Stackelberg is on fire
The 2024 Ray Hughson Medallist is mounting a strong case towards securing a second in 2025, with the Hornet's key forward averaging almost five goals per game across the first six rounds. With recent bags of five against Redland Victoria Point and seven against Sherwood, Stackelberg is undoubtably the hottest forward in the competition at the moment. After he kicked just two goals in their Round 1 loss against Maroochydore, Aspley have won five in a row on the back of Stackelberg averaging 5.5 goals per match so will be a key focus of opposition defensive units in the weeks to come.
Greenbank saves the day
On the back yet another wet week, Redland Victoria Point were forced to move their Round 7 home fixture against Aspley due to council closing their grounds, and it was the Greenbank Giants to the rescue. The $16m Everleigh Sports Park project which opened as the new home of the Greenbank Giants in 2024 had it's first major test hosting three QAFL fixtures on Saturday. Not only did the venue provide an emergency option to ensure football was played, the facility provided an exceptionally high-quality experience for all involved, befitting a match at QAFL level.
Veteran Davy continues to shine
Veteran of SEQ women's football, Jess Davy, continues to be the North Star for the developing Moreton Bay side. Davy racked up 30 possessions on Saturday, backing up her dominant performance the week prior where she celebrated her 100th senior game by leading her side to their first QAFLW win in their inaugural season. The 32 year old remains one of the best players in the competition, sitting 5th on total possessions, 3rd for clearances, 7th for contested possessions and 5th for inside 50s . The Lions captain is showing no signs of slowing down and is a pivotal leader for her young teammates.
New finals structures to make things interesting
With a 13 team competition seeing the TPIL Lawyers QAFL finals series expand to a Top 8 this season, it's already showing that the race for finals positions will be an interesting one. Just six points separates Labrador (=11th) with Morningside (6th). Albeit only seven rounds old, the 2025 season has already had a number of twists and turns, and the race to finish inside the top eight and more importantly inside the top four will be a hotly contested one. As for the Bond University QAFLW, the new look Top 6 format will draw two additional sides into the fold come the end of the home and away season. Early season results suggest there's very little between Wilston Grange (4th), Coorparoo (5th), Aspley (6th) and UQ (7th), with the makeup of the top three far from settled. With Maroochydore (8th) and Moreton Bay (9th) just one win from 6th spot currently, the race for spots in the final six will make for an intriguing second half of the season.
Labrador's young stars shine brighter
With the Tigers and King's young lists doing battle, it was Labrador's young stars who shone in their 42 point win at home. Round 6 Rising Star nominee Justin Krok had 38 disposals and a goal, Round 4 Rising Star nominee Harry Sullivan notched up 23 disposals, 10 tackles and a goal, 19 year old Mason Field had 16 disposals including 10 marks whilst 22 year old Tigers junior Bailey Brown had 31 disposals. Whilst the 2025 season might be defined as a rebuild for Labrador, their future is bright.