Lions have fresh look across park

PALM Beach- Currumbin have been blessed with a big double-header to celebrate the opening of their new changeroom facility at Salk Oval.

The Lions are playing Coast rivals Broadbeach today in a QAFL derby starting at 2.45pm following on from a decent sort of curtain-raiser – an NEAFL first-round clash between Southport and the Brisbane Lions at 11.45am.

PBC are now up there with the best in terms of facilities after completing the $940,000 change-rooms program.

Revamped Broadbeach, under Wayne Petterd again, will offer a good test for the equally new-look Lions, who have a new coach in Chad Owens on board to replace Daryn Cresswell.

Owens conceded he did not know much about the Cats other than they had managed to recruit well.

“They have Taylor Haley, who is the best leading forward in the comp, they have Ryan Pantic back and he’s obviously in the best three midfielders in the comp, and they have Ryan Dienjes back from Surfers,” Owens said.

“But we’ve got some good new blokes and have high hopes for Dakota Bannister. He played in North Launceston’s premiership side last year and was also in the Tasmanian under-18 side.”

Owens pointed proudly to the fact today’s side will contain nine PBC junior products.

Last year’s runners-up Labrador will parade a new signing, former Southport forward Josh Baxter, as one of a number of new faces for their match against Sandgate at Cooke-Murphy Oval in Labrador today (2pm start).

The Coast’s fourth club in the QAFL, Surfers Paradise, are on the road to play Wilston Grange at Hickey Park in Brisbane today.