The Western Magpies 2008 Premiership team will hold a reunion this Saturday July 21st when the Magpies host their foes of 2008 in Palm Beach-Currumbin at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer.

The 1978 Sherwood Premiership team will also celebrate the 40th Anniversary of their grand final victory over Mt Gravatt with details on their victory re-produced HERE

The 2008 victory has gone down in Magpies folklore and reproduced below are two articles describing the victory.

Also overlooked is that the Magpies Reserves also played in the Grand Final and after a good start and a 4 goal lead were outplayed for the second half and were defeated by Aspley quite comfortably in the end. It was a disappointing loss to the Pies as the Magpies were going for their fourth Reserves premiership in a row.

Teams from Grand Final day in 2008 reproduced below with the two articles on the Premiership victory.

2008 Premiership Team

Backs: Matt Skubis Mark Dowley (vc), Greg Friis

HB:  Sean Mewing  Ian Carroll  Chris Mihalopoulos

Centre:  Val Pope  Tim McEvoy  Ben Heffernan-Roper

HF: Adam Gillespie  Joshua Barton  Jim Rozynski

F:  Chris Judson  David Hamill  Matt Thompson

Foll:  Gerard Moore Luke Scott Richard Wenham

I/C:  Jack Burford, Matt Fowler, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Todd Dunn

Emerg: Jye Spencer, Gabe McKinnon

Coach: Paul Grentell

Assistant Coaches: Hayden Dowley, Quentin Johnson

Runner: Sean Toohey

2008 Reserves Runners-Up

B: Sean McEvoy  Mick Ford  Jye Spencer

HB:  Gabe McKinnon  Brad Wright  Angus Graham

C: Luke Boulton  Luke Knight (C) Will Fozard

HF: Kale Reed  Jay Baker  Scott Clarke

F:  Curtis McNamara  Scott Musson  Peter Kilroy

Foll: Nick Williamson Matthew Page Reid Dobson

I/C: from: Blake McClennan, Cameron Thomas, Jason De Wever, Jake Magill, Dom Beer, Callum Saunders

Coach: Peter McClennan

Assistant Coach: Brian Millar

Western Magpies Win 2008 Premiership

Reproduced from Gold Coast Bulletin-- Saturday 13 September 2008

The Western Magpies celebrated their 2nd Premiership in 3 years with a stunning come-from-behind win over hot favourites Palm Beach-Currumbin in the Pineapple Hotel Cup grand final at Broadbeach today.

The Magpies trailed by 40 points early in the third quarter, but ran the Lions off their legs to register a thrilling 16.8 (104)-14.17 (101) triumph. 

It was the Chelmer-based Magpies’ second premiership in three years and was the perfect way to finish their four-year stint in Division 1 Pineapple Hotel Cup.

The black-and-whites had several heroes, however, with Richard Wenham the architect of the comeback, Gerard Moore assisting him, and Luke Scott providing the heroics at the finish.

It all looked so different in the first half, with the Lions – who had won 42 of their previous 43 matches – dominating but wasting opportunities to put the game out of reach. 

They dominated the first term kicking with the strong wind that favoured the Merrimac school end of the ground, generating 12 scoring shots to two and leading 6.6-2.0 at the first break.

While the young Magpies were surprisingly static in the second quarter, the more experienced Lions calmed chipped the ball around to milk the clock and kicked 2.2-3.2 for the quarter to maintain a strong advantage.

With James Drake dominating in defence, half-back Matt Fyfe mopping up anything that happened to get past Drake, and Korey Fulton lively across half-forward, the Lions appeared in full control.

The only worrying sign for the minor premiers was a couple of players cramping up in the windy but humid conditions near halftime.

They bounced out of the blocks with the aid of the wind again in the third term and peppered the goals. 

The Magpies had obviously made a vow to run and carry the ball at all costs and provided stiffer opposition, but only wayward shooting at goal by the Lions prevented the margin being greater than 40 points.

Midway through the quarter, teenager Wenham stood up to be counted.

Roving to 16-year-old Gerard Moore, who was hugely impressive at the bounces and around the ground, Wenham won three centre clearances and pumped the ball forward for Josh Barton to get on the end of. 

Barton booted three goals in as many minutes and when Scott joined the action a minute later, the margin had been whittled back to 14 points. 

The Lions hit back with a  goal almost immediately, but wasted three late opportunities to stretch the margin to 23 points at the final change.

They had sprayed 4.9 for the quarter compared to the fit young Magpies’ 5.4 and a game that had given little value for the 2500-plus spectators was suddenly very much alive.

Rozynski had been good all day but he stepped up another notch in the final term and 20 minutes into the quarter, the Magpies hit the front for the first time in the game.

The Lions weren’t done with yet – winning the next centre clearance and pumping the ball into the goalsquare. 

Rather than concede a behind with the margin just two points in their favour, the Magpies defenders tried to keep the ball alive, and Palm Beach skipper Matt Carroll got the hotly contested ball and put his side back in front.

There was plenty more drama left yet, with the Magpies winning the next centre clearance and Scott taking a sensational mark three-deep in a pack just 20m from goal on a 45 degree angle.

However, the big pack crashed down on important key forward David Hamill’s ankle, and the game was held up for five minutes while he was stretchered from the ground. 

A jittery Scott sprayed the shot, much to his dismay and the large, vocal contingent of Magpies supporters who had made the trip to the Gold Coast. 

The ball swung between the two half-back lines until at the 31-minute mark, Scott’s world turned rightside up when he crashed into a pack, grabbed the ball, and snapped a blinder to put his side three points up.

Both sides threw themselves at the ball with reckless abandon for the next two minutes before the final siren sounded on what proved to be a remarkable last 45 minutes.

The Magpies had kicked 6.2-2.0 in the final quarter and grabbed the glory. They could rightly point out that they are deserving champions because it was the Magpies who inflicted a 12-goal defeat on the Lions in the middle of the season.

Scott and Adam Gillespie finished with three goals and Barton with five for the victors, while Fulton kicked four for the Lions and won a points decision over tenacious Magpies half-back Matt Skubis. 

Drake and Brent Rhynehart were outstanding for Palm Beach, but their side did not have the fitness at the end of the day to match the young Magpies on the big Merrimac surface.

Scoreboard:

Western Magpies,          2.0,  5.2,  10.6,     16.8 (104)

Palm Beach-Currumbin, 6.6,  8.8,  12.17,   14.17 (101)

 

Goals, Magpies: Joshua Barton 5, Luke Scott 3, Adam Gillespie 3, David Hamill 2, Val Pope, Matthew Fowler, Matthew Thompson 1. 

Lions:  Korey Fulton 4, Matt Carroll 2, Darryl Dyson 2, Greg Pires 2, Adrian Hill, Josh McLoughlin, Nic Baker, Arnold Knight 1.

Best, Magpies: James Rozynski, Luke Scott, Val Pope, Chris Judson, Richard Wenham, Gerard Moore. 

Lions: Brent Rynehart, Matt Flynn, James Drake, Matt Fife, Korey Fulton, Josh McLoughlin

 

Article below produced by AFLQ Leading up to 2013 Prelim Final

The Western Magpies added an incredible chapter to their rivalry with Palm Beach, winning the 2008 flag.

They’ve been the heavyweights of the competition over the past decade, winning five of the last seven flags, and this weekend Palm Beach and the Magpies will add another epic chapter to their incredible history.

One of the most sensational entries in that history was the 2008 grand final, in the then Division Two competition.

The Magpies squad of that year had an average age of only 22, with three players under 18 in their ranks, and not a single player over 30.

Those youngsters had snapped the defending premiers’ 39-game winning streak earlier in the year, 

They went in as massive underdogs against a Palm Beach side that had dominated for much of the previous two seasons, and the Magpies had gone through the hard way, after a qualifying final loss.

That team included some Queensland footy stalwarts, many of whom are now scattered throughout the competition.

Mt Gravatt’s Luke Scott, Springwood’s Greg Friis and the Vultures’ Matthew Skubis all played in the decider that day, as well as a number of players who would go on to be 2012 Premiership players with the Magpies.

One of the youngsters that fronted up for the Magpies, Gerard Moore, is now leading the club as a co-captain for 2013.

Moore was in his first year of senior footy, and will never forget that first grand final and first premiership.

In the week leading up to the match, the Sherwood club invited former premiership players, including Ray Windsor to the club to speak about the opportunity in their grasp.

“They just told us about how they came from being underdogs all season to beating a side that’s supposedly unbeatable and they had a positive attitude and had that belief that we could do it,” he said.

The message that remained with Moore the most was the importance of treating an intimidating opposition just like everyone else.

“[They said] the hardest part about winning a premiership is getting into it,” Moore said.

“Once you’re there you’ve got just as much chance as the other side.

“It’s just 22 versus 22 and whoever wants it more will come away with the premiership.”

The young side did have some premiership players from 2006 in their ranks, and Moore said that helped ease the nerves as he went into his first senior final.

It was the first five minutes that were the most brutal for the teen, he said.

“After the first five minutes, everyone was buggered, but once the game went on,  it kind of turned into a normal finals game,” he said.

“That first five minutes of finals footy is the most intense of the year.”

For the first half, the Palm Beach powerhouse was having it their way, and led by 30 points at the major break. 

Coach, Paul Grentell, just told them to stick it out, Moore said, and that’s exactly what they did, led by Ray Poulter medallist Jimmy Rozynski, whose game went to another level in the second half.

“In the third quarter, we really turned it on and started to win the ball out of the middle and that’s when the game turned around,” he said.

“I think the general feeling was that we could do it.

“We knew it was going to be tough, but belief was always there and we just had to stay true to it and keep playing for the four quarters.”

And it took almost the entirety of those four quarters for the Magpies to take the lead, into time on in the last.

Enter –Luke Scott.

Scott lived out every player’s dream with the match-winning goal, which followed a dramatic final five minutes.

The dual-premiership player took a mark in the dying stages, in a pack that crashed down onto David Hamill’s ankle, requiring a stretcher and the game stopped for five minutes.

That five minutes gave Scott plenty of time to think about the importance of his kick, and he said those moments were probably too long.

“I had a lot of time to think about it and the pressure built up and I thought we’d lost the game (when I missed),” he said.

But, the footy gods had other ideas and fortune turned Scott’s way.

“As fate would have it, I got another opportunity and made the most of it,” he said.

“That’s what you dream about as a little kid.”

There was time for one more stanza in a gripping match, as the Lions won the next centre clearance, and Scott could only stand and watch from the forward line.

“It was very nerve-wracking,” he said.

“When they got that last centre clearance, I was up the other end and I was just hoping our backmen would stand up like they did all day.

“I was so glad the siren sounded when it did.”

Overcoming the side that had beaten them in 2007 after coming in as rank outsiders made it all the sweeter for Scott.

“They were definitely the form team of the year, they were so strong,” he said.

“Even being more than six goals down, we just kept persisting and digging in deep and fighting through the pain barriers and thought they would eventually crumble, and they did.

“It was like a fairytale.”