Yet another hard-working display by Albert Proud and an effective game capped by four goals by Cheynee Stiller helped the Suncoast Lions to a 69-point win over Redland at the Gabba yesterday.

Proud must be racking up the votes in the Grogan Medal for the best player in the State League, such has been his form since the start of the year.

He simply has not played a bad game in the AFLQ Velocity Sports Cup and is proving a hard man to stop for local clubs.

The Lions needed all Proud’s expertise after the emerging Redland side – the easybeats of the competition for the last three years – took the game right up to them for three quarters.

A slashing third quarter in which the Lions added 9.7-0.4 ended the game as a contest, with the Suncoast taking full control in most positions of the ground.

The midfield slipped into overdrive, with Proud, Stiller, Matt Austin, Tom Collier and Bradd Dalziell placing the Bombers’ defence under siege.

Joel Tippett also came into the game strongly after Bombers ruckman Ricky White, the brother of Melbourne star Jeff White, had been prominent early in the game.

The Lions also shut down Bombers playmaker Phil Carse in the third term, applying a hard tag that saw the ball dry right up for the prolific ruck-rover.

“The Dzufers and Stillers were just too hot for us to handle – they actually were very good to watch with the way they played,” said always honest Redland coach Matty Francis.

“They played the sort of football we did in the second, except even better.”

The match was the only State League game of the weekend, due to the Queensland team playing WA in Townsville.

It was moved from Round 13, as that is the weekend when all AFL players have their second bye round of the season.

Suncoast’s four premiership points will be added to their tally then, so they remain in fourth place, a game from top side Mt Gravatt.


Scoreboard:

Suncoast Lions, 4.4, 8.9, 17.16, 19.21 (135)
Redland, 2.0, 8.6, 8.10, 9.12 (66)
Goals, Suncoast Lions: C Stiller 4, P Smith 3, A Proud 3, A Magin 2, M Tyler, M Harley, L Henderson, D Dzufer, J Tippett, L Magin, P Garner 1. Redland: M Thompson 4, M Aitken 2, J Pantic 2, A Templer 1.
Best, Suncoast Lions: A Proud, C Stiller, M Austin, T Collier, J Tippett, B Dalziell. Redland: M Thompson, D Seehusen, R White, J Myers, M Aitkin, M Watt.