Two promising young Brisbane Lions players were rewarded for stout-hearted 2010 seasons with places in QAFL Team of the Year, announced at tonight’s Grogan Medal and AFLQ Awards Presentation.
While the Lions struggled to eighth position in the ever-improving QAFL competition, Bryce Retzlaff and Claye Beams shone.
The duo was named alongside each other on the half-forward line.
There is some encouraging history for Lions fans with the QAFL Team of the Year.
Tom Rockliff won a place last year and he has gone on to be a high possession winner at AFL level in 2010.
Retzlaff beat a number of high profile candidates to the centre-half-forward position, including longtime Morningside star Kent Abey and State key position player Ben Merrett.
Former Brisbane Lion Scott Clouston enjoyed a strong season at centre-half-forward with his new club Redland in 2010 and was named on the interchange.
Another ex-Lion in Tim Notting was named in a forward pocket after a dynamic season playing as a deep forward for Labrador in his first year out of the AFL system.
So good was Beams, who turned 19 this week, that he won a spot on a half-forward flank ahead of the likes of Jason Howard, who finished equal runner-up in the Grogan Medal count.
The Grogan Medal was won by Southport and Queensland captain Danny Wise, who polled 15 votes to win by two from Howard, Redland’s Phil Carse, and former Carlton wingman Darren Pfeiffer.
Notting was the leader after eight rounds but did not poll a vote in the second half of the season.
Beams and Aaron Cornelius, who finish fourth on the QAFL goalkicking list, polled the most Grogan Medal votes of Lions players with six each.
Mature-aged Northern Territory Thunder excitement machine Zephi Skinner won the nab QAFL Rising Star award.
The 21-year-old key position utility with freakish skills polled 39 votes to win by 20 from Labrador wingman Todd Grayson and Morningside ruckman Tom Hickey.
The 2010 QAFL State League Team of the Year is:
B: Steve Wrigley (Lab), Kurt Niklaus (Sp), Adam Tarrant (MtG);
HB: Jake Furfaro (MtG), Aaron Rogers (Ms), Brett Goodes (NT);
C: Mat Clarke (Lab), Damien Bonney (Ms), Darren Pfeiffer (Sp);
HF: Cameron Ilett (NT), Brendan Retzlaff (BL), Claye Beams (BL);
F: Dayne Zorko (Bb), Cleve Hughes (Sp), Tim Notting (Lab);
R: Jacob Gough (Ms), Danny Wise (Sp - capt), Phil Carse (Red);
I/C: Scott Clouston (Red), Jason Howard (Lab), Dean Page (MtG), Matt Shir (Asp); Zephi Skinner (NT).
Young Lions in Team of the Year
Two promising Lions players have been rewarded with places in the QAFL Team of the Year.
