Cairns’ sporting gossip: Geelong eyes FNQ hub
Inside Pass has all the Far North’s sporting gossip and chat, including a former Collingwood footballer makes his way back to Cairns.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Leading jockey fights charges over beaten favourite
- FNQ horse trainer earns record breaking season
- Cowboys great endorses ‘calm’ interim coach Hannay
- AFL Cairns clears champion Crocs over cap concerns
Inside Pass has all the Far North’s sporting gossip and chat, including a former Collingwood footballer makes his way back to Cairns.
BOB REVEALS THE DEAL
It was interesting to see Cairns Regional Council put an actual figure on their investment into the Taipans last month.
Mayor Bob Manning was asked about the amount of cash they gave the NBL team in late 2018 when their last deal was revealed, but he did not want to divulge the number at that time.
Last month, it was endorsed at a local council meeting, guaranteeing a $250,000 injection to the Taipans’ coffers over the next two years.
Sponsorship will lapse in July 2022 unless another agreement has been struck by that time.
The figure has never been hidden before, it has been able to be found if you searched for it, but for the council to release it generally, was interesting.
RIDING UPS AND DOWNS
There are certainly ups and downs in the horse racing game, just ask Cairns bookmakers and owners Chris and Brian Jorgensen.
The Jorgensen’s have been on a hot streak with their horses of late with Inquiry winning a Listed race in Brisbane, and Derulo remains undefeated in FNQ.
But, they have also had a few mishaps that have abruptly ended careers of promising horses. Gelding Jeux, a winner at Townsville in April, copped a snake bite not long ago while Happy Hooves, who transferred north from Tony Gollan, recently broke down.
BEERS, PIZZA WINS THE RACE
Remember the horse that likes pizza and beers that won the Doncaster down in Sydney back in April?
It feels like a lifetime ago just before coronavirus shut down the world.
But, the trainer of Nettoyer, who shocked many to win the big Group 1 at massive odds, Wendy Roche actually cut her teeth in the racing game in FNQ.
Roche was based in the north and spent time on the Tablelands and in Cairns a couple of decades ago.
Roche was all over the headlines in April when she declared Nettoyer ate pizza and drank beers as part of her preparation.
CATS ON WAY?
The AFL is still a little way off deciding which clubs are coming to FNQ but early indications point to Geelong.
Inside Pass hears that Cats officials have been ringing local gyms to try and find a place to work out, if they were to come to Cairns.
A Geelong official said they were ringing around in Cairns and several other Queensland cities as there is little certainty around where they could head next.
JERVIS IN OFF-COURT DRAMA
Former Taipans centre Tom Jervis has surfaced in the news once again despite retiring from the NBL a year or so ago.
Who could forget how Jervis signed with the FNQ club for two seasons before quickly retiring a few months later, allowing Cairns to bring back fan favourite Nate Jawai in his place.
It was reported earlier this month that alleged fake au pair Samantha Azzopardi is challenging accusations she defrauded families by lying about her identity.
The 31-year-old Victorian woman is facing 55 charges including child stealing.
It’s alleged she posed as a qualified au pair named Harper Hernandez, dishonestly obtaining $6500 in wages over six months.
Six witnesses are due to give evidence in the March hearing, including former short-term Snake Jervis, who employed Azzopardi between December 2018 and June 2019.
MAGPIE HOPEFUL BACK IN NEST
It is not quite the black and white stripes of Collingwood but AFL Cairns club Saints are glad to have Riley Clarke back in season 2020, even if it is for just a few months.
Clarke, who came through the Cairns Taipans Academy and got some nibbles from USA colleges about his basketball prospects, went through the Bendigo Pioneers program in the TAC Cup.
And, in 2020, was set to have a crack with the Magpies’ VFL side.
That was the plan, at least, before coronavirus shut everything down in Victoria.
The athletic forward, who can also have a run on the ball, is back at the club his old man and uncle helped create a few decades ago, down at Griffiths Park.
“It is a credit to the club, you always want those young talented kids going off to try and play at a higher level, and then one day they may come back,” Saints playing-coach Wes Glass said of Clarke’s return to the club.
“It was his first game in against Manunda, we wanted to run him into the ground, really blow him up and then settle on how we want him to play and where in our side in the next few weeks.”
Clarke will play on a permit back to Saints this year and aim to have another crack at arguably the biggest sporting club in Australia in 2021.
Originally published as Cairns’ sporting gossip: Geelong eyes FNQ hub