Demon swings forward to take down Panthers
THERE is a running joke at Surfers Paradise that they have moved the best fullback in the QAFL to full forward.
That man is Brody Haberfield and the power forward, who is one of the club’s most respected figures, will have the task of booting the Demons into the semi-finals on Saturday.
Haberfield has played most of his career at fullback but the recruitment of key defender Nick Hay in 2021 and the need for someone to fill the void left by former Surfers Paradise forward Dan Green in front of goal opened the door for a move up the ground.
He has booted 28 goals this season, the equal fourth most of any player in the QAFL.
Haberfield will need to be on song when Surfers Paradise play host to Morningside in the elimination final in front of home supporters at Sir Bruce Small Park.
The two teams have met at various stages of the finals in recent years, with the Panthers knocking out the Demons in 2018 before Surfers Paradise went through them on the way to winning the 2019 premiership.
Surfers Paradise beat Morningside by 15-points in the only encounter between the two clubs in Round 11 and were unbeaten in its last four games before the Covid-enforced shutdown of the competition.
The Demons trained for the first time as a group again last Friday night when the community sport shutdown ended before playing Bond University in a practice match on Saturday in order to get some valuable game time under their belts before the finals started.
The winner of Saturday’s elimination final will play the winner of the Redland-Victoria Point and Maroochydore elimination final next week in the semi-finals.