AFL Cairns: Cutters prepared to fight it out in last roll of the dice
South Cairns is precariously placed in third spot heading into the final round of the regular season, and the only thing that will keep them in a finals position is a win over the Cairns Saints.
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If it wasn’t for bad luck, the South Cairns Cutters might have no luck at all.
The Cutters have a chance to book a place in this year’s finals when they take on ladder leaders Cairns Saints at Griffiths Park on Saturday.
South Cairns is precariously placed in third spot heading into the final round of the regular season, and the only thing that will keep them in a finals position is a win over the Saints.
A loss will be a disaster, with the Cutters almost certain to drop out of the top four, with the fifth-placed Cairns City Lions – who have the bye in round 19 – to take their spot.
It would be the first time the Cutters have missed the finals since 2011.
Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs are in fourth spot, and almost guaranteed to finish third with a last-round clash against AFL Cairns easybeats the North Cairns Tigers.
The Cutters were supposed to play the Tigers in round 17 – a game they should have had no trouble winning, and that would have all but locked up a finals spot – but the entire round was cancelled due to Covid restrictions in Cairns.
“It’s a big loss for us when you look at it in the bigger picture,” Cutters coach John Tootell said.
“I don’t think people realise, all we had to do was basically win that game and we would have secured a final.
“By not playing that game, we’ve been put under the pump. It’s probably helped other teams, whereas it’s been a massive detriment to us.”
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Centrals and Cairns City were scheduled to face off in round 17 before it was cancelled in a match that could have had massive finals implications.
“Unless it was a draw, then one of them would have been knocked out that round, but this has given them a bit of life,” Tootell said.
“It is what it is, but for us it’s pretty disappointing.
“We lose one game for the year, but that one game could cost us a finals position.”
However, Tootell said the most important thing was that the season wasn’t over yet.
“We’ve lost games we probably should have won throughout the season, and it’s just been a terrible year for us with injuries at crucial times,” he said.
“If we won a couple of those games we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in, but again, you look at the draw, Centrals get to play their game (against Tigers) this week, and even if we win (against Saints), they’ll jump us just with that percentage boost.
“It’s a killer, but like I said, you can dwell on it – and the boys are disappointed – you just try and move on and keep playing the game.”
He said the Cutters could still have a say in their finals destiny.
“We know it’s a do-or-die game , so there’s a fair bit on the line,” he said. “We’ve got one game left to fight it out and see how much we really want it.”
Lions’ nervous wait to learn finals fate, Saints snag silverware
Cairns City Lions’ finals fate now lies in the hands of the footy gods after they were able to keep their season alive with a win over South Cairns.
The Lions took care of their end of the bargain at Fretwell Park on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Cutters by 35 points to stay in touch with the top four, but must rely on the result of this Saturday’s clash between Cairns Saints and South Cairns to go their way if they are to grab a spot in the AFL Cairns finals series.
A Saints victory will push the Lions into a finals position at the Cutters’ expense, while South Cairns, who are in control of their own destiny, can punch their ticket to the post-season with a win of their own.
Lions captain Brodie Deverell said the side had done all it could and it was out of their hands now.
“It was all on us and we went out there and did what we had to do,” he said.
“Hopefully Saints can get over the Cutters boys.”
The Lions were early flag favourites after they started the season with a five-game win streak, but went on to lose seven of their next eight games to tumble down the ladder from first to fifth.
Deverell said the Lions were their own worst enemy in the middle of the season after they started their campaign with such promise, but he was proud of the resilience they showed.
“It’s been good,” he said.
“I’m proud of the club in general actually, just the way we stuck it out.
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“We knew if we just get back to the way we played, we’d get back there.
“We did it at the start of the season and it’s just good to get back into that.
“It would’ve been better if we didn’t have to fight our way and wait until the last round to see if we get into finals – that would have been a lot easier if we were just there – but really proud of the boys just to stick to the processes and just keep going all the way through.”
After only a goal separated the sides at halftime, the Lions produced arguably their best half of footy since the first five rounds of the season, kicking 11 goals to the Cutters’ six to finish the game.
“We went back to our footy,” Deverell said.
“We did it against the Tigers last week, where we actually got back to how we play footy, that kind of switch going through the backline kind of game.
“We knew if we just kept going, we would break it open, and that’s what happened.”
Saints snag silverware as crocs lose bite
Cairns Saints finally have some more silverware to add to their trophy cabinet after locking up the minor premiership with a 52-point demolition of reigning five-time premiers the Port Douglas Crocs.
The Saints booted the first eight goals in Saturday’s first-versus-second clash at Griffiths Park to secure the 14.12 (96) to 6.8 (44) win, which gives them an unassailable lead at the top of the table with one round left.
The scoreboard read 52-4 midway through the second quarter when Port Douglas skipper Kye Chapple gave the Crocs their first goal of the match, but the visitors never really threatened to topple the home side.
Saints captain Cade Wellington booted six goals in the win, while former Crocs goalsneak Adam Gross kicked three against his old club.
Liam Hepworth and Zac Straker also played key roles in the victory.
This season is the first since 2014 that a team other than Port Douglas has claimed the minor premiership, with the Saints looking like the team most likely to put an end to the Crocs’ five-year reign at the top.
Originally published as AFL Cairns: Cutters prepared to fight it out in last roll of the dice
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