O’Brien back at PBC as the foe

ONE of the biggest rivalries in the QAFL will have an added dimension on Saturday when former Palm Beach Currumbin mentor Craig O’Brien coaches against the Lions for the first time.

O’Brien is now the figurehead of the Broadbeach Cats senior men’s team that will try to snap a four-year losing run at Palm Beach Currumbin’s home ground, Salk Oval.

The Cats last won at the venue in Round 16 of the 2016 season.

The clashes between the two sides are always physical and emotional. This time around won’t be any different.

Both sides are undefeated after playing four games and having one bye.

And with ladder leader Morningside due for a bye this weekend, a win would mean the Lions or Cats would move alongside the Panthers.

“I have a lot of good memories at Palm Beach,” O’Brien said.

“I spent five years there and we had some success.

“We played in four grand finals in five years. It’s a very good club.

“They are a great club because of their success whereas we at Broady are a good club but we won’t be great until we start having continued success like them.

“That is why everyone respects them. Every year they are up there and hard to beat.

“We are going down there having not won there for a long time. We go down with an open mind.

“We don’t know what they have got. I have seen them on tape but it’s different when you actually play in real life.

“I’m very close to a lot of them and have friends so it will be mixed emotions.

“We are in good form, they are in good form and I think it’s a showdown everyone is looking forward to.”

Broadbeach marked out a field to match the smaller dimensions of Salk Oval for training this week in order to prepare for the different game style needed to excel on the field.

IT’S A SHOWDOWN EVERYONE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO. CRAIG O’BRIEN

“It will be tight and contested but you can find space on that ground,” O’Brien said.

“You just need to make the ground small when they have got it and big when we get it.

“You can do that by the way you move the ball and where.

“PBC are very good at shutting down space so you need to manufacture it.”

In the other QAFL games: LABRADOR will travel to Brisbane to play Wilston Grange at Hickey Park where it hopes to get its first win.

SURFERS Paradise will follow Labrador up the M1 in order to play Mt Gravatt at Dittmer Park.