April 8, 2013
The South Burnett Saints came marching in on Saturday at Gatton Showgrounds, winning in decisive style against the appropriately named Demons in the 2013 Allied Pickfords Cup.
The Saints defeated the Lockyer Valley Demons 15.9 (99) to 9.7 (61).
The South Burnett side, which made their debut in the competition this year, won every quarter.
Goals were scored by Adam Bowater (3), Lucas Walsh (3), Kyall Shepherd (2), Paul Pressnell (2), Alexander Totton (2), Ty Snow (2) and Matthew Eckermann (1).
NB. The Saints hope to have their new red, white and black team jerseys in time for their Round 2 match against Coolaroo in Toowoomba next weekend.
A Quick Guide To The TeamsThe AFL Darling Downs will be having the biggest season in their history this year with 11 teams taking part in the competition. Nine of the teams are established, but they’ll be joined this year by new teams from the South Burnett and Chinchilla. Here’s a quick run-down of who’s who: 1. Toowoomba Tigers – 2012 Premiers Three time defending premiers after a 22-year losing streak; have had a high turnover of players, but will be coached by John Wilson this year after the departure of former coach Andrew Farr. Wilson has been with the team since 1996 and proposes very few changes to their winning formula. 2. South Toowoomba Bombers – 2012 Runners-Up Close finishers in last year’s competition, their first grand final appearance in four years; will be coached again by Shaun Reardon; the Bombers have lost some experienced players from last year’s grand final side but have kept the nucleus of their midfield together 3. Coolaroo Roos – 2012 Preliminary Finalists The Roos have recruited strong players for the 2013 season after crashing in the 2012 finals due to injuries; coach Nick Barker says the team will take a more relaxed approach this year to ensure they’re firing at the right end of the season. 4. University Cougars – 2012 Semi-Finalists Last year University’s reserve grade did better than the Cougars main team and won the flag; this year coach Shane Melrose intends to bring some of these players up through the ranks – partly for player development, and partly to keep the pressure on senior players to hold their spots. May be a team to watch. 5. Warwick Redbacks – 2012 5th place The Redbacks disappointed last year after making the 2011 Grand Finals, but coach Jason Wright is hopeful they’ll do better despite the loss of three-time Holman Medallist Brendan Isles, who’s left to play at a higher level in Brisbane. 6. Highfields Lions – 2012 6th place The Lions recently lost coach Drew Dale and is now being coached by Simon Johnson and club captain Ben Adams; they’ve retained most of their 2012 team and will be hoping to improve on last year’s effort with the benefit of experience. 7. Dalby Swans – 2012 7th place The Swans team have an average age of 22 and are the youngest side in the competition; but they’re strong in the junior grades and some of these will be moving up to the A-grade this year. Coach Noel Rockliff is looking for an improvement on last year’s effort. 8. Lockyer Valley Demons – 2012 8th place The Demons enjoyed their first A-grade win in 2012 and coach Tony Bowers is hoping for more this year. 9. Goondiwindi Hawks – 2012 Wooden Spooners Goondiwindi were hampered by a lack of players in 2012 after being one of the top teams a decade ago, and coach Brenton Jardine will also be hoping for better form this season. 10. South Burnett Saints – new for 2013 The Saints are coached by Steve Humbler and have a good mix of experienced players and converts; they’ve entered the competition with modest expectations but won’t know how good they really are until they’ve tested themselves against all the other teams. 11. Chinchilla Suns – new for 2013 Much the same can be said of the Suns, who’ve attracted strong numbers for their town’s first AFL team; coach Rob Forgan believes there’s plenty of enthusiasm but the real strength of the side won’t be known until it’s been tested in the field. |
