Southside Comets at Calanna Park

7pm (men): Marlin Coast Rangers vs Edge Hill Tigers at Pennell Field Trinity Beach

7.30pm (men): Leichhardt Lions vs Mareeba United at Leichhardt FC

Sunday August 4

5pm (men): Stratford Dolphins vs Innisfail United at Nick Brko Field

Gold Coast Knights celebrate their Kappa Pro Series Cup title win.

Gold Coast

The Gold Coast Knights Women’s team have claimed the Kappa Pro Series Cup, capping off a landmark week that also saw them earn promotion to the National Premier League (NPL) for next season.

The Knights were able to hold off a valiant Logan Lightning side, securing a 2-0 victory in what was an enthralling final.

The Knights managed to overcome a shaky start to the game with a back post header from Laura Sevil in the 10th minute to take the lead.

After netting the opener, the Knights controlled the remainder of the first half, peppering Logan’s goal on several occasions for no reward.

Harriet Withers in action for Gold Coast Knights.

Just before half time, Logan’s Letita Emerich had an opportunity when her shot hit the

crossbar, giving the Knights defence a late scare before the break.

The Knights’ second goal came just two minutes into the second half, after a well-timed volley from Harriet Withers found the back of the net.

Following this, the Knights defence remained strong, and the 2-0 deficit ultimately proved too much for Logan Lightning, resulting in the Gold Coast Knights being crowned the 2024 Kappa Pro Series Women Champions.

South Coast Review

With finals fast approaching, players from across the FQPL 3 South Coast competitions were

ready to show out for their teams.

Take a look at the players who performed the best as voted by the coaches.

Men

Gold Coast Knights vs. Southport (0-1)

Southport

Henry Eve, 3

Kazato Fujimura, 2

Sam Odonnell, 1

Tweed United vs. Ormeau (4-1)

Tweed United

Bryan Howell, 3

Jackson Wedd, 2

Trevor Wassell, 1

Ormeau

Courtney Smith, 3

James Scott, 2

Rhys Buick, 1

Runaway Bay vs. Musgrave (1-1)

Surfers Paradise Apollo vs. Burleigh Heads (1-2)

Burleigh Heads

Connor Maguire, 3

Ollie Vermillion, 2

Mark Ritchie, 1

Palm Beach vs. Coomera (0-2)

Coomera

Olaf Conforti, 3

Andrew Ridden, 2

Lucas Rosa, 1

Kingscliff vs. Robina City (2-2)

Robina City

Joshua Dearn, 3

Samuel Field, 2

Adam Endean, 1

Women

Runaway Bay vs. Magic (0-5)

Runaway Bay

Emily Sams, 3

Natasha Binderhofer, 2

Mia Hurley-Ramirez, 1

Magic

Alexandra Harrison, 3

Poppy Aubort, 2

Mackenzie Fenton, 1

Palm Beach vs. Coomera (1-0)

Palm Beach

Rachel Keefe, 3

Kimberly Hart, 2

Mia Bowers, 1

Coomera

Shiann Nunn, 3

Olivia Camage, 2

Summer Adam, 1

Northern Rivers vs. Nerang (4-2)

Northern Rivers

Erin Green, 3

Marly Kuramochi, 2

Claudia Thomson, 1

Nerang

Grace Milne, 3

Lila Mcguinness, 2

Annabelle Gray, 1

Whitsunday Coast

Whitsunday Coast is celebrating its juniors with Magpies under-9 Black named MiniRoos Team of the Week.

Some of the players of U9 Black team have been together since U5s.

Coached by Michael Lyall, the team has great connections both on and off the field.

The team continue to grow their skills and love hitting the park each weekend.

The Magpies FC under-9 Black team.

Results

Men

Mackay Rangers 2 def Mackay Lions 1

Whitsunday United 3 def Mackay Wanderers 1

Magpies FC 5 def City Brothers 4

Women

Country United 3 def Mackay Rangers 0

City Brothers 0 def by Mackay Lions 6

Dolphins FC 12 def Mackay Wanderers 2

Whitsunday United 7 def Magpies FC 1

Preview

League leaders Magpies FC make the trip to Whitsunday United for a hotly anticipated top of the table clash in the FQPL Whitsunday Coast Men’s competition this weekend.

While the Magpies have already been confirmed as premiers at this early juncture of the season, they will still have plenty to play for against a team they are all but guaranteed to face off against in the finals series.

Harry Hogden has been the one to watch for Magipies up top, scoring 12 goals so far this

season.

Hogden will undoubtedly be looking to catch Mackay Rangers forward Angus McKenzie who has 16, as will Jake Kenna of Whitsunday United, who sits just behind on 11 goals.

With bragging rights heading into the finals and the golden boot still on the line, fans should

expect a highly attacking battle between two of our region’s best footballing outfits.

The game kicks off at 7pm this Saturday at Whitsunday United, be sure not to miss it!

Saturday, July 27

Men

Whitsunday United vs. Magpies FC, Whitsunday United, 7pm

Mackay Wanderers vs. Mackay Rangers, Wanderers Park, 7pm

Mackay Lions vs. City Brothers, Lions Field, 7pm

Friday, July 26

Women

Magpies FC vs. Dolphins, Magpies Field 2, 8pm

Mackay Wanderers vs. Mackay Rangers, Wanderers Park, 8pm

Country United vs. City Brothers, Tiger Park, 8pm

Saturday, July 27

Women

Whitsunday United vs. Mackay Lions, Whitsunday United, 6pm

Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast is celebrating its juniors with Maroochydore under-8 Sharks in the spotlight.

Maroochydore Football Club is steeped in tradition and although our U8 Sharks are only young, they are continuing this legacy with pride.

Luca, Theo and Indy are third generation MFC royalty and many of the team have parents currently playing in our senior teams, or coaching another MiniRoos team.

MFC Sharks and their families are the epitome of club loyalty.

Coach Tim brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the field having been a player at the club previously.

He offers fun and engaging training sessions that cater to the strengths and needs of each of the players, and at the same time continues to develop their football skillsand it is clear to see that the team have formed a tight bond because of this.

Maroochydore under-8s Sharks coach Tim Cornthwaite with players Luca Cornthwaite, Theo Cornthwaite, Indy Starr, Luca Alagich, Jagger Attwater, Lexton Bartholomai, Jackson Cleary, Oscar Cheetham and Heath Borg.

Our Sharks live and breathe football and pine for Saturday’s when they get to don their boots and get out on the pitch to showcase their passion.

But what makes this team go from good to great is that not only are they superstars on the

field, they are also superstars off the field as well.

You would be hard pressed not to see these smiling faces up early to help at working bees; first to arrive on game day ready and raring to go; last to leave every night; front and centre as mascots of our FQPL2 Premier Men; stocking fridges and supplies on carnival days and simply running around having fun and making new friends along the way. Go Sharks.

Look out for these names wearing the green and gold in years to come but first, the sky blue.

Review

There was plenty of action across the FQPL 3 Sunshine Coast Men’s and Women’s leagues over the weekend, check out the scores and top performers below.

Men

Noosa vs. Caloundra (1 – 7)

Noosa: Luke Becconsall 3; Mitchell Bridge 2; Jacob Mjaskalo 1

Caloundra: Connor Robinson 3; Matthew Carrick 2; Jayden Emery 1

Gympie United vs. Nambour Yandina (2 – 2)

Gympie: Kyle Lorensen 3; Darren Barton 2; Brendan Prickett 1

Nambour: Zak Brattan 3; Bryn Grigg 2; Cheyne Miller 1

Woombye Snakes vs. Beerwah Glasshouse (5 – 2)

Woombye: Ezekiel Hawkins 3; Kai Holmes 2; Nathan Ferguson 1

Beerwah: Justin Barnett 3; Joshua McMullin 2; Declan Martin 1

Buderim vs. Kawana (2 – 3)

Kawana: Pedro White 3; Ben Crocker 2; Josh Buchanan 1

Coolum vs. Baringa (1 – 3)

Baringa: Ryan Mawditt 3; Matthew Davis 2; Brady Cronk 1

Women

Gympie United vs. Woombye Snakes (1 – 3)

Gympie: Zoe Morrison 3; Jaidyn Dennien 2; Sam Bradshaw 1

Nambour Yandina vs. Noosa Lions (1 – 2)

Nambour: Rhyce Michaels 3; Sophie Cudlipp 2; Tayhla Weire 1

Fixtures

Friday, August 2

8.30pm (women): Noosa Lions vs Kawana at Noosa Lions

8.30pm (women): Woombye Snakes vs Beerwah Glasshouse at Woombye

Snakes

8.30pm (women): Gympie United vs Nambour Yandina Utd at Gympie Field

Saturday, August 3

5pm (men): Beerwah Glasshouse Utd vs Gympie United at Beerwah

Glasshouse

6pm (men): Kawana FC vs Noosa Lions at Kawana FC

6pm (men): Baringa vs Woombye Snakes at Baringa FC

6pm (men): Caloundra vs Coolum at Caloundra

7pm (men): Maroochydore vs Buderim Wanderers at Maroochydore

Swans FC

DARLING DOWNS

In the FQPL Men’s competition, third-place Gatton Redbacks will host league leaders Rockville Rovers in a highly anticipated top four clash.

With only two rounds left in the season, every point matters as finals positions and the premiership are still up for grabs.

Last week Gatton booked their place into finals with a 2-0 victory over St Albans, after Fred

Farui and Harsh Pahuja both found the net.

Currently on a two-game winning streak, Gatton enters this match as one of the form teams of the competition.

With finals fast approaching the Redbacks will be looking to continue this form against a formidable Rockville side that have their sights on the league premiership.

Rockville’s talisman, Ameer Sulaiman, has been incredible this season, netting an outstanding

twenty-four goals.

With Rockville currently leading the table by just one point over second place West Wanderers, Sulaiman and his team will have plenty to play for in this week’s matchup. Depending on other results, a Rockville victory this week could even see the Rovers wrap up the premiership.

Plenty is at stake this weekend so be sure to head to Gatton’s Dixon Oval on Saturday night at 6:15pm to catch all the action.

Review

Last weekend’s round of Darling Downs FQPL Men’s and Women’s competitions provided some tightly contested matches with stellar individual performances to boot. Check out the 3-2-1’s from the weekend matches as voted for by the coaches!

Men

Highfields vs. Rockville Rovers (0-0)

Highfields

Joshua Green, 3

Matthew Eilers, 2

Thomas Jeffcoat, 1

Rockville Rovers

Jase Sampson, 3

Joshua Crestani, 2

Ameer Sulaiman, 1

Gatton vs. St Albans (2-0)

Gatton

Masaya Okuda, 3

Rudi Spierling, 2

Harsh Pahuja, 1

Willowburn vs. Warwick (3-0)

Willowburn

Brodie Welch, 3

Trent Ingleton, 2

Matt Meiklejohn, 1

Fred Farui in action for Gatton Redbacks. Picture: DSL Photography

Ameer Sulaiman takes control of the ball for Rockville Rovers. Picture: DSL Photography

Women

Highfields Green vs. USQFC (2-0)

Highfields Green

Bridget Peden, 3

Chloe Green, 2

Marlina-Rae Pern, 1

USQFC

Peppa Hoare, 3

Joyce De Wit, 2

Tobi Hamilton, 1

Highfields Gold vs. Willowburn White (0-12)

Highfields Gold

Shayla Milsom, 3

Seryah Phillips, 2

Anabelle Creamer, 1

Willowburn White

Chloe Clarke, 3

Courtney Morris, 2

Zoe Doyle, 1

Willowburn Black vs Warwick (2-1)

Willowburn Black

Samantha Lee, 3

Jade Gaske, 2

Kiama Gray, 1

Warwick

Nikita Miller, 3

Lucy Waldron, 2

Ingrid Hoeflaak, 1

Chinchilla vs. Rockville Rovers (0-1)

Chinchilla

Casey Hogan, 3

Annie Johnson, 2

Kayla Hungerford, 1

Rockville Rovers

Emmersyn Ranford, 3

Steffi Wilson, 2

Sheniya Bell, 1

NORTHERN

The Riverway JCU under-8/9 girls are the Northern MiniRoos Team of the Week.

The team are a combination of girls across multiple ages from seven to nine years old with

experience ranging from first time players to their second season.

The girls have had a significantly improved season with only having two losses to date and often winning matches by five or six goals.

The belief in their abilities and confidence on the field has skyrocketed as they get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Training sessions are always full of laughs and determination as we gently guide and nourish their abilities and offer tips and tricks to assist in their game play.

The club look forward to continuing with these girls for many seasons to come and are hoping that the majority, if not all, continue to stay together for next year’s 8/9’s or look to step up into the 10/11 age brackets.

Riverway JCU's under-8/9 side.

Results

Women

Saints Eagles Souths 0 def by Brothers Townsville 6

Riverway JCU 0 def by MA Olympic FC 3 (Forfeit)

Estates FC 3 def Burdekin FC 2

Men

Riverway JCU 1 def by MA Olympic 3

Saints Eagles South 2 def by Brothers Townsville 3

Rebels FC 0 def by Townsville Warriors 2

Estates FC 0 def by Burdekin FC 4

Preview

Round 19 of the FQPL Northern is just around the corner, promising another exciting weekend of football action.

The men’s finals race heats up as fifth placed Riverway JCU take on third placed Brothers Townsville, with Riverway knowing they must take all points available to them at this

stage of the season if they are in with a shot of qualifying for the finals.

MA Olympic will look to extend their lead at the top of the table against bottom placed Rebels, while Estates will have to be at their best to beat a resurgent Townsville Warriors outfit.

In the women’s competition, Brothers Townsville and Riverway JCU is a match to keep an eye on, with Brothers looking to make up ground on the league leaders MA Olympic who have the weekend off.

Head down to Joe Baker field this weekend to see two must watch FQPL Northern battles this

Saturday starting with the Women’s match at 5.30pm.

Fixtures

Women

Saturday, August 3

Riverway JCU vs. Brothers Townsville, Joe Baker Field, 5.30pm

Burdekin vs. Saints Eagles Souths, International Park, 7pm

Sunday, August 4

Townsville Warriors vs. Estates FC, Melrose Park, 2pm

Men

Saturday, August 3

Burdekin FC vs. Saints Eagles South, International Park, 5pm

MA Olympic vs. Rebels FC, Olympic Park, 7pm

Riverway JCU vs. Brothers Townsville, Joe Baker Field, 7.30pm

Sunday, August 4

Townsville Warriors vs. Estates FC, Melrose Park, 4pm