Place Preview - Home Final on the Line for Sherwood
Andrew Thomson
Fourth place and a home final is the prize for Sherwood when they travel to Labrador for their QAFL round 9 match on Saturday, which is the last home and away game before finals commence next week.
The Pies have made one change to the side, with Aaron Highlands coming in after missing last week with an infection. Out is Riley Easton, who has work commitments.
The Pies started to get going last week and seemed to play with more freedom than in recent weeks and are starting to play the standard of football that was expected earlier in the season.
Labrador are out of finals contention with only one win this season but still pose a danger as they will want to take a scalp before season’s end, especially on their big and often windy home ground. The Magpies will need to play smart football on the open spaces at Labrador but the wide expanse of the ground will help the magpies potent forward line. Labrador have a strong playing list despite their results and will be a handful on their home deck.
The Pies must win out of the centre with Samson Ryan a key player in ruck against a well credential opponent and the likes of inform Will Fletcher, Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams key players for the Pies. In defence Jack Goodall returned to form and with Highlands back at CHB, Ethan Sivijs and Brenton Saunders also playing well and Luca Winton also back to form the Pies defence looks strong. Support acts in midfield and across half forward in Jayden Gallagher, Tom Baulch, Aaron Maricic and Bruce Reville all provide an x-factor for the Pies.
The prize for victory is a home final against either Mt Gravatt or Maroochydore with the winner of that semi-final playing the loser of Saturday’s Broadbeach-Morningside match a week later. A loss on Saturday will drop the Pies to sixth and a tough match at Palm Bach-Currumbin next week.
QAFL Rd 9: Sherwood v Labrador at Labrador on Saturday, September 5th at 2 pm
B: Brenton Saunders Luca Winton Ethan Sivijs
HB: Errin Wasley-Black Aaron Highlands Jack Goodall
C: Claye Beams Will Fletcher Dan Edwards
HF: Bruce Reville Jack Austin Brody Lumber
F: Aaron Maricic Liam Dawson Zane Lovell
Foll: Samson Ryan Caleb Franks Ryan Harwood
Interchange: David Lewis (Capt), Drew Mitchell, Jack Briskey, Jayden Gallagher, Tom Baulch
Emerg: Trystan Juffs-King, Sam St John, Rory Johnson, Sam Hartog
In: Aaron Highlands
Out: Riley Easton (work)