Bushies pip Kookas in epic State U18 Grand Finalhttp://www.aflq.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=116114
The South-East Bushrangers scored a thrilling six-point win over the Country Kookaburras in the grand final of the AFL Sportsready State U18 Championships at Coorparoo yesterday.
With AFL talent scouts littered around the ground, the Bushrangers kicked the last two goals of a fantastic contest to 8.11 (59) to 7.11 (53) and deny the Kookaburras the fairytale finish they were chasing.
Bushrangers rookie search player Joel Smouha, who had only played a handful of games of football before this year, was best afield in the grand final.
The mobile 198cm ruckman from Mt.Gravatt also won the Coach’s Award from Bushrangers coach Rob Amos as his team’s Player of the Championships.
The preliminary Australia Post Queensland U18 squad for 2007 will be named tomorrow (Tuesday) by new State coach Danny Craven. The squad will be posted on the Scorpions website at http://scorpions.aflq.com.au and the AFLQ website will carry a story with full details.
The Kookaburras led the final by 13 points at halftime and 14 points at three-quarter time but, with Ben Gibson, son of ex-Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears player Michael Gibson, playing a key role in the final term, the Bushrangers finished the stronger.
It went right down to the wire, with the Kookaburras hitting the post in the final stages after Elliott Duke had put the Bushrangers in front, and having the ball camped deep in their forward line in the last few seconds.
Amos, the former Essendon AFL player, paid equal credit to the Country side and to his players after Bushrangers co-captains Guy Tarrant and Daniel Savage collected the State U18 trophy from AFL Sportsready Queensland Manager Shane Johnson and the Lions’ Chris Johnson.
Savage and Tarrant, both from Morningside, also played well in the grand final, together with clubmate Alistair Nash, Adam Boon and Jamie Hackett (Redland) and Mitch Enright (Mt.Gravatt).
Hervey Bay defender Blake Passfield was best for the Kookaburras in the final and also won the Coach’s Award from Eddie Skiba to cap an outstanding carnival.
Skiba told spectators he was proud of his players’ efforts, and rued some missed opportunities early in the final quarter when they had the game under control.
Justin Myers, like Passfield from the Bundaberg Wide Bay League, Michael Walters, from Mackay, Cameron Josiah, from Cairns, and Jake Spencer, from Townsville, also played well for the Kookaburras.
In the play-off for 3rd that followed the grand final, the Gold Coast Stingrays accounted for the Northern Rainders by 39 points in a game closer than the final margin indicates.
The Stingrays punished the Raiders for some wayward kicking and won 13.10 (88) to 6.13 (49).
Alex Hombsch from Broadbeach was best afield while Southport’s Ben Headland and Tyson Kruse and Cats clubmates Josh Searl and four-goal hero James Kelly also stood out for the Stingrays.
Kedron’s Joey Daye, a member of the AFL/AIS Academy squad bound for South Africa next month, was best for the Raiders with the Aspley trio of vice-captain Daniel Nash, Pat Allan and Jack Stanley, and Sandgate’s Shane Rogerson.
Headland won the Coach’s Award for the Stingrays from Jarred Field, while Rogerson, who kicked eight goals in the opening match of the carnival, won the Coach’s Award for the Raiders from Graham ‘Bomber’ Adams.
And in the early game yesterday, the play-off for fifth place, the Western Taipans showed great character to bounce back from two indifferent performances and beat the Suncoast Power 10.9 (69) to 8.9 (57).
The Power led at every change but the Taipans kicked four goals to one in the final stanza to get home.
Morningside midfielder Ryan Holman, a State U18 representative last year, closed an outstanding carnival to be best afield, while rookie search player Andrew Pyke, Ben Jones (West Juniors), Greg Friis (Western Magpies) and Brandon Morris (Western Magpies) also played well for the victors.
Best for the Power were Jimmy Cupper (Caloundra), Kyle Marchant (Caloundra/Zillmere), Matt Somers (Noosa), Rhys Magin (Pomona/Zillmere) and AIS squad member Sammy Reid (Caloundra/Zillmere).
Cupper won the Coach’s Award for the Power from Ken Weightman, while Greg Friis took the corresponding award for the Taipans from Neville Miller.
MATCH DETAILS
GAME 1 – PLAY-OFF FOR 5th & 6th
Western Taipans 10.9.69 def Suncoast Power 8.9.57
Goalkickers: Taipans: Brandon Morris 3, Liam Tagell 2, Matt Davis 2, Adam Spackman 1, Mitchell Page 1, Jake Orreal 1. Power: Ryan Stewart 3, Marty Buscema 1, Ben Weightman 1, Nathan Lavis 1, Trevor Catalano 1, Sam Reid 1.
Best: Taipans: Ryan Holman, Andrew Pyke, Ben Jones, Greg Friis, Brandon Morris. Power: Jimmy Cupper, Kyle Marchant, Matt Somers, Rhys Magin, Sam Reid.
GAME 2 – GRAND FINAL
South Eastern Bushrangers 8.11.59 def Country Kookaburras 7.11.53
Goalkickers: Bushrangers: Jamie Hackett 2, Elliot Duke 2, Ben Gibson 1, Daniel Savage 1, Ian West 1, Blake Wallis 1. Kookaburras: Charlie Dixon 2, Tom Rudolph 2, Justin Myers 1, Ali Pinda 1, Jesse Fewkes 1.
Best: Bushrangers: Joel Smouha, Daniel Savage, Adam Boon, Alistair Nash, Jamie Hackett, Guy Tarrant, Mitch Enright, Elliot Duke. Kookaburras: Blake Passfield, Justin Myers, Michael Walters, Cameron Josiah, Jake Spencer.
GAME 3 – PLAY-OFF FOR 3rd & 4th[/B]
Gold Coast Stingrays 13.10.88 def. Northern Raiders 6.13.49
Goalkickers: Stingrays: James Kelly 4, Darin Stewart 2, Michael Cooke 2, James Mulligan 2, Aaron Rolfe 1,Chris Mitchell 1, Jordan Katane 1. Raiders: Richard Harrison 3, Daniel Nash 1, Joe Daye 1, Pat Devers 1.
Best: Stingrays: Alex Hombsch, Ben Headland, Josh Searl, James Kelly, Tyson Kruse. Raiders: Joe Daye, Daniel Nash, Pat Allen, Shane Rogerson, Jack Stanley.
CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES AWARDS
Team – Coach - Winner
Bushies - Rob Amos - Joel Smouha
Kookaburras - Eddie Skiba - Blake Passfield
Stingrays - Jarred Field - Ben Headland
Raiders - Graham Adams - Shane Rogerson
Taipans - Neville Miller -Greg Friis
Power - Ken Weightman - Jimmy Cupper
The South-East Bushrangers scored a thrilling six-point win over the Country Kookaburras in the grand final of the AFL Sportsready State U18 Championships at Coorparoo yesterday.
With AFL talent scouts littered around the ground, the Bushrangers kicked the last two goals of a fantastic contest to 8.11 (59) to 7.11 (53) and deny the Kookaburras the fairytale finish they were chasing.
Bushrangers rookie search player Joel Smouha, who had only played a handful of games of football before this year, was best afield in the grand final.
The mobile 198cm ruckman from Mt.Gravatt also won the Coach’s Award from Bushrangers coach Rob Amos as his team’s Player of the Championships.
The preliminary Australia Post Queensland U18 squad for 2007 will be named tomorrow (Tuesday) by new State coach Danny Craven. The squad will be posted on the Scorpions website at http://scorpions.aflq.com.au and the AFLQ website will carry a story with full details.
The Kookaburras led the final by 13 points at halftime and 14 points at three-quarter time but, with Ben Gibson, son of ex-Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears player Michael Gibson, playing a key role in the final term, the Bushrangers finished the stronger.
It went right down to the wire, with the Kookaburras hitting the post in the final stages after Elliott Duke had put the Bushrangers in front, and having the ball camped deep in their forward line in the last few seconds.
Amos, the former Essendon AFL player, paid equal credit to the Country side and to his players after Bushrangers co-captains Guy Tarrant and Daniel Savage collected the State U18 trophy from AFL Sportsready Queensland Manager Shane Johnson and the Lions’ Chris Johnson.
Savage and Tarrant, both from Morningside, also played well in the grand final, together with clubmate Alistair Nash, Adam Boon and Jamie Hackett (Redland) and Mitch Enright (Mt.Gravatt).
Hervey Bay defender Blake Passfield was best for the Kookaburras in the final and also won the Coach’s Award from Eddie Skiba to cap an outstanding carnival.
Skiba told spectators he was proud of his players’ efforts, and rued some missed opportunities early in the final quarter when they had the game under control.
Justin Myers, like Passfield from the Bundaberg Wide Bay League, Michael Walters, from Mackay, Cameron Josiah, from Cairns, and Jake Spencer, from Townsville, also played well for the Kookaburras.
In the play-off for 3rd that followed the grand final, the Gold Coast Stingrays accounted for the Northern Rainders by 39 points in a game closer than the final margin indicates.
The Stingrays punished the Raiders for some wayward kicking and won 13.10 (88) to 6.13 (49).
Alex Hombsch from Broadbeach was best afield while Southport’s Ben Headland and Tyson Kruse and Cats clubmates Josh Searl and four-goal hero James Kelly also stood out for the Stingrays.
Kedron’s Joey Daye, a member of the AFL/AIS Academy squad bound for South Africa next month, was best for the Raiders with the Aspley trio of vice-captain Daniel Nash, Pat Allan and Jack Stanley, and Sandgate’s Shane Rogerson.
Headland won the Coach’s Award for the Stingrays from Jarred Field, while Rogerson, who kicked eight goals in the opening match of the carnival, won the Coach’s Award for the Raiders from Graham ‘Bomber’ Adams.
And in the early game yesterday, the play-off for fifth place, the Western Taipans showed great character to bounce back from two indifferent performances and beat the Suncoast Power 10.9 (69) to 8.9 (57).
The Power led at every change but the Taipans kicked four goals to one in the final stanza to get home.
Morningside midfielder Ryan Holman, a State U18 representative last year, closed an outstanding carnival to be best afield, while rookie search player Andrew Pyke, Ben Jones (West Juniors), Greg Friis (Western Magpies) and Brandon Morris (Western Magpies) also played well for the victors.
Best for the Power were Jimmy Cupper (Caloundra), Kyle Marchant (Caloundra/Zillmere), Matt Somers (Noosa), Rhys Magin (Pomona/Zillmere) and AIS squad member Sammy Reid (Caloundra/Zillmere).
Cupper won the Coach’s Award for the Power from Ken Weightman, while Greg Friis took the corresponding award for the Taipans from Neville Miller.
MATCH DETAILS
GAME 1 – PLAY-OFF FOR 5th & 6th
Western Taipans 10.9.69 def Suncoast Power 8.9.57
Goalkickers: Taipans: Brandon Morris 3, Liam Tagell 2, Matt Davis 2, Adam Spackman 1, Mitchell Page 1, Jake Orreal 1. Power: Ryan Stewart 3, Marty Buscema 1, Ben Weightman 1, Nathan Lavis 1, Trevor Catalano 1, Sam Reid 1.
Best: Taipans: Ryan Holman, Andrew Pyke, Ben Jones, Greg Friis, Brandon Morris. Power: Jimmy Cupper, Kyle Marchant, Matt Somers, Rhys Magin, Sam Reid.
GAME 2 – GRAND FINAL
South Eastern Bushrangers 8.11.59 def Country Kookaburras 7.11.53
Goalkickers: Bushrangers: Jamie Hackett 2, Elliot Duke 2, Ben Gibson 1, Daniel Savage 1, Ian West 1, Blake Wallis 1. Kookaburras: Charlie Dixon 2, Tom Rudolph 2, Justin Myers 1, Ali Pinda 1, Jesse Fewkes 1.
Best: Bushrangers: Joel Smouha, Daniel Savage, Adam Boon, Alistair Nash, Jamie Hackett, Guy Tarrant, Mitch Enright, Elliot Duke. Kookaburras: Blake Passfield, Justin Myers, Michael Walters, Cameron Josiah, Jake Spencer.
GAME 3 – PLAY-OFF FOR 3rd & 4th[/B]
Gold Coast Stingrays 13.10.88 def. Northern Raiders 6.13.49
Goalkickers: Stingrays: James Kelly 4, Darin Stewart 2, Michael Cooke 2, James Mulligan 2, Aaron Rolfe 1,Chris Mitchell 1, Jordan Katane 1. Raiders: Richard Harrison 3, Daniel Nash 1, Joe Daye 1, Pat Devers 1.
Best: Stingrays: Alex Hombsch, Ben Headland, Josh Searl, James Kelly, Tyson Kruse. Raiders: Joe Daye, Daniel Nash, Pat Allen, Shane Rogerson, Jack Stanley.
CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES AWARDS
Team – Coach - Winner
Bushies - Rob Amos - Joel Smouha
Kookaburras - Eddie Skiba - Blake Passfield
Stingrays - Jarred Field - Ben Headland
Raiders - Graham Adams - Shane Rogerson
Taipans - Neville Miller -Greg Friis
Power - Ken Weightman - Jimmy Cupper
