ITS A GRAND OLD DLAG

What a game of footy and what a way to end the season. Yesterdays grand final was probably the best grand final in the qafl for 20 odd years. It was a titanic battle and it was anyones flag to win all day long. The first quarter was the usual scappy tough and sorting out period with no having a clear edge. Morningside kicked the first goal and we were on our way. The quarter showed that everett and knoebal will be hard to stop and knoebal was starting domminate in the ruck and they 2 of the next 3 and were just in front when they kicked another one just before quarter time and it was labrador 7 points in fron at quarter time. The second quarter was domminated by the panthers, With Mark kymbal running ramoant and Kent Abey marking strongly arond the ground. 6 goals but 5 behinds and only a 14 point lead didn't show how the panthers were really starting get on top of the tigers. Ryan holman, Mark Kymbal and AAron rogers were winning their positions clearly and thing were looking good at half time for the panthers. The premiership quarter beckoned as one of the most intriguing quarters i have seen in qafl football for the last 11 years. Trent Knoebal went off and absolutely r4an riot in the third quarter and the panther4s couldn't. Tim Notting started to get his hands on the footy and they couldn't stop his marking prowess and Todd featherstone was having a day out they could stop him and the panther had a heap of opportunities to put the game away but by the end of the third quater, labrador piled on 7 goals and had point lead and things were going just dandy for them and the panther with their missed opportunities had kicked 1 goal and the haunting of grand finals past where inacurate kicking had cost them dearly was starting to come back to bite them on the arse. The fourth quarter was an epic quarter and it just still amazes me what happened. The first 5 to 10 minutes were a bit of a struggle the tired legs were starting to set in and Labrador put themselves 4 goals in front and things were going sour quickly. Blair threw young tom hickey into the ruck and with a tiring Trent Knoebal, it was a god sent and things got cracking. 2 quick goals and they boys from esplin oval got a sniff and another goal and another behinds and they were within a point. Hickey kept dommianting the ruck and 4 unanwered goals later and undiciplined acts the premiership cup was heading back to esplin oval where the boys clebrated hard and long into the night. Kent Abey was named Joe Grant medal and well deserved. just another great grand final to cap off a great year

JOE GRANT MEDALISTS OF PAST

The Joe grant medal is awarded to the player that was best on ground in the qafl grand final for the past 27 years and there has been some good ones and some really bad decisions by the voters in my honest opinion. One of the best was Tony Lynns effort in the 2002 grand final against the raging hot favourites in southport. He had and absolute day out that day and led his side so well to their first flag in their history. I think he something like 34 touches and kicked a couple of goals and kept running all day.



The worst in my opinion



2000. The best on ground medal was given to Maclucky from southport. But everyone at the ground that watched that game that day all thought Nick Reiwoldt was clearly best on ground by some way. Jason Cotter threw Reiwoldt into the ruck after half time and rooy did his thing and he turned the game on it's head. He started to domminate the ruck which Charman had won all day and never looked like he was going to get beaten either. He won the game for southport but he still didn't get the medal

2006. Dane Carmody won the mexdal and everyone again that watched that game were pretty much shocked at the decision. Clint watts was clearly the best player on the ground that day and for some reason he wasn't even given many votes to be named the best on ground. Once crowley threw him in the middle the game changed and he was the one that got the sharks going and he was by far a better player than carmordy was on that day

The voting pannel probably consists of people that are just ass lickers that don't have a clue about the game all the time

DESTINY BECKONS FOR THE SIDERS AND LABRADOR

The grand final is fianlly here and the 2 best sides in the qafl are in it. Labrador and the Morningside panthers have made it through to the big day in conrasting circumstances. Labrador made it through to the grand final with a thrilling second semi final win over this same team in the Morningside panthers, they were down by 4 goals at 3qtr time and came storming home to be the first team into the grand final. The panthers had to get through the grand final the hard way. They had a thrilling win over arch rivals southport and again they nearly blew it. After being 5 goals up 5 minutes into the fourth, Southport put on 4 quick goals and were with in a goal before the siders steadied the ship and locked down and came out 7 point winners to put themselves into the grand final against the tigers. These 2 sides have met 3 times this year and all 3 encounters have been crackers with labrador leading the ledger at the moment. Labrador look like they don't have any injury worries and will probably at their best come sunday afternoon. The siders on the other hand have 1 concerne and it has to do with their former captain and champion club man. Word last sunday was, he doesn't want to take the place of a young players that has been there and some how i don't think Blairy will take much notice of that and i do believe he will pick and play him in this grand final.

5 key players for both sides

Labrador

Knobel. can ruck all day and has been good this year again and it might be his last game

Shattock. Abrilliant player and he stopped everything that was thrown forward in the latter stages of the second semi final

Notting. if he has a day out, the tigers could win this game of footy

Everitt. Just a crucial player and the work he does around the ground important, he can kick a bag and ruck a whole quarter when needed

Featherstone. the leader of the team and is a match winner and will be keen for a big game

Morningside

Price. was just about best on ground last week and might get everitt

Rogers. his work across half back last week was brilliant and the tigers will need to keep him quiet

Gough. is right now with his rib and din't have any problems late in the game last week. he is a proven match winner and will be someone that can win a game off his own back

Shelton. Mr. ball magnet.. will give the siders plenty of drive out of the kiddle and can run all day

Abey. was great last week with plenty of strong marks and will need to back it up again this week.

This will be a great grand final and i can't wait for the big one. Even though the tigers have had the week of, that doesn't always help the team that earns it. I think the match hardened panthers side will get up by at least 4 goals and i think Jarrod Price will be named Joe Grant medalist. It should be a great day of footy