Matt Gaul can play football.
30 disposals, 16 tackles and 10 clearances is a good stat sheet on any given day, but in the boggy conditions that Hickey Park presented on Saturday afternoon it was an extraordinary effort that carried Noosa over the line, securing an all important Round 1 victory. The 2024 EDFL Team of the Year Captain has instantly made his mark on the TPIL Lawyers QAFL and is a huge shot in the arm for the Tigers chances of competing for a spot in the top eight this season.
Can a small forward win the Ray Hughson medal?
On the back of an impressive preseason, Jarrod Cameron kicked five in his QAFL debut and will be a headache for any small defender this season. With Hammelmann, Stackelberg and Moncrieff headlining the competitions leading goal kicking race in recent years, is it the year for a small forward to shine? With postponed matches delaying Levi Casboult’s QAFL debut, we’ll hold off calling the race for a few more weeks…
The sky’s the limit for the Magpies.
Albeit sloppy conditions against a raw Vultures outfit, Sherwood showed why they must be taken seriously this season. Marquee recruit Jarrod Cameron dominated up forward, Connor Ashcroft (2024 QFA Division 1 Coaches MVP) proved he’s more than capable at QAFL level and young guns Glass, Gilder, Meekin and Cruice have grown into seasoned senior footballers. Combine this with the experience of Jonathan Giles, Luke Mitchell and Will Fletcher, Sherwood might just have got the right mix to contend come September.
Maroochydore have picked up where they left off.
The Roos finished the 2024 season full of steam, and whilst didn’t make finals, won five from their last six games. This run included downing Aspley (Minor Premiers) in Round 13, thumping Mt Gravatt by 207, Noosa by 87 and knocking off eventual Premiers Morningside in the final round of the year. After knocking off the Hornets by 41 points in their first official outing for 2025, Maroochydore have set the tone that there’ll be more of what they showed at the tail end of last season and can be genuine contenders this year.
It takes a village….
On the back of the rain bomb ahead of and during Round 1, there was obvious issues with grounds able to cope. Step in the Kawana Park JAFC who strengthened their ties with Maroochydore once again by making Meridan Plains available for use. For the second time in three years Kawana Park has been keen to assist and with the nurturing and support it shows to its players, it’s no surprise that young guns like Ty Gallop and Sam Marshall have made it to the big time. On the back of Kedron AFC assisting Redland-Victoria Point with their venue in 2024, many thanks goes out for the clubs assistance.
Photo Credit: Trevor Boltong