Stronger Labrador hunt a three-peat
LABRADOR won last year’s Queensland Australian Football League premiership as clearly the best team in the competition.
They easily beat Palm Beach-Currumbin in the grand final and the Tigers are now poised for their first hat-trick of titles.
Strangely, though, Labrador will have their third coach in as many years under former Brisbane and Port Adelaide midfielder Aaron Shattock.
Circumstances have resulted in 2015 coach Steve Daniel and Perry Meka from last year farewelling Cooke-Murphy Oval and the job was handed to Shattock, who had been midfield coach for those successful campaigns.
In what will be ominous news for the other eight clubs chasing the flag, Labrador appear to have a strong list than in 2016.
Their losses are minimal with forward Josh Baxter (to Southport) and utility tall Nick Stockdale (recovering from knee surgery) the only departures from last year.
The gains are dominated by former St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs AFL forward Barry Hall, who has signed to play a minimum of five matches for the yellow and black.
Add Hugh Wadsworth and Zac Brain, both members of the 2015 premiership side, and the classy ex-Burleigh midfielder Jackson Powell and the Tigers will be much more than competitive.
They will start warm favourites to complete the threepeat.
Last year’s runners-up Palm Beach-Currumbin have recruited well, mainly with onball types, and will be thereabouts again.
But their biggest worry is a lack of height. They have lost their only two ruck options from 2016, Jon Croad and Tyson Dyer.
Broadbeach have also recruited well and this week landed a big one in former AFL player, Central District and Aspley premiership star Eddie Sansbury.
The QAFL season starts this weekend with Palm Beach-Currumbin away to Morningside at Esplen Oval today and a Coast derby between Surfers Paradise and Labrador at Sir Bruce Small Park tomorrow.