MAGPIES CHANCE FOR GROGAN MEDAL

After finishing second on the ladder with a 15-3 home and away win-loss record the Western Magpies will have several players as serious contenders for the club's second ever QAFL Best and fairest award, the Grogan Medal. Lone Magpies Grogan Medal winner Bill Peirce is keen for company.

Contenders from the Magpies will be the silky Luke Scott, fellow half back Matt Davis, centre half back Doug Lawrence, half forward Val Pope  and midfielders Drew Mitchell and Callum Carseldine.

Scott' reading of the play and numerous matches where he marked everything will have caught the umpires' eyes as will Matt Davis, whose first half of the season was exceptional. He missed several matches in the middle of the year but when he returned he was back to his best. he had some big possession games and his excellent intercept marking  and long driving kicks should have been noted by the men in orange.

Doug Lawrence has been superb all season in the key defensive post and he has some big scalps to his name this year. His closing speed to the contest has been a highlight and his spoiling has been first class--nothing like a big fist to send the ball 20-30 metres away from the contest.

However past experience says that defenders rarely get the spoils as it were but Lawrence will be a big chance for the QAFL Rookie of the Year after an early season nomination.

Val Pope had some inspirational matches this year with two big goal hauls of 6 and 7 in a couple of games as a midfielder/high half forward. Pope finished with 34 goals which is a solid tally from a non-key position forward who spends a lot of his game time in the midfield.

If being under the nose of the umpires attracts attention then the midfield duo of Drew Mitchell and Callum Carseldine must surely garner some votes.

Carseldine is in and under all match and racks up possessions but they are not pretty and whether this impacts on his voting prospects does remain to be seen.

Mitchell has had a breakout season with plenty of the ball and his runs through the middle and some long running goals have been highlights. 

Carseldine and Mitchell will be joined in the running for the season's  Syd Guildford Award by Richard Wenham as all three were  nominees throughout the season. Wenham had a big game against Morningside when he laid 20 tackles in the Pies long awaited victory over the Panthers in mid season.

Brady Allen was a nominee for Rookie of the Year along with Lawrence and his long kicking to break the lines often delighted the Pies supporters.

The QAFL JA Grogan Medal count and presentation night will be on Sunday night at the Legends Room at The Gabba