Triple Brisbane Lions premiership teammates Shaun Hart and Craig McRae worked overtime in their respective boxes yesterday as Southport edged their way into the AFLQ state league grand final with a tight 13-point win over Morningside.

Hart has been an assistant to Southport coach Craig Crowley while McRae joined the Morningside brains trust assisting John Blair mid-season once his state under 18 commitments had finished.

In a classic match-up of Southport’s youth and speed versus Morningside’s height and experience, the young Sharks overran their more fancied rivals after trailing at every change, winning 12.13 (85)-9.18 (72).

Southport midfielder Danny Wise, the man who tagged Jason Akermanis out of the game in the second half after the former Lion had accumulated 20 first half touches in their Round 6 clash at Carrara, was best afield.

But it was teenagers Hayden Kiel and Dane Eaton, along with young half-back Kapun Morris, who provided most of the run in the final term as the Sharks overturned an 11-point three-quarter-time deficit.

Former Lions rookie list player Tom Tarrant was Morningside’s outstanding player over the finals series and he was their best again yesterday, dominating at full-back for most of the game apart from a short period in the second quarter.

Southport meet Zillmere in the grand final at Carrara next Sunday, with the Eagles almost certain to be strengthened by the return of popular former Lion Danny Dickfos for the big game.

The grand final is being played on the Gold Coast for the first time after the Major Sports Facility Authority refused to allow the game to be played at the Gabba this year due to preparations for the first Test.