Fiery derby in FFA Cup

AN off-season dominated by player upheaval has lit the fuse for a fiery FFA Cup clash between Surfers Paradise Apollo and Gold Coast Knights tonight.

For the third-straight season, the clubs meet in the preliminary round of the nationwide knockout cup, with the Knights last year exacting revenge for Apollo’s 2016 win.

But the departure of dual premiership coach Alex Morrison and six players from the Knights to Apollo at the end of the last season will add even more spice to this year’s battle at Palm Beach’s Duncan McKenna Field from 7.30pm.

“There’s a bit of history there,” new Knights coach Grae Piddick said.

“I think there’s certainly a rivalry between Gold Coast Knights and Surfers Paradise and has been for the last few years. I think this year the rivalry will probably be even bigger just with the changeover of last year’s Knights coach now being the coach at Surfers and there are a few players that have followed him over.

“That’s sure to make it a bit feisty. It will be an intense game.”

Morrison, who took Seb Buckinghaml, Jack Sargeant, Tim Warren, Yuji Hirayama, Ryosuke Kawakami and Rinichi Mikami with him to Apollo, said he was “looking forward to the challenge” against his old club.

The Gold Coast Premier League kicks off on April 20.