Comebacks aplenty in local AFL Cairns competition

All the AFL news from around FNQ is in Boundary Riding, including two champions of the game making an unexpected comeback in 2020.

Scott and Oscar Cooper place a wreath on behalf of the Port Douglas Crocs Football Club in Anzac Park.

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All the AFL news from around FNQ is in Boundary Riding, including two champions of the game making an unexpected comeback in 2020.

Those that got down early to Griffiths Park on Saturday morning were able to see a comeback of a dual-sport champion.

Jo Butland made a return for her beloved North Cairns Tigers in their first-up defeat at the hands of Saints.

Gold Coast Suns AFLW player Ellie Hampson, Jo Butland and Poppy Boltz at Ellie's first football competition in Cairns in 2015. Picture: SUPPLIED.

Butland is of course a representative of Australia in AFL and soccer.

AFL Cairns’ online records have Butland last playing in the black and gold back in 2016.

It is not very often you get to see a footballer play in the competition where the best and fairest medal is named after them.

Great to see smiling Jo back out there.

■ WHILE on the subject of comebacks, do not be surprised if Ronnie Burns pulls on the boots this Friday against South Cairns.

The former Geelong and Adelaide goalsneak wanted to have a look at the competition first before making a call and not long after Saturday’s loss to Saints, suggested his 47-year-old body could still handle a game in AFL Cairns.

Burns, now coaching North Cairns, has been speaking to Lions counterpart and fellow Territorian Aaron Davey about the idea for some time and thinks Friday could be the day he gets back out there.

Approaching a half century in age, Burns is still as fit as a fiddle and will snag a goal or two when he does get out there.

North Cairns Tigers mens captain Chris Lee, coach Ronnie Burns and women's captain Tarin Moke. PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN.

> FAST DESERT COWBOY’S SHADES OF BAR ATTACK

■ We need to wish Port Douglas youngster Scott Cooper a speedy recovery following a nasty recent injury.

The Crocs teenager, who is still completing high school, has played a few seniors games over the past few years.

Cooper suffered a bad hand and wrist injury earlier in the pre-season and may be on the sidelines for a little while as they work to get it fixed.

Local Port Douglas boys Travis Gulliver, Brayden Wall, Tom Harvey, Scott Cooper, Andrew MacLeod, Ethan McCullough, Brett McKeown, Jack Dickson, Terry Goodall and Nigel Santarosso. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN.

> GAME IS ON TO BRING PORT’S REIGN TO HALT

■ AFL Cairns made a few national headlines last week following five Crib Point footballers driving 3000km to play in one of the last remaining Football League seasons — in Port Douglas. There was plenty of questions around if they had done their quarantine correctly, or if they would get in before the borders closed, but the five from Crib Point are on track to play soon enough for the Crocs. With the MPNFL season off for 2020, Harry Dekleuver, Jarrod Fisk, Liam O’Connor, Nick Rutherford, Ethan Smith and Joel Wisken jumped at the chance to head off on a football adventure to Far North Queensland. And so, the five Cribby players jumped in two cars and headed north, and after a five-day trek they arrived in sunny Port Douglas last Thursday. They went straight to a resort and into isolation for two weeks.

Originally published as Comebacks aplenty in local AFL Cairns competition