By Liam Emerton
The Yeppoon Swans have made a massive statement at the expense of the Rockhampton Panthers on Saturday and now they face the most in-form team in the competition.
The Swans’ bullied the Panthers with a 29.11 (185) – 3.1 (19) win on Saturday, staking their claim on the competition.
Christian Burgess scored an almost outrageous 13 goals against the Panthers, meaning he scored a total of 78 points just in goals by himself.
Matt Wallin (4), Alex Chapman (3), Tyler Romeril (3), Leigh Cossens (1), Jake Gallagher (1), Michael Gallagher (1), Jayden Pain, Jack Steel and Grant Van Rooyen (1) added the other 16 maximums as the Swans cruised to a monster win.
That became the Yeppoon squad’s fourth straight victory but this weekend they’ll play the team who has matched that winning streak.
The Gladstone Suns have been firing on all cylinders lately and knocked over the Brothers Kangaroos for their four consecutive win on Saturday.
The Suns won 16.5 (101) – 10.4 (64) with Hamrish Macdonald top scoring with three goals.
That win has sent the Gladstone squad all the way up to third place and now they’re only trailing their local rivals BITS and the league-leaders Yeppoon.
The Suns were also the squad who knocked off the Glenmore Bulls the weekend after that incredible upset that the Glenmore side had over Yeppoon.
With a real chance to test their strength Gladstone will be aiming to prove themselves as a worthy finals contender.
The other match that played out this weekend was the Glenmore Bulls’ loss to the BITS Saints.
The Saints took home a 11.8 (74) – 8.7 (55) win from Stenlake Park to push themselves clear into second place.
The Bulls will need to bounce back from that loss to maintain their fourth place position.
They play the Rockhampton Panthers at home this weekend with a chance to reclaim third place.
If the Glenmore squad are successful and the Yeppoon Swans defeat the Gladstone Suns, then the Bulls will leapfrog the Suns into third spot.
However if the Bulls falter and the Kangaroos defeat their opponents, BITS, this weekend, then Glenmore would fall to fifth.
With so much on the line and just a third of the season remaining, no team can afford to lose this weekend.
In the women’s AFL Capricornia league, the Yeppoon Swans have knocked off the previously undefeated Rockhampton Panthers to take over the top of the table.
The Panthers had been leading the competition for several weeks but the Swans were able to score a 7.8 (50) – 3.6 (24) win to claim the top spot in round nine.
Tamara Creamer top scored for the Swans with three goals while Ella Calleja (2), Katelyn Lynch and Jane Power all chipping in with maximums of their own.
Both teams now sit on 32 competition points as their tussle for the top rages towards the finals series.
This weekend the Swans will host Gladstone while the Panthers make the short trip to Stenlake Park to play the Bulls.
The only other match will see the Brothers Kangaroos take on the BITS Saints.