The Final Weekly Wash-Up
Well there we have it. Championships have been decided, finals placings almost decided and apart from catch-up games to be played this week, we’re heading towards finals time.
So here’s five things we’ve picked out to see us out with this season’s final Weekly Wash-Up for the year. #1:: Commitment
It’s easy to focus on all the winning teams but we’d like to spare a thought for those teams who’s season has been an arduous one. A season that has proven to be a major challenge for many a player and coaching staff, but who have continued on and seen it through to the bitter end. Capital League 1’s Moggill are perhaps the highest profile side who have failed to notch a single point from their 2017 campaign. They face a final catch-up game at home to Southside Eagles this Friday - one final roll of the dice to grab a point maybe. Not only have they stuck it out for the season but for two players in particular, the word ‘commitment’ well and truly applies - Hayden Steene and Harry Sterling reside in Kingaroy but have travelled the distance week in and week out for the Geckos, featuring regularly in the starting line-up. There’s a few other sides also facing a white-wash season but also have catch-up games coming up this week to finish on a high. So we tip our hats off to those players who have remained loyal to the cause in the face of adversity, who have trained each and every week and who've crossed the line each weekend to give it their all for their club on match days.
#2:: 2017 Champions
The closest title race ever in the Flight Centre Premier League finally reached it’s epic conclusion at the weekend with Rochedale Rovers lifting the trophy at Underwood Park following their 2-0 win over Mitchelton in the final game of the regular season. Wins for both Peninsula Power and Lions FC were, in the end, not enough to see them stand on top of the podium as the final day went down to the wire.
You can view highlights from Rochedale's final day victory and Peninsula Power's win over Holland Park Hawks below.
So here are our Champions from the premier senior and junior competitions, and all we can say is; watch out PlayStation4 NPL with Lions FC… Flight Centre Premier League: Rochedale Rovers Mt Franklin Women’s Premier League: Mitchelton (back to back champions) Capital League 1: Taringa Rovers Capital League 2: Centenary Stormers Capital League 3: St George Willawong (back to back champions) Capital League 4: Samford Rangers Women’s Capital League: North Pine Flight Centre Premier League U18: Lions FC Red Lion Footall SYL U16 Premiership: Rochedale Rovers Red Lion Footall SYL U16 Plate: Wolves FC Red Lion Footall SYL U15: Lions FC Red Lion Footall SYL U14: Lions FC Red Lion Footall SYL U13: Lions FC Red Lion Footall SYL U12: Yet to be decided with Lions FC needing just a draw in a catch-up game next Sunday to clinch it whilst Logan Lightning, currently in top spot, will be hoping Holland Park Hawks can do them a huge favour.
#3:: The 100% Achieved
It’s a major achievement when any side can go through an entire season winning every game but Mt Franklin Women’s Premier Champions Mitchelton achieved just that - but they hard to do it the hard way in their final game of the season at home to Logan Lightning with Lightning taking a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. The back to back champions had to do something they’ve not had to all season in the league and that's come from behind to claim victory. Emilie Rebelo equalised on the stroke of half time before leading goal scorer Jamie MacFarlane grabbed the winner on the hour mark to eventually secure their 18th win from 18 games. We’ve listed the other teams who were also looking to achieve the same 100% record for the season - so how did they fair? Capalaba (Mt Franklin Women’s Premier League Reserves) - Currently top with their 100% record in tact and two catch-up games to go. Bethania Rams (Women’s City League 5 Silver) - Were kept to a draw by Logan City Kings in their final game of the season to end their 100% record, but still go through undefeated. Logan Lightning (McDonalds U16 Div 4) - Still with 100% record in tact with a final catch-up game against 2nd placed The Gap to go. The Gap (McDonalds U15 Div 5 Silver) - Still with 100% record in tact with a tough final catch-up game away to Mitchelton to face. Brighton Bulldogs (McDonalds U12 Div 6 North) - 100% record achieved.
#4:: Total Goals
There certainly can’t be any arguments that our game isn’t entertaining.
We took a look at the Flight Centre Premier League and Mt Franklin Women’s Premier League goals tally from both competitions in 2017. There were a total of 527 goals scored in the Flight Centre Premier League this season, over 132 games. That’s an average of 3.99 goals per game. Lions FC netted the most with a total of 65 goals for. In the Mt Franklin Women’s Premier League, 415 goals were scored over 88 games (2 games still to be played), an average of 4.72 goals per game. Mitchelton accounted for 25.3% of that total goals tally to date, with a goals for of 105.
#5:: Golden Boots
The race to be the top scorers in each of the senior premier competitions has all but been decided and here’s how they ended up… Flight Centre Premier League: Tynan Diaz made it a final day sprint across the line when he netted 4 times in his side's 6-0 win over Logan FC, thus jumping above Rochedale’s Kado Aoci to claim the Golden Boot with 20 goals for the season. Capital League 1: Still to be decided with North Pine’s Shuto Kuboyama occupying top spot with 21 goals, followed by Acacia Ridge’s Juan Jaimes on 19.
Ridge though have a final catch-up game against lowly Mt Gravatt to come and if Jaimes is fit to play, he could overtake Kuboyama with Ridge also looking to secure a top four finish in the process. Capital League 2: Annerley’s James Gorrie heads the league on 32 goals with Ipswich City’s Ryan Adekoya New behind him on 25 goals.
City have a catch-up game to be played but scoring 8 in a game looks impossible for Adekoya New to achieve. Capital League 3: Caboolture feature strongly here with James Fairgrieve topping the goals scored table with 23 for the season. Team mate Sam Heaney sits behind him on 16. Capital League 4: Goal scoring machine Dane Forsyth unsurprisingly leads the way with 29 for the season. It could have been more but he didn’t feature in Samford’s Championship winning 7-0 victory over Logan Village at the weekend.
Samford have one last catch-up game to go against Logan Metro where Forsyth could add to his tally and become the Capital Leagues overall top goal scorer, a title he won in 2016. Mt Franklin Women’s Premier League: Mitchelton’s Canadian striker Jamie MacFarlane has claimed the Golden Boot with a season haul of 33 goals, just two ahead of team mate Darcie Wilson. Women’s Capital League: North Pine’s Alexis Ball takes out the Golden Boot in this competition with 20 goals for the season, just two goals ahead of Holland Park Hawks’ Jemima Moore although North Pine have a final catch-up game away to bottom side Toowong next weekend where Ball could add to that tally.
Well that’s it for The Weekly Wash-Up this season. We hope you’ve found it interesting and informative. We wish all those clubs heading into finals the best of luck and if your season is over, we look forward to seeing you back in 2018.
