AN exciting month of Queensland football is coming up, with the announcement of the Alpha Sport Pre-Season Cup fixture, a curtain raiser at Cazaly Stadium late next month and the junior umpiring program taking place once again.

Alpha Sport Pre-Season Cup Fixture Announced:

AFL Queensland has announced the fixture for the upcoming Alpha Sport Pre-Season Cup. The competition will begin on Saturday, March 10 at grounds across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. The Alpha Sport Pre-Season Cup is a three-week knockout tournament involving QFA clubs. The competition grand finals are to be played at Leyshon Park, Yeronga on March 24.  Each Grand Final winner will receive an Alpha Sport Sports Taping Starter Pack, valued at $1250.

2018 Junior Football Umpiring Program Dates Released:

Last Friday saw the dates for the 2018 Junior Football Umpiring Program (JFUP) officially released. The JFUP is an exciting program that involves umpire training, education, support and ongoing development for Brisbane Junior club-based umpires officiating U8’s – U10’s. The JFUP provides a range of programs including initial and ongoing training throughout the year, training sessions located close to home to minimise travel requirements, and sessions catered to umpiring with modified junior rules. The dates for JFUP training across Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast can be found on their Facebook page.

Cazaly Stadium Curtain Raiser:

AFL Queensland announced an exciting curtain raiser for AFL players and supporters alike in North Queensland. On Saturday, March 24, AFL Cairns Premiers Port Douglas will square off against 2017 AFL Townsville Premiers Hermit Park in the North Queensland Challenge Cup. The game will play as a curtain raiser to the Round 1 AFL fixture between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne. Much anticipation surrounds this game with many in the AFL Queensland community already regarding AFL Cairns as the strongest competition in regional Queensland. Spectators wishing to attend the curtain raiser will need to purchase tickets to the AFL fixture.

AFL Club Community Camps:

The Gold Coast Suns hosted their first community camp of the year on Tuesday, February 6. All 45 Suns players were scattered around the state – from Ormeau to Palm Beach – running various training programs throughout the day. The event was especially sentimental for Suns players Jesse Joyce, Brad Scheer, Max Spencer, Brayden Crossley and Jacob Dawson, who were welcomed back to their old school Palm Beach Currumbin SHS. The Suns will attend multiple camps over the coming months, as will the Brisbane Lions.

AFLW Round 2 | Brisbane Lions vs. Western Bulldogs:

On Sunday, February 11, the AFLW Brisbane Lions’ held their first home game against the Western Bulldogs at the South Pine Sports Complex. Both teams were coming off round one victories, with the Lions fielding an unchanged squad. The hot and windy conditions proved difficult for both sides, and that was highlighted by the low-scoring, scrappy first quarter which saw the Bulldogs take a one-point lead at the break.

The goal drought was broken by the AFLW’s number one draft pick Isabel Huntington, who kicked two goals in as many minutes for the Bulldogs after taking two strong contested marks. Unfortunately, moments later Huntington suffered an injury to her right knee and took no further part in the match. The one-way traffic continued in the second term with the Bulldogs adding two more goals while holding the Lions to just two behinds to lead 26-3 at the main break.

In the third quarter, the Lions struck back with the only goal of the quarter courtesy of Jess Wuetschner, with her lovely left foot snap cutting the margin to 16 points as the Bulldogs led at the final change. Kicking against the breeze in the last quarter, the Lions couldn’t capitalise on their chances until the final four minutes of the game. Ally Anderson popped through a goal to give the Lions a sniff, but Aisling Utri sealed the game for the Dogs with her first goal in the AFLW in her second career game with two and a half minutes remaining.

Wuetschner went on to snap her second goal from the centre bounce moments later but it was again too late for the Lions as the Bulldogs ran out nine-point winners 5.3 (33) to the Lions’ 3.6 (24). The win puts the Bulldogs into second on the ladder and the loss puts the Lions in fourth place. Next up, the Lions travel to Ikon Park to take on ladder leaders Carlton on Saturday February 17 at 7.40pm.