2014 QAFL

[nqtragic]

Maybe he should be playing with the Qld Scorpions in the next game - I note Beth's comments on the AFLQ website which I find rather patronising????? To be beaten by 10 goals by a TAC Cup side shows us how low the standard of junior footy is off here in QLD, if it can be gauged, it looks like it has got a little worse since the GC-17 side competed in the TAC Cup 4 or so years ago, I am sure there is a lot of talent just like Brad (I hope he gets a chance as ability beats age every time) itching to show their wares, running around in our QAFL sides who just need a chance at the Scorpion's level. We maybe throwing the babies out with the bathwater most years, as it is only the talked up kids who get a real chance only to disappoint when given their chance.

I dont think it was all bad BB, QLD missing 3 AIS players and were only trailing by 1 point at 3/4 time. On top of that a few injuries to some of the others, I think we will see some better results as the year progresses. Still 5 TAC games to go and I do believe they will be a good show of winning a couple.

 

[stuyd1]

Will Broadbeach expect any of the Southport players back? With Brewer at Southport, will Brennan be with the Suns the entire year and not back with Broadbeach?

Brennan, played first game of season for Southport, but has been called to the Suns ressies in the past 2 games... weird stuff. So I guess he wont play for Broady this season.

 

[smy1305]

Agree NQ - not having Hammelman was a big loss - he has been marking everything this year - absolutely towelled up Morningside seniors in a prac match. Can't be 100% sure but think they will go alright this year. And with the new format it gives some great opportunities for drafting as well.

Stuy - one of the strange ones with the NEAFL comp. Very tough on the guys I reckon to potentially be playing with a side then against them the following week. How does all that go with lists of 35 etc?

 

[billybunter]

I dont think it was all bad BB, QLD missing 3 AIS players and were only trailing by 1 point at 3/4 time. On top of that a few injuries to some of the others, I think we will see some better results as the year progresses. Still 5 TAC games to go and I do believe they will be a good show of winning a couple.

nqtragic.

The Gold Coast - GC-17 original side under Bluey McKenna was the Scorpions by default, who played finals after a full season in the TAC Cup only to go down in second semi played in Melbourne, I don't remember them getting beaten by the amount of goals that the Charges won by on the weekend.
It is a far from a big wrap for the whole of Qld's best under 18's players (although some missing) to be beaten by a suburb / South East Region of Melbourne - Don't give me the old clichés of - they grow up on the game down there and second is not really that bad - its footy and its time time for us to lift the bar and if that means giving the best kids in Qld no matter what their age a game then then that's what we should be doing - what we are doing at the moment is far from working IMO. It should be a privilege to play for your state not just a right of passage - those who don't measure up should not be there as if a Fifteen year old is good enough to play then he should be playing. 5 games of TAC Cup footy is not the bar we need as a state for our young players. The AFL should again IMO spend some of their TV Rights money and make Queensland's U/18's side involved in the TAC Cup Competition for the whole season every year not just a token 5 games - this is the only way to lift this bar.

 

[smy1305]

Scheers wouldn't be in the best 6 midfielders in the State BB - he isn't better than kids like Holland, Haberfield, Stevenson, Weller, among others. He's playing in a very good senior football team and playing well. And not sure what your logic is? U18 footy is for boys who will be either drafted this year or put onto someones radar for next year. Scheers can't even be considered for another 2 years basically.
And your info re the GC 17's is totally wrong - every kid in that side was drafted so not that many Qldrs... Therefore they were very competitive in the TAC - logical really. No one who played in either Brisbane, sunshine coast, or Wide Bay were even considered for this side.

The Qld U18 team has always struggled against TAC sides - these boys play together week in week out, plus the fact that the number of boys playing in the Oakleigh area (as an example) would nearly match the entire number of U18 boys playing footy in Qld, it's not surprising that we do struggle against these teams. For what its worth, its not about winning or losing matches at this level, its more about number of boys drafted. If we ended up with 6 boys drafted this year but lost every game then it would be considered a successful year.

 

[billybunter]

And your info re the GC 17's is totally wrong - every kid in that side was drafted so not that many Qldrs... Therefore they were very competitive in the TAC - logical really. No one who played in either Brisbane, sunshine coast, or Wide Bay were even considered for this side.

The Qld U18 team has always struggled against TAC sides - these boys play together week in week out, plus the fact that the number of boys playing in the Oakleigh area (as an example) would nearly match the entire number of U18 boys playing footy in Qld, it's not surprising that we do struggle against these teams. For what its worth, its not about winning or losing matches at this level, its more about number of boys drafted. If we ended up with 6 boys drafted this year but lost every game then it would be considered a successful year.[/quote]

smy 1305,

I respectfully accept your opinion above - but you should do some homework, as in the Gold Coast Suns first year they were Known as the GC-17, their playing list was made up of the Qld eligible U/18 players plus 4 over age players - Charlie Dixon from Redlands, Zach Smith, Joey Day and Jack Stanley from the Northern Eagles. These players all played the entire year in the TAC Cup Competition in which they finished the season I think in 4th place and won the elimination final against the Northern Nights (Josh Caddie played as an under age player for Nights) only to be bundled out the week later. There were only a few drafted players that year I think Smith, Dixon Still with the Suns AFL), Stanlake (Gave it away) & Haberfield (Surfers Paradise) with Stanley (Aspley), Daye (Aspley) and a few others made offers as Rookies for the following year.

Some of these players who played in the first year are still playing today - like the 4 overage players above, Josh Thomas (Collingwood AFL), Rory Thompson (Suns AFL), Declan Bevan, Ryan Thompson, James Neillis (Aspley NEAFL), Brad Rees, Mitch Harley, Damian Steven (Redlands NEAFL), Ryan Dienjes, Taylor Rolfe, Jessie Haberfield (Surfers Paradise QAFL), Mark Loch Captain (Box Hill VFL), Josh Millani (Sydney Hills Eagles NEAFL), Luke Shreeve, Todd Grayson (Southport NEAFL), Liam Ruttledge (Sandgate AFLQ), Gerard Moore (Western Magpies AFLQ), (Hamish Watts (Playing some where In Melbourne), (Shane Hutchinson not playing ?????), ETC.

My apologies' for not naming all of the Qld players who played in that GC side that year - but they where all from Qld and they to my recollection all had a crack when given their opportunity at this level.

As you can see from the playing list above, this would have been our best U/18 representative side for some years (even though they did not figure in the state championships) - as they had the resources around them to play at the TAC Cup level week in and week out and this has helped make them the footballers they are today - The retention rate to be still playing footy is what I would call a great success as these kids at the time where all but drafted that year and through the disappointment of being told that they were not good enough, they still have the passion to play our great game to this day. Most others just give it away as they see themselves as having failed - you don't have to be a listed AFL Footballer to be a success, playing or being part of any team for that matter is a success in itself and it does not matter the level or the standard.

Six boys drafted at the end of this year would be great but it is pipe dream, as rookies maybe with the mature age player being the fashion, to have the current group of boys all playing in one form or another next year is what we want and what I would call a successful outcome.

Scheers - nominated AFLQ Rising Star for round 2 - We now know of him, we now know he can play obviously - How far can he go? - Hopefully for him, the people around him and Qld Footy - all the way taking a few of his teammates with him.

 

[nqtragic]

nqtragic.

The Gold Coast - GC-17 original side under Bluey McKenna was the Scorpions by default, who played finals after a full season in the TAC Cup only to go down in second semi played in Melbourne, I don't remember them getting beaten by the amount of goals that the Charges won by on the weekend.
It is a far from a big wrap for the whole of Qld's best under 18's players (although some missing) to be beaten by a suburb / South East Region of Melbourne - Don't give me the old clichés of - they grow up on the game down there and second is not really that bad - its footy and its time time for us to lift the bar and if that means giving the best kids in Qld no matter what their age a game then then that's what we should be doing - what we are doing at the moment is far from working IMO. It should be a privilege to play for your state not just a right of passage - those who don't measure up should not be there as if a Fifteen year old is good enough to play then he should be playing. 5 games of TAC Cup footy is not the bar we need as a state for our young players. The AFL should again IMO spend some of their TV Rights money and make Queensland's U/18's side involved in the TAC Cup Competition for the whole season every year not just a token 5 games - this is the only way to lift this bar.

BB
I cannot comment on the GC-17 or any previous history as I have only been converted to this great game a couple years ago. However I can comment on selection policies etc in sport as I had been involved for many years in junior sport and elite players in the other sport in QLD - Rugby League (by the way did I mention I have converted). I have seen younger players put into older elite age groups and to this day I have not seen a lot of success (Eg u16 playing u18) They may be athletically caplable but most of the time fail in the mental department and mainly through burnout. As for the cliche "they grow up on the game" well sorry its true but I will not agree with "second is not really that bad".QLD is going to take a least enother generation to catch up to our Southern cousins. Its like bringing a Rugby League side from Melbourne to Nth Qld (Storm is not an example, their mostly QLDers ). Your other statement that "It should be a privilege to play for your state not just a right of passage" I agree but I can tell you that there are several kids in this current squad that come from the country areas (Rocky North) that have made great sacrifices and thier parents sacrifice a lot more then our metro brothers for these lads to be there. They have played several more trial games just to get to the academy games and then selected from the academy trials and are are under no doubt that it is no previlege to be there. I assume you would not have lumped the whole team in that statement but I through this in anyway. So in ending all I can say is it will take time.

 

[smy1305]

Apologies BB - mixed up 2009 and 2010. Yep - agree re Qldrs making up the GC17 team in 2009. My point still stands though that very rarely do we knock over TAC sides, probably for much the same reason that the GC17 group were pretty successful in 2009 TAC comp - bc the TAC boys play like a club side alot of the time with the ability of a 2nd tier state side like Qld.
I wasn't saying we would get 6 boys drafted this year, just using it as a figure that would be considered successful irrespective of results. I agree that you would like to have EVERY boy playing this year again playing next year - personally think this is the biggest challenge across Aust to provide hope to those not drafted that all is not lost and tbh, if you were never to be drafted then footy can be a wonderful pastime all the same. Make 10 year players out of them all.
Also told tonight that Oakleigh rocked up with 24 players (TAC can play 24 in the 1st month) vs qld 22. Not an excuse but a reason as to why we might have been blown away in the end. NQ - don't think playing up an age group occasionally is a bad thing, all year I agree not necessarily a great idea but also depends on what the local comps are like too.

 

[stuyd1]

I posted the other day about, Albury, Yarrawonga, games etc. Well Saturdays blockbuster turned into a tradegy, when 10 minutes into the 2nd qrt a young Albury player was involved in a sickening ( accidental) collision which has resulted in him being placed into a induced coma and flown to Melbourne hospital. It looks like severe spinal cord damage ( alais the Newcastle knight player last week.) The game was abandoned , resulting in a draw under league rules.More importantly, lets hope this young player is ok,,,, but from all reports its not looking good....[/quote
]
Just an update on this.... not good, looks like the young 21 year old will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.... tragic stuff.

 

[Dezario]

Morningside vs palm beach this weekend should be a cracker!

 

[Speedyunit]

Agree NQ - not having Hammelman was a big loss - he has been marking everything this year - absolutely towelled up Morningside seniors in a prac match. Can't be 100% sure but think they will go alright this year. And with the new format it gives some great opportunities for drafting as well.

Stuy - one of the strange ones with the NEAFL comp. Very tough on the guys I reckon to potentially be playing with a side then against them the following week. How does all that go with lists of 35 etc?

Is there a bit of Vulture culture creeping in at Morningside, coaching staff refusing to play all australian 18s player and club junior in their seniors reserves or their first under 18s team? also didnt play state 18s and Siders junior Ben Keys in any of these teams and it is well known that premiership hero Ryan Holman was about to have the same fate until an intervension from key people at the club occured. Morningside are going very well on field this year and will most likley win it but is there a shift in culture at the club or is it just the decision maker of the senior team sticking up his nose at the system.....

 

[smy1305]

Would they have been rested Speedy? Have had a big few weeks and have State 18's games coming up next. Would be disappointing if the reason they weren't selected was simply bc it upsets balance of the club having these boys coming in and out. At the end of the day this isn't their fault and not a choice thing on their behalf. I would suggest lakey might be thinking more about the long (and very important) year they have in front of them and being cherry ripe for the next 2 weeks is probably forefront of mind.

 

[Sir G]

Morningside vs palm beach this weekend should be a cracker!

That will be a good test for Palmy!

 

[Dogwarna]

Would they have been rested Speedy? Have had a big few weeks and have State 18's games coming up next. Would be disappointing if the reason they weren't selected was simply bc it upsets balance of the club having these boys coming in and out. At the end of the day this isn't their fault and not a choice thing on their behalf. I would suggest lakey might be thinking more about the long (and very important) year they have in front of them and being cherry ripe for the next 2 weeks is probably forefront of mind.

Both those kids are playing in Mackay.. The lions will gladly take them, saves them from playing for the Wynnum 18's

 

[Ruffles00]

Both those kids are playing in Mackay.. The lions will gladly take them, saves them from playing for the Wynnum 18's

Is there a bit of Vulture culture creeping in at Morningside, coaching staff refusing to play all australian 18s player and club junior in their seniors reserves or their first under 18s team? also didnt play state 18s and Siders junior Ben Keys in any of these teams and it is well known that premiership hero Ryan Holman was about to have the same fate until an intervension from key people at the club occured. Morningside are going very well on field this year and will most likley win it but is there a shift in culture at the club or is it just the decision maker of the senior team sticking up his nose at the system.....

Would they have made the Morningside senior side? Hammelman would have to take out Abey and don't think Keays would force out any of the midfield. For developmental benefit I would rather them playing at the NEAFL level with the Lions then playing QAFL Reserves with Morningside.

 

[smy1305]

Hammelman easily IMO. He is in the best 20 kids in Australia I think so don't think playing qafl footy is that significant. When u are in the AIS level 2 group you are basically being ear marked. Keays may not without knowing too much about m'side team but if both are playing NEAFL footy this week then that's a great result anyway. Reckon if they were playing a decent 18s team it would be ok as well for keays.

 

[nqtragic]

Anyone at the Surfers magpies game, woundering on result and how Surfers played with the NEAFL and 18 state players. Interested on how the Ruckman for surfers (Preuss) went, first game back from injury, big unit.

 

[stuyd1]

Watched Broadbeach belt Uni by some 100 plus points today. They played a good standard of footy and Uni played well in patches. Broady still have 2 or 3 experienced players to come back from injury in the next week or two.... So things looking better for my club.Must say, the Broady ground surface is a picture and the facilities are second to none....

 

[Dogwarna]

It's a debacle in some ways at the panthers. When these 18's play Neafl that's playing a senior game at the highest level in qld, and they have a massive role to play when they do front for the lions. Having Hammelman and Abey in the same fwd line would be near on unstoppable. No one in the QAFL could go with Hammelman, other than maybe Nick Jackson from Sangate via Aspley. Now the order of club for these rookies is Neafl ( Hammelman, keays, DCR, HBS, raynor all Redlands rookies ) lions reserves then QAFL. So if Redlands don't choose them then the lions take them if required then Morningside. The other interesting situation is there visibility at club land during the week. All party's agree that this area needs vast improvement.
If the panthers have explained the situation right to there playing group then it shouldn't be an issue. Yes continuity is a problem with the TAC cup and champs schedule. But my opinion would be that the panthers would be an even better team with these kids than say some of there great clubman that currently get a game in there firsts. Morningside is a club that will do everything in there power to protect the culture of there club. Interesting to see how it pans out.
On the flip side after watching Redlands up here on Friday, Hammelman would be super in bomber colours as would HBS. Both run long, something that the Bombers really lacked

 

[2010premier]

It's a debacle in some ways at the panthers. When these 18's play Neafl that's playing a senior game at the highest level in qld, and they have a massive role to play when they do front for the lions. Having Hammelman and Abey in the same fwd line would be near on unstoppable. No one in the QAFL could go with Hammelman, other than maybe Nick Jackson from Sangate via Aspley. Now the order of club for these rookies is Neafl ( Hammelman, keays, DCR, HBS, raynor all Redlands rookies ) lions reserves then QAFL. So if Redlands don't choose them then the lions take them if required then Morningside. The other interesting situation is there visibility at club land during the week. All party's agree that this area needs vast improvement.
If the panthers have explained the situation right to there playing group then it shouldn't be an issue. Yes continuity is a problem with the TAC cup and champs schedule. But my opinion would be that the panthers would be an even better team with these kids than say some of there great clubman that currently get a game in there firsts. Morningside is a club that will do everything in there power to protect the culture of there club. Interesting to see how it pans out.
On the flip side after watching Redlands up here on Friday, Hammelman would be super in bomber colours as would HBS. Both run long, something that the Bombers really lacked

Must be a real debacle with all teams undefeated and depth coming through. The only debacle is that I don't see other clubs realistically stopping them and an undefeated season which is bad for the comp

 

[The_Sherrin]

Is there a bit of Vulture culture creeping in at Morningside, coaching staff refusing to play all australian 18s player and club junior in their seniors reserves or their first under 18s team? also didnt play state 18s and Siders junior Ben Keys in any of these teams and it is well known that premiership hero Ryan Holman was about to have the same fate until an intervension from key people at the club occured. Morningside are going very well on field this year and will most likley win it but is there a shift in culture at the club or is it just the decision maker of the senior team sticking up his nose at the system.....

Which QAFL game where Hammelman and Keys available to play that the Panthers rejected their services?

Morningside 18's have a 2's they are no longer affiliated with Wynnum.

 

[Ruffles00]

What exactly is everyone complaining about here? If it's about giving the kids the correct exposure and development, wouldn't the best thing for them be to play with an AFL Reserves team against the best competition in QLD/NSW/NT? Are people just trying to create a reason to have a shot at Morningside?

 

[smy1305]

Mountain out of a mole hill Ruffles - someone thought the Panthers had not played the boys at all, when in fact they had played with the Lions on Friday in Mackay. It's a really tough one for clubs to manage as Dog said and a tough one for the boys themselves. Surprised that a kid like Hammelman isn't getting a run with Redlands as well - saying this it does make it tough for continuity as a coach but really stiff shit, you know the ground rules when you sign up to the comp I imagine. The 18's have TAC games for the next 2 weeks in any case.

 

[Blackdog32]

The way the rookies are handled seems fine to me. It is good that the lions/suns get to see them close up if they don't get a game with their neafl clubs.
The comp is going pretty well also, IMO. Things will iron themselves out over time.
I see morningside's strength as a positive. Most comps have a benchmark that everyone aspires to defeat.
Definitely a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[Bungles13]

Must be a real debacle with all teams undefeated and depth coming through. The only debacle is that I don't see other clubs realistically stopping them and an undefeated season which is bad for the comp

Big call considering Palm Beach nearly beat them yesterday? By the looks of the scores same scoring shots & Palmy kicked 3 goals 7 in 1st qtr which wouldn't have helped! Was anyone there who seen game? Are Morningside beatable??