Gut Feelings II - A weekly collection of thoughts from deep inside the Magpie Nest

• The Seniors again went close but no chocolates and looked a bit rusty , only having 2 practice matches to sort out the cobwebs. The team that lined up on Saturday was vastly different to the practice match teams with an influx of NEAFL aligned players and several players returning after missing the last practice match. The backline looked disjointed at times and clean ball handling was not at he required level.

• The Pies face another tough task this week against Labrador, who have recruited again and will be a tougher proposition than last year and coach Brydan Morgan does have a difficult task as he does not know what players he has from the NEAFL until later in the week. 

• Morgan was happy with his player endeavour on Saturday and pointed out it there were several aspects of the game that were not good enough but he  is confident these are simple things to sort out. He also pointed out that the Pies went inside the 50 mere arc 54 times to the Vultures 47 times, so the opportunities to kick a wining score are there.

• The Reserves will be hoping to bounce back and they will welcome back the experienced Gareth Crawford, Joel Workman and Matt Mazarolle and also the return to the club of Jesse Hampel , who tweaked a hamstring in the pre-season. Hampel will be looking to force his way into the seniors in the next few weeks.  Due to come back into the playing squad in coming weeks after injury or delayed start to the season are Luke Mitchell and Lachie Dennis who will be looking to push for senior selection

• The Magpies Senior and Reserves teams are in desperate need of Team Managers this year following the retirements for one reason or another of Michelle Shepherd, who understandably decided to follow her son Callum to Moorooka, Peter Wilmot and Phil Kelemen, who both have their health problems and Chris Dennis, who has taken a well deserved rest  after many years as a club volunteer across a mountain of areas.

• On Saturday it was left to the support staff and coaches to manage the teams and also gather up all the club gear after the game and one of the players in Jack Goodall took the gear back to Chelmer. President Andrew Thomson is doing a fantastic job at the top but he is also doing a power of work to ensure guernseys are organised and washed and is unfortunately left to pick up the slack in a variety of areas due to lack of volunteers

• So if anyone wants a rewarding job and to be an intimate part of the club then let Andrew or any of coaches or committee know.

• On the subject of Club Person of the Year winners such as Michelle Shepherd, Peter Wilmot and Phil Kelemen, hats off to club legend and Life Member Gabe McKinnon who played on Friday night for the Woodsmen then turned up on Saturday and ran water in hot conditions for both the Reserves and Seniors. Gabe also wears his other hat as the club Secretary on the Board which is a demanding and time consuming job.  the work that goes on behind the scenes to get us to match day is all-consuming, so additional help is needed on match day to relieve those giving up their week nights.

• AFLQ developed a Player Points system in late 2018 to be implemented in 2019.

  Depending on the playing history of the player he is allocated a points rating and clubs must have all 22 players points total to be at or under the current maximum of 51 points.

  Players will have points deducted over the seasons depending on years played and loyalty of service  and in some instances it may stay the same for 2 seasons before starting to reduce e.g. Ryan Harwood still remains on 7 points for the 2019 season. 

  There are also discounts for players who return to their club of origin from NEAFL clubs, or those aligned players who wish to make a permanent switch after many years playing down from their NEAFL list.

  The system was brought in to:

  1.      support equalisation of community football competitions;

  2.      ensure teams fielded in the competitions are strong and as equally matched as possible;

  3.      provide the best opportunities for players to develop and display their skills;

  4.      provide opportunities to compete at a community level within an orderly and fair system;

  5.      enable team spirit and public support;

  6.      encourage community and corporate sponsorships of Community Clubs;

  7.      reduce the inflationary nature of player payments to assist clubs survive financially and reduce financial burden/stress on Clubs;

  8.      promote player loyalty and junior development;

  9.      support the role volunteers undertake in managing their Clubs by;

  - minimising the need to fundraise for player payments

  - providing a more competitive environment on field, that encourages more volunteers to support at Club level

  - providing incentive to spend more time and effort in the development of football, a welcoming Club environment and growing the game within the local community.

  Player Points Categories

  A player’s Category and the subsequent Player Points Allocation will be determined by that player’s playing history and achievements and is structured in a way to promote player retention and loyalty.

  Each player expected to play in the Senior Team of a QAFL Club will be allocated a

  Category and a Player Points Allocation as follows:

  Category 1 – Home Player – 1 Point
  Player who has played 40 or more games at the aligned junior club up to and including Under 17 Competition;
  A player who has played only at that Community Club or an aligned junior club, and for no other Community Club; or
  A player who has not played Competitive Football in the previous 36 months.

  AFL Player – 7 Points
  Player who has played a minimum of one AFL game in any of the current or previous three (3) Seasons.

  State League Tier One – 6 Points

  Player who has played a minimum of 5 senior games of VFL, WAFL or SANFL in any of the current or previous three (3) seasons.

  State League Tier Two – 5 Points

  Player who has played a minimum of 5 senior games of NEAFL, NTFL or TSL in any of the current or previous three (3) seasons.

  Premium Community Player – 4 Points
  Player who has played a minimum of 5 senior games in the current or previous three (3) seasons, in any Premium Competition in Australia.

  Premium competitions include QAFL, Canberra and Sydney Premier Leagues, SA and WA amateurs and major leagues in country and metropolitan Victoria--eg Geelong FL, Ovens and Murray FL, Ballarat FL, Essendon FL 

  Senior Community Player – 3 Points
  Player who has played the same number or more senior games than reserves games in total, over the current and previous three (3) Seasons at community football level.
  The player must have played at least 5 games in total, for either the Seniors or Reserves.

  Community Player and Transferred Junior Player – 2 Points
  Community player – A player who has played more reserves games than senior games in total, over the current and previous three (3) Seasons at community football level.
  Transferred Junior – a player who was recruited from an U19’s (or younger)Competition and who does not meet Category 1 eligibility.

  The Pies had 39 points against Mt Gravatt and don’t expect to ever have to make any selection decisions with points in mind during the 2019 season

  The breakdown as follows vs Mt Gravatt:

  7 points - Claye Beams

  6 points

  5 points

  4 points - Jayden Gallagher, Brody Lumber

  3 points - Kale Reed, Thomas Baulch

  2 points - Macauley Lonergan

  1 point - Jack Goodall, Liam Dwyer, Cal Carseldine, Doug Lawrence, Will Fletcher,  Harrison Kerr, Billy Johnson, Jack Austin, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Luca Winton, David Lewis, Drew Mitchell, Logan Murray, Riley Easton, Aaron Highlands, Dan Edwards,  

  TOTAL = 39 points 

   The above shows the Magpies ability to develop and retain local talent with 13 of the 22 playing junior football with the Magpies.

• The growth of the game, especially in South East Queensland and even more especially in the womens' game continues to gather pace and is healthy for our great game. The early success of the Lions and Suns also creates interest in footy at AFL level but also at local level.

• The standard of QAFL football continues to improve and should be spruiked by all supporters of our game. 

• On that note, club doctor Dr GregThompson has 2 daughters who started  playing AFL in Canberra 3 years ago and both just love it. One daughter Alexandra has decided to spend a year in London and luck would have it she found she was living 500 metres from the ground of the Wandsworth Demons, who have 3 mens and 2 womens teams  who compete in a London competition which has 8 clubs. Most of the players are Aussies but there is quite a smattering of English players and the club President is English.

• Ex-Magpie Alex Dickfos also plays for the Wandsworth Demons who won all 5 premierships last year. Might be time to come home Dicko as the Pies are looking for a big full forward at the moment!! ( a little birdie told me Dicko might be heading home soon!!) 

• A lot of the footy is 9-a-side but the competition proper in London is 18 a side. The Demons women won the Haggis Cup recently in Edinburgh where 5 clubs from Scotland and few from south of the border competed as well.

• Last weekend in Amsterdam there was a 9 a side pre season competition and have a look at the sides that competed --  Women-- Wandsworth Demons, West Clare Waves (Ireland), Amsterdam Devils, Paris Cockerelles, Port Malmo Lynx (Sweden), Zagreb Dockers, Nottingham Scorpions, Hamburg Dockers 

• Men ---Wandsworth Demons, Amsterdam Devils, Prague Dragons, Oslo Crows, Copenhagen Giants, Bristol Dockers, Norrtalje Dockers (Sweden) Manchester Mosquitoes, Edinburgh Bloods, West London Wildcats, Winturther Lions (Switzerland). The winners were coached by Dustin Fergus who previously played at UQ and was a roommate of Club President, Andrew Thomson at Kings College 20 years ago.

• To continue the theme of international footy, Doc Thompson's brother Neil attended a reunion of the Jakarta Bintangs at the Gabba in the Lions win over the Eagles. 

  The Jakarta Bintangs are largely ex-pats but they did have a few Indonesian players and here is the list of the other clubs in SE Asia--  Bali Geckos, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore Wombats, Hong Kong Dragons, Vietnam Swans, Philippine Eagles, Malaysian Warriors, Japan Goannas, Cambodia Eagles, Lao Elephants, Macau Lightning, Thailand Tigers, Guangzhou Scorpions, Shanghai Tigers, Beijing Bombers, Myanmar Fighting Cocks. Current Woodsmen Volunteer, former senior player and u18 Premiership player, Dylan Mudge is a former Singapore Wombats representative.

• Further on  international footy, Leigh Barnes, who was mentioned in last weeks Gut Feelings , wrote back in the Old Players Facebook page that Bryan Dragus, who played for the Magpies in 2009-10,  is also a legend of USA AFL, having been a leader of the US team in the International Cup in 2011, 2014 and 2017. He finally won the national championship flag in 2017 and was one of the best players and is now married with a baby girl--great stuff. 

• Of interest there are 42 mens and 22 womens teams in the USA with the Golden Gate AFL having 5 teams, In Canada there are 47 clubs and ex-Magpie Rob McNaughton is still playing for the Toronto Dingoes--I see a recent post about indoor training and with the temperature at minus 20  who can blame them! Current Woodsmen player Brenton Hocking also spent a season with the New York Magpies in 2017.

• Fantastic to see footy played everywhere in the world with a significant Magpie connection.

• There are still a number of 50  year Commemorative guernseys available for purchase for $100 and the will be on sale at Saturday's home match against Labrador. For those with a penchant for a particular number, numbers available are-- 1, 10, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 36, 40, 50. 

• the club will hold a Country & Western night after Saturday's match and it will be combined as thank you to the Coaches and Support Staff by the players.  There will be $3 cans and there will be prizes for the best dressed. Hopefully the Pies will be celebrating a victory!! 

McCarthy Homes Match Review - Deja Vu as Pies lose Round 1 Thriller

It was deja vu as the script for the 2019 season opener against Mt Gravatt almost ran to the script from the 2018 loss to the Vultures.

In both matches the Pies got on top early then concentration lapses and skill allowed the home side in to the contest and then the Pies fell behind and just could not reel Mt Gravatt in.

The 2019 Pies lost a tough but typically scrappy Round 1 contest by 6 points, 13.10-88 to 12.10-82 in warm conditions in front of a healthy crowd. 

The Magpies started brightly to skip to a three goal lead early with Jack Goodall a lively target up forward with the first 2 goals and new players Tom Baulch and Harrison Kerr continually getting the ball forward.

Riley Easton was in everything early with 10 touches in the first 15 minutes and Will Fletcher celebrated his move into the midfield with several hard ball gets. 

In the story of the day, the Magpies made some simple skill errors with concentration lapses and the Vultures booted three goals in time on in the first quarter to square the ledger, putting to waste a bright start from the Pies

The second and third quarters became an arm wrestle with the Vultures keeping their noses in front, getting out to 3 goals ahead before being reeled in by the Pies.

In a tense and hard fought last quarter the Pies levelled the score going into time on but from the centre bounce the home team again pounced on a Pies defensive mistake to soccer a goal from metres out and much as they tried that elusive levelling goal never materialised. 

The Magpies gave up 6-7 goals from simple turnovers or dropped marks/fumbles within 20 metres of goal, and combined with some loose checking by the defenders - this allowed the Vultures to capitalise on skill errors to their full extent.

Ruckman Liam Dwyer played a virtual lone hand in ruck with a few rests and worked hard all game against a bigger and highly regarded opponent. Dwyer was able too nullify his opponent around the ground but after quarter time the Pies were beaten in the midfield battles.

Easton and Fletcher were busy around ground but the Pies struggled to get some clear ball from the centre bounces. 

Jack Austin presented across half forward and took 2 hangers to get the crowd alight and finished with 2 goals.

Baulch and Kerr showed they will be handy for the Pies this year and Billy Johnson and new key forward Brody Lumber -2 goals-- also had their moments. 

Goodall battled hard all day and was rewarded with three goals  and also spent some time in defence. 

The Pies looked a bit underdone after only paying 2 practice matches and with an influx of new players and will be better for the run. The Pies are at home at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer  next Saturday when they take on Labrador, who went down narrowly to Morningside. 

Goals: J. Goodall 3, J. Austin 2, B. Lumber 2, T. Baulch, K. Reed, W. Johnson, M. Lonergan, W. Fletcher
Best Players: L. Dwyer, W. Fletcher, R. Easton, J. Austin, D. Lawrence

Harvey Norman Oxley - Reserves Match Review

SECOND HALF DISASTER FOR RESERVES

The Western Magpies Reserves capitulated in the 2nd half in their match against Mt Gravatt, being outscored 14 goals to 1 after half time.

The Pies were well in the match and had the first 5 scoring shots of the game, unfortunately all behinds but were still within 10 points just before the long break but a controversial Mt Gravatt goal after the half-time siren seemed to take the wind out of the Pies--and as the match continued the Pies were indeed out of wind as they struggled to match the Mt Gravatt players for intensity at the contest and willingness to run.

While fitness could be to blame, players weren’t visibily exhausted as the Vultures had runners everywhere in the 2nd half, and it was a lesson in maintaining intensity and focus for 4 quarters for the young side.

The Pies were a mainly young team withjust a smattering of experienced players  and the Vultures looked more experienced with stronger bodies and it told after half time in the warm conditions.  Losing big ruckman Monty Vine to injury also didn’t help matters with the young and relatively small side on the park.

The Magpies had most of the early opportunities but a 1-5 return for early dominance resulted in the home team coming back hard to take a quarter time lead. The second quarter was an even contest but the second half was disappointing. 

In pleasing signs, most of the best players for the Pies were teenagers with young 17 year old recruit Riley Greene the Pies best with a non stop display across half back and through the middle and with other youngsters in Zane Lovell, Jordan Bonney, Cade Scott and Ethan Sivijs, the youngsters didn’t look out of place despite the heavy defeat.

Zac Collison was busy all match as can be expected playing in defence but he and Sivijs turned back many Vulture attacks. 

The Magpies will get a chance of redemption when they are at home to Labrador on Saturday. The Tigers lost a close contest to Morningside. 

Vultures   3.2-20 |  6.4-40  | 12.9-81 | 20.12-132

Magpies  1.5-11 |  3.6-24  |  4.7-31  |   4.7-31

Goals:  Not listed

Best: Riley Greene, Zac Collison, Zane Lovell, Cade Scott, Jordan Bonney, Ethan Sivijs 

CFMG Capital - Colts Match Review

COLTS HOLD ON FOR HARD FOUGHT WIN

The Western Magpies Colts had a hard fought 25 point point win over Mt Gravatt  on Saturday, winning. It was an important win for the Pies and a testament of the depth in the Colts ranks with with a total of 13 Colts aged players playing Seniors, Reserves and on Academy duties

The Magpies had good contributors all over the ground and were once again well lead by Noah Resuggan.

Best players for the Colts were Jonty McDougall , who returned after an injury layoff,  Darcy  Prest,  Lachie  Davies,  Rory Edwards, Jackson Paynter, and key defender Whitlam Bishop. 

Magpies 0.2 - 2 | 4.5 - 29 | 8.5 - 53 | 10.7 - 67

defeated

Vultures 0.4 - 4 | 2.4 - 16 | 4.5 - 29 | 6.6 - 42

Sci-Fleet - Reserves Round 1 Preview

The Round 1 Reserves outfit is a youthful outfit with some quality experience mixed in, to formulate what should be a quality development team for the club.

There will be 14 players aged under 20 in the side, including 7 players still eligible for the Colts, with every player absolutely earning their spot. There is also an influx of senior experience, both from practice matches and years gone by, with experienced campaigners in Pope, Saunders, Kilroy adding the wise old heads and Harry Marshall at just 22 already graduating to experienced campaigner in the group.

Kilroy, Pope, Saunders, Greene, Johnson, Scott and Vine could all consider themselves a bit stiff to miss out on Round 1 senior selection with the influx of NEAFL listed players pushing them back to the Reserves.

It’s expected to be a tough opening round with the Vultures fielding a very strong Reserves outfit in 2018 and expected to retain a majority of the side. Experienced players in Hunt, Crawford and Mazerolle are unavailable, while the returning Workman and Hampel are both injured along with Finn Collison.

Coach Kiran Verma is a competitive beast and will be looking to open his account as the 2019 Reserves Coach with a strong win, but also with an eye to the future as the young team develops under his watch to produce more senior footballers.

A first up win will do wonders for the confidence of the playing group and coaches.

Carter Capner Law - Colts Preview

The Western Magpies will go into Round 1 as somewhat of an unknown quantity in Round 1 when they take on Mt Gravatt. The Magpies were Premiers in 2018, while the Vultures took home the spoon, but a year is a long time in Colts footy with the Magpies having 7 Colts eligible players playing in the Reserves today in addition to 4 players unavailable due to Lions Academy duties.

The side features several returning players from the 2018 Premiership team as well as members of the 2018 squad, whilst also being bolstered by upcoming players from the Magpies Div 1 u16 side from 2018 where Mt Gravatt were a strong outfit, playing finals.

Noah Resuggan is in his 3rd year of Colts footy and is joined by Premiership teammates Whitlam Bishop, Jacob Aurisch and BOG in Grand Final Sammy Minin, while Riti Kagi who also played in the Premiership is a surprising omission and listed as an emergency.

Lachie Davies, Darcy Prest and Lawson Campbell bring plenty of ability to the Colts side, while academy product Jonty McDougall looks set to return after a long injury layoff.

PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIES & VULTURES RENEW RIVALRY IN ROUND 1 QAFL ACTION

The Western Magpies renew their long standing rivalry with Mt Gravatt, when for the fifth year in a row,  the Pies travel to Dittmer Park in Round 1 of QAFL action.

The Pies will field seven senior Magpie debutants in the match and will put a side on the field that does not resemble any of the teams they had in the practice matches with NEAFL aligned players in Lawrence, Carseldine, Johnson, Dwyer and Kerr joining the side, 3 of whom are club juniors. NEAFL rookies and Magpie listed players Tom Baulch and local junior Will Fletcher also strengthen the 22.

Two more notable inclusions are Claye Beams who joins the club from the Brisbane Lions for his first outing in the black & white (due to cricket commitments) and 2018 R/Up B&F Luca Winton who has been travelling in Europe before blowing off some cobwebs in an outing for the Woodsmen last week where he was best afield.

Interstate recruits will also feature, with key forward Brody Lumber haling from Deniliquin in for Round 1 after strong form in one practice match and Jayden Gallagher and Macauley Longergan also into the side after relocating from Yarrawonga.

Dan Edwards makes his senior debut after winning the joint McNamee Medal for Best & Fairest in the Colts Premiership side in 2018 and has had strong pre-season form.

 The Pies also officially welcome Jack Goodall as a fully fledged Pies player and the new vice-captain slots into the key defensive post where his strong marking and reading of the play will be vital for the pies this season. 

Next to him will be new captain David Lewis who also reads the play well and is brilliant at the intercept mark across half back. Jayden Gallagher has shown strong form in his two practice matches and has a strong left foot and Aaron Highlands look fit and raring to go as a key defender or pinch hitting in the ruck. 

Beams at half forward will offer a forward target and no doubt will have some midfield time and with his AFL experience and the new 6-6-6- rule at centre bounces opening up play his ability to win the ball will be crucial for the Pies. He will also be a foil for new forward Brody Lumber, who has an impressive CV from the southern Riverina of NSW. 

Liam Dwyer will shoulder the ruck duties and will have Beams, Will Fletcher and Riley Easton in the engine room and QAFL 2018 Rising Star Easton and Fletcher in particular were impressive  in the practice matches. 

This is a new look Magpies outfit with only 11 players in the side from the team that lost in the final round last year. Magpies coach Brydan Morgan will be very keen to have an early season win to  kick start the season after the Pies slow start last year with 5 narrow losses ended up costing them a finals berth in 2018. 

The Magpies are hoping a big contingent of ex-players will travel to Vulture territory to support the Pies against their old rival.  

Gut Feelings I - A Weekly Collection of Thoughts from Deep Inside the Magpie Nest

• Here we are at last, Round 1 of the QAFL season! It’s been a bit disjointed over the pre-season where the Magpies trained at Moorooka, Kenmore and Yeronga while McCarthy Homes Oval had its surface upgrade and new fencing installed, and what a magnificent sight it is to have full turf coverage (almost..) and a beautifully framed oval by the new fence.

• The Magpies travel to Mt Gravatt for Round 1 (again….5 times in a row!) for what is dubbed by the QAFL as Rivalry Round. Sam Corless has been running a  SQAFA Facebook page which is trying to discover and discuss the history of the SQAFA and he debated the biggest rivalries in Queensland and right up there is the Sherwood v Mt Gravatt SQAFA rivalry of the 1970s and 1980s. In the general banter back and forth it was pointed out that it was a bit of a one-way rivalry with the Pies dominating in the Premiership stakes, winning every decider between the clubs. Sam estimates from 1968 to 1982, they played 59 games with the Pies winning 38, the Vultures 21 and in finals the Pies holding a 9-4 record. The telling statistic was that in all 6 Grand finals that they clashed Sherwood won all 6 (1973, 1976-80)!!  Go Pies!! 

• The Western Magpies were defeated in both their practice matches and were competitive despite missing a large number of regular senior players. The Pies went down by 9 points late to last years Premiers Palm Beach-Currumbin then had a washout when scheduled to play Sandgate and looked a bit underdone when defeated by an almost full strength Surfers Paradise by 10 points in the final practice match played in hot conditions 2 weeks ago at McCarthy Homes Oval

• The Pies, missing a number of automatic selections, were slow to start against Surfers, but fought back and dominated in the second half but found the goals elusive until the last quarter.  Coach Brydan Morgan was pleased with his sides endeavour and improvement as the match progressed. He lamented some wayward kicking for goal but said the defence was solid and the Pies used the switch out of defence well. The Magpies were beaten at the stoppages early but worked back into the game in the second half.

• The Woodsmen have started the season with a good win over old rivals Zillmere at McCarthy Homes Oval last Friday night. The Pies won by 37 points, 11-11-77 to 6-4-40 with best players Chris La Burniy, Sam Curtis, Luca Winton, Lochie McDonald, Chris Jenkins and Tim Green. Luca Winton put some run into his legs after an overseas break and booted 3 goals as did club legend Matt Hockley. The Woodsmen host last year’s Premiers and grand final opponents Maroochydore at McCarthy Homes Oval, Chelmer tonight.

• Four Western Magpies Colts players represented the Brisbane Lions Academy in their 26 point victory over the GWS Giants Academy at Blacktown on the weekend in the NAB U18 State Series. 2018 Colts Premiership players Samson Ryan and  Bruce Reville were joined by James Ward and Jack Briskey, with Reville , playing on a wing, named as one of the best players. and Ward in fine touch after a year away from football.

• Former Magpie Phil Wills is now officially a legend of Northern Territory football after winning the League B & F Award, the Nichols Medal and all being a star for Nightcliff in their drought breaking premiership victory when they defeated Southern Districts. The Tigers last premiership was in 1964, 55 years ago, so to say it was memorable is an understatement. Phil played for the Pies in 2006 as an 18 year old  youngster  and was a member of the Magpies 2006 Reserves Premiership team after being in and out of the Senior team that year. He then moved back to Darwin and played for Darwin Buffaloes, who he captained for 4 years, before joining Nightcliff 2 seasons ago. He has also been an integral part of the NT Thunder team in the NEAFL for a number of seasons, playing 53 matches for the Thunder and over 170 matches in the NTFL. All at Magpie land salute Phil on a wonderful playing career capped by a league B& F in a drought breaking premiership year--stuff of legends!!  

  BTW, former Pie Anthony Corrie started his football as a junior at  Nightcliff and also played for Southern Districts.

• Congratulations to ex- Magpie Jackson Allen who has been named Aspley captain this year. Allen played as a Kenmore junior before joining the Pies in Under 16s before graduating to the Seniors as a teenager. He was drafted to the Gold Coast Suns where he made several AFL appearances before having several seasons at Sturt in the SANFL and then returning to Queensland several seasons ago. 

• The Magpies have seven players listed with NEAFL clubs, namely Allen, Cal Carseldine, Will Fletcher and Doug Lawrence at Aspley and Mitchell Stallard, Caleb Franks and  Billy Johnson at Redland. This is the highest number from any one Brisbane based club in the QAFL. All these players can play for the Pies if they are not selected for their NEAFL clubs.

• The Pies have listed another 6 players from Redlands in the NEAFL who may be available for the Pies if they are not selected for their NEAFL clubs. The Pies have welcomed Liam Dwyer and Stephen Mills to their ranks over the years and Scott Miller has made 2 appearances for the Pies in the recent past. Other players listed for the Pies are Harrison Kerr, who looked a very handy half forward in the practice match against Surfers Paradise,  Adrian Williams, Boyd Bailey and Blair McCutcheon. 

• The Western Magpies were well represented at the launch of Murray Bird and Greg Parker's magnificent history of AFL in Queensland at Coorparoo on Tuesday, December 11th.  The Book is titled "150 Years of Queensland Australian Football—More of the  Kangaroo" and is a massive almost 1100 pages long.   The title comes from a quote from the 1880s of one of the pioneers of Australia Football in Queensland, who was forced to play rugby for a number of years before returning to the indigenous game and he is reputed to have said " I prefer more of the kangaroo”, alluding to the fact he preferred the Australian game of football rather than the English game—rugby.

  The book, which is a massive tome,  is still available for purchase --$90—and can be accessed via www.Q150.net.au “ and we believe will be on sale this Saturday at Mt Gravatt—worth a look.

• Ex-Sherwood junior and long time Southport President Dr Alan McKenzie told the gathering of his early years at Sherwood and Western Districts and of the rivalry that developed between the clubs in the 1970s and 1980s. The book also gives good coverage to Sherwood which no doubt is partly explained by the access to information in the club’s history written in 2011 by Tony and Geraldine Massey (“In Black and White” can still be purchased from Warren Selvage for $25 by contacting him at warren18s@netscape.net)

• Shane Bridley and Terry O’Shea, who both played in the 1970s and 1980s met with club President Andrew Thomson in December to discuss some ideas to resurrect the Old Boys Association activities.  The club is discussing the formation of a Hall of Fame as well as a couple of projects to get all the Senior Best and Fairest winners photos mounted and  wall photo collage of the club's history.  The Old Boys can help raise funds for these projects as well as organise reunions an past player events after much of the clubs history has been lost in two floods of 1974 and 2011

• Shane is putting together a data base of ex-players and is well into the planning for a "Return to Sherwood Day" and is hoping to have AFL legend David Parkin as a guest speaker at an event during the year--watch this space. All past players are encouraged to send Shane their details  and he can be contacted at shanebridley@optusnet.com.au

• One of the Magpies favourite sons in Leigh Barnes was awarded Life Membership of the USA AFL late last year after working for over 20 years to grow Australian Football in San Francisco. He was one of the founders of the Golden Gate AFL and is still involved in the game.  Magpies supporters  may also remember a young American who had a couple of seasons with the Pies in 2009-10. Bryan Dragus started playing in San Jose in the GGAFL and now still plays in Los Angeles where he works. Bryan has been a regular member of the United States team that plays in the International Cup held every 2 years in Australia.

• Congratulations to Magpie players Brenton Saunders who was recently married three weeks ago,  and  ex-Captain and premiership player  Gerard Moore, whose nuptials will be on Saturday when he will wed his fiancé Charlotte with a number of current and past Magpie players in attendance. 

• In excess of 10 Sherwood boys recently attended the Met West U12 trials at CJ Greenfield Park (relocated from Sherwood due to weather and the new surface needing a break from football) and congrats must go to Jacob Edwards, Jack Harrison, Julian Reitsma and Elliot Sinfield who were selected, while Jack Slater was also selected in the Met East Team. Certainly some other lads could be considered unlucky after not getting much of a run at the trials!

• The Magpies Golf Day was held on Sunday with a fantastic turnout, great prizes and magnificent weather at Oxley Golf Club. Sponsored by Place, Carter Capner Law, Kaplan and CFMG Capital it was a fantastic day. The winners were a little controversial given club President Andrew Thomson conveniently partnered himself with junior parent Justin Dickinson. An accomplished player himself off a handicap of 4, Thommo acted ‘surprised’ when he learned his partner was a former pro as they combined to shoot well under par to claim honours for the day both Nett and Gross! Life Member and avid golfer Bruce O’Neill has vowed to do the pairings in 2020!

Carter Capner Law - 2019 Senior Leaders Named

The Senior leadership group for the Western Magpies was announced to the playing group in recent weeks. With the club blessed with an outstanding group of experienced and emerging leaders, it was an exhaustive process to arrive with the final outcome.

Local Sherwood junior, David Lewis has played with the Magpies since 2003 when he joined the U8’s continues a strong tradition of local kids captaining the club, following in the footsteps of recent club juniors in Drew Mitchell, Lachlan Woods, Gerard Moore and the long serving Chris Mihalopoulos who all played their junior footy at Sherwood.

Having been a Sherwood junior coming up through the ranks, David is a stalwart of the club already at just 24 years old and in addition to donning the black & white more than 200 times across junior and senior football - he has also assisted with coaching junior and youth football during his senior playing days.

Having represented QLD at junior level and also being part of the 2017 QAFL Representative side, Dave brings genuine star power to the Magpies side to compliment is excellent leadership qualities.

We congratulate David Lewis on being the Senior QAFL Captain for 2019.

The senior Vice-Captain for 2019 has been on an entirely different journey as a new signing for the 2019 season, though having played at the Magpies since 2014 via his NEAFL alignments, he is already well and truly recognised and respected by all at the Magpies.

Jack Goodall re-located from the Port Douglas Crocs back in 2012 to pursue his football with Redlands, completing Year 12 as part of a football scholarship program and also being part of the Gold Coast Suns Academy. He suffered a freak ear injury in a NEAFL game in Canberra keeping him out of football for a long period, as well as suffering some ankle troubles over the years.

Jack was aligned to the Magpies in 2014 and as a result has played close to 30 senior games in that period and is a welcome addition to the club as both a permanent member of the playing list, but also as the 2019 Senior Vice Captain.

In addition to David and Jack, the club has appointed a further two deputy Vice-Captains and 3 additional members of the leadership group.

Riley Easton and Luke Mitchell will be the 2019 Deputy Vice Captains.

Riley played some scintillating footy in 2019 to take out the QAFL Rising Star, which was remarkable in itself coming 4 seasons after he made his QAFL Senior debut as a 16 year old in 2015. Injury troubles with a knee reconstruction in 2016 hampered his senior progression for a few years, before he exploded back into life in 2018 injury free.

Luke Mitchell is another local club junior like his older brother Drew, and is the son of club legend and multiple premiership player Steve Mitchell. Having played at the club throughout his junior and youth footy years, Luke had a few years off in 2012 and 2013 when he pursued and elite swimming career before returning to the club in 2014 and slipping straight back into senior football racking up 83 senior games in that time.

Rounding out the leadership group will be Aaron Highlands, Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams - a mix of youth and experience.

Highlands played his junior football with Coorparoo before having a single season at Yeronga as an 18 year old having not played football since U14’s. He joined the Magpies Colts in 2016 before rapidly progressing to become an integral member of the senior side in 2017 carrying the #1 ruck duties as an undersized 19 year old and winning the coveted BG Award.

Both Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams need no further introduction, bringing Senior AFL experience to what is still a relatively young Magpie team. Harwood in his 2nd season at the club is an established leader within the group, while Beams is a Premiership winning NEAFL Captain for the Brisbane Lions with established and obvious leadership qualities.

We congratulate all of our 2019 leaders on their appointments:

Captain: David Lewis

Vice-Captain: Jack Goodall

Deputy Vice Captains: Riley Easton and Luke Mitchell

Leadership: Aaron Highlands. Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams

PLACE PREVIEW - PRACTICE MATCHES VS SURFERS

The Western Magpies will take on Surfers in their final practice match for 2019 tomorrow.

For the first time this season, all 3 grades will be in action with the Colts playing at 10am, Reserves at midday and Senior game at the traditional 2pm timeslot.

In another first, it will be the Magpies first hitout on the new look McCarthy Homes Oval. The new playing surface has come up just in time for a busy season and is a huge improvement, while the newly installed picket fence creates a pleasing aesthetic at the ground.

After a nomadic pre-season, the Pies have been back training on the home deck for a few weeks now and are now settling into a rhythm.

A number of players remain unavailable due to other pre-season commitments or some niggling injuries, so the Magpies will again be fielding an experimental 22 and will also include some NEAFL listed talent aligned to the Magpies to begin to build cohesion.

With so many seniors and reserves players unavailable, the Reserves will be particularly under strength and will feature several members of the Woodsmen side to top them up, while the Colts numbers have been decimated by unavailability due to academy duties that previously weren’t scheduled.

Senior Squad:

David Lewis , Jack Goodall, Riley Easton, Jack Austin, Dan Edwards, Will Fletcher, Brenton Saunders, Jayden Gallagher, Aaron Highlands, Ben Jaenke-Cain, Rory Johnson, Peter Kilroy, Macauley Lonergan, Drew Mitchell, Val Pope, Kale Reed, Cade Scott, Ethan Sivijs, Monty Vine, Liam Dwyer, Logan Murray, Harrison Kerr.

Reserves Squad:

Gabe McKinnon, Tim Green, Cam Ferguson, Chris Jenkins, Whitlam Bishop, Aiden D’Rosa, Joel Workman,  Zac Collison, Rohan Smith, Chris Hunt, Sam DeNys, Hamish Campbell, Matt Mazarolle,  Will Woodburn, Mitch O’Dea, Jordan Bonney, Noah Resuggan, Chris Mihalopoulos, Isaac Bongaarts, Josh Young

Colts Squad:

TBC

2019 CFMG Capital Magpies Golf Day

REGISTER HERE

Your Place for Footy for 3 more years!

The Sherwood Football Club are pleased to announce that long time partners Place Graceville have signed on as a major club partner for a further 3 more years, extending the existing partnership until the end of 2021.

Place Graceville Directors with Riley Greene, Kale Charles and Monty Vine

The team at Place Graceville have been a major partner of the club since 2014 when the Magpies entered the re-formed QAFL competition, and both parties were keen to extend the partnership further.  The growth of the Place team has mirrored that of the Magpies in recent years as they become the leading agency not just in the immediate area surrounding Graceville, but further afield in the western suburbs of Brisbane.

Brad Robson (pictured above with Monty Vine)) from Place had this to say about extending for a further 3 years.

“The Magpies are the major community hub for families in the area as the largest sporting club of any code in the immediate vicinity and are a natural partner for our business.  With both the Magpies and Place being leaders in innovation, as well as basic old fashioned values of excellence, respect and humility – we feel it’s a natural fit for our business”

Peter May (pictured above with Kale Reed), also from Place added his own thoughts.

“As a fan of Australian Rules and a local resident, I love getting down to the club for a game of 9’s or to watch the Magpies sides in all age groups take on the opposition and I couldn’t help but see the natural link with Place Graceville and the Magpies as leaders in the local community in each of our fields.” he said.

Club President – Andrew Thomson welcomed the news and encourages all Magpie families to acknowledge the support of club partners in all fields as they are a vital part of keeping the club thriving.

“I have been lucky enough to be both the vendor and the purchaser in some real-estate transactions with Place Graceville, and I wouldn’t use anybody else in the area.  We only partner with organisations we’d be happy for our members to support, safe in the knowledge they will get the service, care and support we endeavour to provide to everyone involved in the club.  The team at Place Graceville are not merely financial sponsors of the club, they are true community partners in every sense and we look forward to building on that partnership further for the next three years” he said.

We encourage our members to keep an eye on social media in the next 6 months as both Place Graceville and the Magpies continue to set the benchmark in innovation and engagement with the local community.

“Just as many people are often shocked when I tell them the size of our footy club, with our extensive ex player and supporter network, as well as our 500+ registered players, volunteers, coaches and members – I was also pleasantly surprised by the size of the Place Graceville team.  With their superior local knowledge and quality service, I had incorrectly assumed they focussed only on the immediate area surrounding Graceville, only to find that their sales team extends significantly further, not to mention their property management services.” Mr Thomson said.

See below just how big the Place Graceville team is and next time you see one of these friendly faces, be sure to thank them for their ongoing support!

ANYTIME FITNESS - RESERVES/COLTS MATCH PREVIEW

1pm tomorrow at Yeronga will be the first time a Magpie registered player takes the field in a competitive practice match in 2019 when a combined Colts and Reserves outfit takes on Palm Beach.

With both the Senior side and this combined side having a youthful core, its a good glimpse into the crystal ball at what Magpie sides may look like in a few years time, and thats despite close to 10 additional colts age players missing due to academy or other commitments.

Club stalwart Kiran Verma takes the reigns as the Reserves Coach for the first time and will have plenty of familiar faces after his involvement in Colts in recent seasons.

The named team contains just one player over 25 in life member and veteran Gabe McKinnon who likely has more senior or reserves matches than the rest of the named players combined! Jesse Pukallus at 23 and 24 year old Isaac Bongaarts will be the only other players over 20 taking the field.

Western Magpies - Reserves/Colts vs Palm Beach - Saturday March 9, 1pm @ Yeronga

B: Jack Spry - Whitlam Bishop - Lawson Campbell

HB: Aidan D’Roza - Gabe McKinnon - Chris Jenkins

C: Blake Jones - Kelly Siemer - Deng Arok

HF: Mitchell O’Dea - Cole - Lachlan Pearson

F: Jesse Pukallus - Hamish Campbell - Isaac Bongaarts

Foll: Jackson Paynter - Sam De Nys - Will Woodburn

Int: Tyler Bobin - Calsey Robinson - Morgan Smith - Anthony Caprioli - Brodie Gardner - Cooper Crowell

PLACE PREVIEW - MAGPIE YOUTH ON DISPLAY VS PREMIERS

The Magpies will field a youthful looking side tomorrow at 3pm when they take on Palm Beach at Yeronga for their first practice match of 2019 after a strong, yet slightly nomadic pre-season.

While looking magnificent from the boundary lines, it was deemed that the fully re-surfaced McCarthy Homes Oval is not yet quite ready for a senior match and with Salk Oval also out of action the match has been moved to Yeronga.

Youth will be the order of the day as the Magpies will be without the likes of 2018 Bill Peirce Medalist Ryan Harwood (niggle), new recruit Claye Beams (cricket), Luca Winton and a host of other likely senior players in 2019. It will be a good opportunity to take a look at some strong pre-season performers at this level, and many will be keen to take their opportunity despite it just being a practice match.

With 25 man squads available to both sides, there are extended 7 man benches and no doubt both sides will take the opportunity to experiment with personnel and have their first outing under the new 2019 rules.

In a reward for a very impressive pre-season both on the track and in the gym, big man Monty Vine gets a chance in the ruck at senior level, while joint 2018 Maurie Macnamee Medalist Dan Edwards gets a chance on the wing. The extended bench also includes the likes of Zane Lovell, Noah Resuggan and Cam Ferguson who were all Premiership Players with the Colts in 2018. Another youngster who has well and truly earnt their chance is solidly built Cade Scott from the Sherwood U16 side last year, who has impressed with his contested work in match simulation and looks ready for a crack at Senior footy.

In addition to the familiar Sherwood faces, some new recruits will also be staking their claim this week with 17 year old Riley Greene having an impressive pre-season to start on the half back flank, Jayden Gallagher on the other flank with McCauley Lonergan starting on the bench before likely proving a spark as a small forward. Greene played in the Park Ridge Division 2 Premiership side as a 16 year old, and as an athletic mid sized defender has well and truly earnt an opportunity. Gallagher and Lonergan, a pair of good mates who have made their way to QLD were recruited from Yarrawonga Pigeons in the strong Ovens & Murray League. Gallagher looks to be a superb ball user and a class act down back, while Lonergan will add speed and pressure up forward.

It would be remiss not to mention that there are also two genuine Magpie veterans pushing into the senior side after putting in the work on the track in the pre-season. The ageless Peter Kilroy who first played seniors for the club close to 20 years ago will start down back, while triple premiership player Val Pope starts up forward.

Another new recruit having his first run in the Black & White will be key forward Brody Lumber, who has relocated to QLD for family reasons and has a strong football CV from the Riverina Region and more recently Deniliquin in NSW while another new face (in the forward line at least) will be Dave Lewis who gets an opportunity up front.

If you’d like a look at some youthful Magpie outfits in their first hitoust for 2019, get down to Yeronga at 1pm for the Reserves/Colts hitout before the main game at 3pm.

Western Magpies vs PBC - Yeronga #2 Oval, Saturday March 9 @ 3pm

B: Kilroy - B.Allen - R.Johnson

HB: Greene - Highlands - Gallagher

C: Fletcher - D.Mitchell - Edwards

HF: Reed - Goodall - Lumber

F: Saunders - Lewis - Pope

Foll: Vine - Murray - R.Easton

Int: Marshall - C.Scott - Jaenke-Cain - Lonergan - Resuggan - Lovell - Ferguson

2019 Sponsorship Announcement - Down to Earth Electrical Contractors

The Sherwood Football Club (incorporating the Western Magpies) is pleased to welcome Jack Duff from Down to Earth Electrical Contractors as a new community partner of the club in 2019.

Jack is a local to the area, residing in Corinda and focusses on providing quality workmanship with integrity and trust for the local community.  An experienced tradesman Jack can provide a variety of services including domestic, commercial, industrial, air-conditioning, data and more.  He has a 24/7 emergency service, 365 days a year.

Club President Andrew Thomson was excited to bring on another community partner to become part of the club, especially a genuine local tradesman who can provide quality service for the players, members, supporters and wider Sherwood Football Club community.

“Like anyone, I don’t mind telling the odd joke about tradies being late and not showing up, but when I needed some electrical work done, Jack turned up for me on the morning of Australia Day to provide quality service at a reasonable price.  I had never used him before, but he was reliable and affordable.  Whilst chatting, I discovered he had recently set up Down to Earth as a local business and we agreed to a new partnership for the club there and then” he said.

As an experienced tradesman with a strong work ethic, Jack owns a business that provides service as far north as Gympie and down into Northern NSW.  However, he established Down to Earth in mid-2018 to provide a local quality service and hasn’t looked back.

“I’m excited to form a partnership with a local institution like the Sherwood Footy Club with their huge playing and supporter base and look forward to providing a quality service the broad Magpie family” he said.

If you need any electrical work, remember to get in touch:

Jack Duff - 0435 009 164

jack@downtoearthelec.com.au

You can also follow them on Facebook here

2019 Sponsorship Announcement - Carter Capner Law - a Perfect Partnership

The Sherwood Football Club (Incorporating the Western Magpies) welcome Carter Capner Law as a brand new sponsor for season 2019 and beyond.

Carter Capner Law is a local 75 year old Brisbane Law Firm, started in 1944 by Peter Carter’s father.

Peter has been in the law all his life, coming from a family of 5 lawyers, which makes for interesting dinner conversation!

The Carter Capner Group consists of three different business:

1. Carter Capner – an injury compensation law firm, helping people get bac on track after a road or work accident, by making sure insurance companies play fair

2. Queensland Business & Property Lawyers – involved in business deals, real estate, leasing, conveyancing and commercial disputes

3. Queensland Estate Lawyers – conducting estate administration and will disputes

Peter Carter heads up all three businesses and leads a team of very smart lawyers who are able to leverage their skills to get great results for the clients that hire them.

The only period Peter has not been working in law is the 2 years he travelled the world after university, one of them working in the African desert.

Carter Capner also blog legal cases and package them in an eNews that is sent monthly. It has proven to be tremendously popular. If any member would like to receive it, please sign up via this LINK

Peter is local to the club, living in Chelmer and is excited by the opportunity to partner with the Magpies.

“As a born and bred Queenslander, I am a convert to Australian Football – from rugby that I played at school.

This happened at the time the Brisbane Bears started out from Carrara.

I love the game so it's a real honour to get closer to it as a sponsor of the Magpies.

My 6-yr-old started Auskick at Sherwood last year and he’s back again this year – so that’s our direct connection to the club.

Hopefully we will all be part of the club for a long time to come.

Living nearby in Chelmer, I look forward to being part of a great community club and meeting many of the clubs members, volunteers and players at contests from Auskick to QAFL during the coming season” he said.

Club President Andrew Thomson met Peter in 2018 at the highly successful ’50 years of senior football’ function and after exchanging business cards, were able to come to an agreement over the summer months to confirm another new exciting community partnership.

“I enjoyed a few quiet beers with Peter at a great event in 2018, and it was obvious to me that he enjoyed the community atmosphere our club has built and fostered for over 60 years now and would be a welcome addition to our growing community partnership and sponsorship program.

I trust that out large supporter, parent, playing and ex playing network will join me in supporting Carter Capner Group when the opportunity arises, as well as the wider Sherwood district neighbourhood, just as we do with all partners of the club.  We welcome Peter and his team to join the Magpie army and I look forward to watching his 6 year old blossom into yet another home grown Senior Magpie!”

Become a 2019 Auskick Volunteer!

Sherwood Magpies JAFC is looking for enthusiastic volunteers for Auskick in 2019!

NAB AFL Auskick is the first step for kids wanting to play our great game, where they have fun learning all the basics of Australian Football.

In 2019 we are going to role out the exciting new Auskick program and have moved Auskick to Saturday Mornings 8:00 am to 9:00 am so that the program can utilise the front oval.

The program will start on the 2nd of March and will go for 8 weeks, with 2 weeks off for School Holidays, finishing on the 4th of May.

As a volunteer your job would be to help the coordinator run the program as smoothly as possible.

This year the coordinators are Cameron Smith (centre coordinator) and Harrison Radcliffe (coaching coordinator) who are both experienced Auskick coaches.

You do not need any previous experience to assist, and the only commitment needed is to arrive 15-30 minutes before the program starts every week, and help run the activities.

This is perfect for parents of Auskickers who will be there anyway, youth/senior players wanting to give back to the club and people passionate about the game, the club and fostering the younger generation.

We encourage people from all backgrounds - male and female, to volunteer and help make the Sherwood Magpies Auskick program a success in 2019.

The only requirement is, if you are over the age of 18 and do not have a participant in the program, you must have a blue card.

There is a training day at Forest Lake JAFC 6:00pm-7:30 pm for FREE and we encourage all volunteers to attend.

If you are interested in becoming an Auskick Volunteer please contact - Cam Smith - camsmith.5@hotmail.com, 0459 475 817.

For more details about Auskick at Sherwood specifically click here

McCarthy Homes Milestone - "Doc Thompson OAM"

Sherwood Football Club Life Member Dr Greg Thompson was the richly deserving recipient of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) on Saturday.

Members of the Sherwood Footy community, players, supporters, parents and no doubt the wider QLD Footy community would be very familiar with ‘Doc’ after his many years of service at the club, both as a match day doctor and volunteer, club director and unofficial publicist and historian! He has likely treated almost as many opposition players as Magpies in his years, and is hugely respected face in the crowd.

However, while his service to the Sherwood Football Club alone has been a remarkable association, Doc is also a life member of both the Tocumwal Footy Club, Tocumwal Cricket Club and Murray Valley Cricket Association and is a local legend in the Riverina community and was known to be rolling the pitch on a Friday night before play the very next day such is his dedication to giving his time to community clubs.

Everyone at the the Magpies is both incredibly thankful for Doc’s efforts over many years and equally proud to be associated with Doc and Maryanne and the extended Thompson family.

Doc and wife Maryanne who was right behind his extensive resume listed below!

A life of service….

Sherwood Football Club

• Club Sponsor 2008-Present

• Volunteer Club Doctor 2006-Present

• Club Secretary 2007-2009 & 2013

• Director 2007-2014

Tocumwal Bloods Football Club

• 125 Year Anniversary Organising Committe 2015-16

• Reserves Coach 1990-91

• President 1983

• Murray Football League Publicity Officer 1981-1993

• Chairman of Selectors / Selection committee 1979-1991

• Board Member 1979-1988

• Club Secretary 1979-1982 & 1986-1988

• Author - history of Tocumwal Football Club

West Brisbane Cricket Club

• Queensland Sub Districts Cricket Association Delegate 2012-2017

• Member - A-Grade Premiership 2009-10

• Board Member 2007-2016

Tocumwal Cricket Club

• Board Member 1979-1994

• President 1979-1991

• A Grade Captain - 6 Seasons

• U/16 Coach - 7 seasons

• Club Curator - 12 years

• Author - history of Tocumwal Cricket Club

Murray Valley Cricket Association

• Junior Chairman 1980-1985

• Executive Member 1979-1985

• Junior Country Week Coach 1979-1984

• Country Week Representative Player & Captain - 72 matches

Other (Sport)

• Coach - Greta Cricket Club 2004-2005

• President - Southern Riverina Cricket Council 1988-1994

• Board Member - Wagga Wagga RSL Cricket Club 1995-1997

• Sports Convenor - Finley High School 1978-1993

Previous Awards & Recognition

• Hall of Fame - Murray Valley Cricket Association

• Life Member - Sherwood Football Club

• Life Member - Tocumwal Football Club

• Life Member - Southern Riverina Cricket Council

• Life Member - Murray Valley Cricket Association

• Service Award - Murray Football League

• Service Award - Southern Riverina Cricket Council

Medical

• Director & Principle / GP - Bardon Rainworth Medical Centre

• Visting Medical Officer - Regis Aged Care 2011-2016

• Visiting Medical Officer - Rosalie Nursing Aged Care 2007-2018

• Visiting Medical Officer - St Pauls Villa 2006-2016

• Member - Clinicians Advisory Group - Brisbane North 2006-2018

McCarthy Homes - QAFL Fixture Review

The 2019 QAFL Season will start 2 weeks earlier in 2019 on April 6 after AFL Queensland released the official fixture just prior to Christmas.

Yet again, for mysterious reasons unknown to the Magpie faithful, we’re off to Vulture territory yet again for an away fixture in Round 1. Since the reinstatement of the QAFL in 2014, the Magpies are yet to have a Round 1 home fixture!

Round 2 will see the Magpies host Labrador who will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2018 season after playing in 4 consecutive QAFL Grand Finals for 2 Premierships.

Round 3 sees the inaugural annual Good Friday match against Grange, in a fixture set to be shared hme and away in alternate seasons between the two proud Brisbane clubs.

Good Friday Footy in country Victoria has been a huge success, with massive local crowds getting their footy fix and the Gorillas and Magpies will be hoping for a bumper crowd as they develop a new tradition.

The other feature match for the Pies will be a home Sunday fixture vs Morningside for Sir Doug Nicholls Round (QAFL Indigenous Round) where both clubs will again feature Indigenous Guernsey’s in a blockbuster Sunday outing.

the Magpies will have 4 footy free weekends with nicely spaced byes, and the longest consecutive run of footy will be 5 Rounds, allowing the players to re-charge their batteries and nurse a few niggles, a luxury the Magpies weren’t afforded in 2018 due to a disjointed fixture.

2018 AGM Report - Sherwood Districts Australian Football Club

It was a strong turn out for the 2018 Sherwood Districts Australian Football Club, which incorporates the Western Magpies, Woodsmen and Sherwood Junior Football Club.

Key outcomes from the meeting were that Andrew Thomson will again lead the Magpies in 2019 in his 2nd term as Club President, in conjunction with a stable and solid group of Directors - the club has progressed to a position of financial stability, whilst being able to upgrade facilities and have strong on-field performances at all levels of football.

Longstanding club Director Chris Dennis, and long standing junior volunteer and and Football Club Director in recent seasons Adam Edwards have opted to stand down from the board after many years of wonderful service.

Chris served on the Club’s Board of Directors from 2011-2018 and  was club President in 2014-2015, was also Vice President (Junior Club President) in 2012-2014 and has been Facilities Director for a number of years. Under his watch the club has built new changerooms, upgraded lights improved the gym facilities and had a major upgrade to the oval. He guided the club back into the top echelon of Queensland football and is a major reason AFLQ regard Sherwood and the Western Magpies as one of the best run clubs in South East Queensland.  Chris also was instrumental in improving the club’s finances to set the club on the path of financial stability and on game day, especially home matches, he does a power of work ensuring all is in place to enable the players to perform at their best.  He was Junior club Person of the year in 2011 and was the AFL Brisbane juniors Club Volunteer of the year in 2014.  He was also the Senior clubperson of the year in 2015.  

Adam has served on the Board 2016-18 and was the Vice-President and Junior Chairman during his time on the Board. He has been involved in the club since 2010  with two boys playing for the magpies. He was junior coaching Coordinator  2015-16 and has coached juniors at the club from 2011-17 and was junior coach of the year in 2011. Adam also brought a strong corporate governance approach to the organisation and chaired board meetings during his tenure. 

The club thanks both for their work to ensure the club remains successful and no doubt they will still be at the club in some capacity this year and in the future—maybe just to watch their sons play in the Black and White and enjoy a quiet day at the footy—if that is possible!!

Two new Directors were elected to the board, namely Peter Radcliffe as Vice President and Junior Chairman, and Niall Powell as a Club Director. Niall is a junior parent at the club an an experienced Solicitor who will be instrumental in handling some facilities related matters in the years to come.

Also returning as Directors are Club Secretary and Life Member - Gabe McKinnon, Finance Director (Treasurer) - Martin Sinfield and Sponsorship Director - Mitchell Merritt.

A number of vacancies remain, particularly in relation to grants, revenue, membership and events. Should you wish to get involved, please contact president@westernmagpies.com.au

AGM Highlights

• Senior Football improved output - Senior side just missed finals after slow start and 2nd best %, Reserves played finals for first time since 2014, 3rds played in Grand Final and Colts were QAFL Premiers

• ~75% of senior list comprised of local juniors

• Riley Easton QAFL Rising Star after injury disrupted career since debut as 16 year old

• Recruitment of Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams

• 10-15 Club Juniors playing NEAFL, VFL or similar

• Four QLD U/18 Representatives

• NAIDOC Week Celebrations

• Strong Junior registration and playing numbers

• Growth in Auskick and Roys

• Strong numbers U8-U11 Age Groups

• Fielded 2 sides in U12/14/16s

• 25+ juniors across all grades played representative football

• 50th Year of Senior Football Celebrations

• Launch of commemorative guernsey

• Life Membership Inductions x 6

• Field upgrades, coaches boxes, new reel mower and other facilities improvements

• Strong financials. $313k Revenue with $3k profit.

• Additional expenditure on footy department, medical support, physios, strength and conditioning