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Shamrocks chasing all day

5 May 2003 - Shamrocks suffered only their first loss of the season after battling to overcome a fast start by Souths in the Queensland Gaelic Football League at Willawong over the weekend.

Player-coach David O�Malley was switched to fullback to help combat the smaller and faster Souths forwards, after Shamrocks conceded half a dozen points only minutes into the game.

Martin Henry, of Paddington, continued his prolific scoring for Shamrocks to provide the bulk of the scoring with 2 goals 4 points.

But time ran out with Shamrocks still four points short, going down for the first time this year 2-8-14 to 3-9-18.

Best for Shamrocks were Henry, Joe O�Neill and Stuart Meiklejohn.

In the ladies match, the young Shamrocks team also finished just shy of a good win over Easts Celts.

Renee Moynihan was best for Shamrocks, scoring 1-2, as the green team unluckily finished three points behind 2-8-14 to 3-8-17.

Patty Preece and Emily Sangster were also amongst the best, supported well by Bronwyn Bassett who scored 1-2.

Shamrocks lose scoring champion

30 April 2003 - The Shamrocks club may be without record-holder Brad Kennedy for the first few weeks of the Queensland Gaelic Football League, after he suffered a shoulder injury recently.

Kennedy sustained a fractured collarbone and dislocated shoulder against Souths in a Brisbane Shield match recently, and now may be missing for the first two weeks of League play.

�The pain is still sharp, and frustratingly only just in the last couple of days have I been able to raise my arm past 60 degrees,� Kennedy said.

�The swelling on the shoulder hasn't really gone at all. My time out is unknown but as a minimum the next two to three weeks are not looking good.�

The Shamrocks senior mens team has gone through the Brisbane Shield round undefeated, and will meet Easts Celts in the final on June 6.

After four matches for the Brisbane western suburbs club this season, Kennedy is second-leading scorer with 3 goals 8 points, trailing only Martin Henry from County Meath in Ireland on 4 goals 17 points.

Kennedy has already matched his goal-scoring total of 2002 when he was the Shamrocks leading scorer. Last year he set a new team record with 9 points in a game, breaking the mark set two years earlier by All-Ireland champion Eoin Mulligan.

Related links:

Shamrocks record holders

League then Shield final is next

28 April 2003 - Shamrocks is the form team going into the Queensland Gaelic Football League which starts this week, after the western suburbs team completed the Brisbane Shield round matches undefeated.

Brisbane�s western suburbs club now looks forward to the senior mens Brisbane Shield final on June 6 after thumping their likely final opponents Easts Celts by 23 points, 3-17-26 to 0-3-3, at Willawong on Sunday.

It will be Shamrocks� fifth Brisbane Shield final in six years, but first they have a full round of Queensland League matches to play, including always dangerous Souths this Sunday.

Against Easts over the weekend, Joe O�Neill from County Wicklow in Ireland was best at centre back for Shamrocks, supported by local talent Stuart Meiklejohn in midfield, and David O�Malley at centre half forward.

Martin Henry (pictured) from County Meath, Ireland, again led all scorers with 2 goals 5 points including two penalties. Harvey Evans contributed 1-1 and Colin Maceoin 0-3.

In the ladies match, Patty Preece was outstanding for Shamrocks, supported by Renee Moynihan, Bronwyn Bassett and Joann O�Neill, in their defeat by Souths.

Rejoycing across Australia

20 April 2003 - Joyce is an even more a popular Irish name recently with Shamrocks legend Michael Joyce from Westlake enjoying unprecedented support at Gaelic football matches, with his personal fan club gathering from around Australia.

Wife Carol is there each week, but recently the supporters have grown with mother Lilia Joyce flying thousands of kilometres from Whyalla, South Australia, to support her son.

And this week there was also niece Karen Joyce and sister Ann Hoffman also flying thousands of kilometers from Cairns to watch the team in green.

Michael pleased the fan club in the Shamrocks match against Souths at Willawong recently when he took a clean mark, pivoted and slotted the ball over for a point and a thrilling day of Gaelic football.

Joyce is the only two-time winner of the Reserves best-and-fairest trophy for the Brisbane western suburbs club, and sometimes player-coach.

Photo � Mick Joyce�s Australian fan club at a recent match: mother Lilia Joyce (Whyalla, SA), Karen Joyce (Sunnybank), Michael Joyce, sister Ann Hoffmann (Cairns), wife Carol Joyce (Westlake).

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