Crocs prepared with new style for premiership defence

In the highly-anticipated AFL Cairns grand final rematch, the four-time defending premiers will deploy a fresh game style against their bitter rivals South Cairns.

Port Douglas coach Brad Cooper rallies his players at three quarter time in the AFL Cairns men's grand final match between the Port Douglas Crocs and the South Cairns Cutters, played at Cazalys Stadium. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE.

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In the highly anticipated AFL Cairns grand final rematch, the four-time defending premier will deploy a fresh game style against fierce rival South Cairns.

As they have done for the past few years, Port Douglas and the Cutters are setting the pace in the early stages of the 2020 campaign.

They meet for the first time since last year’s decider at Fretwell Park this Saturday.

Colac Under 14 football team train with Collingwood FC. Lochie Rosevear, 9, of Colac, races Leon Davis to the ball.

Multiple premiership coach Brad Cooper has had to shift his game style slightly this year with a taller group that includes Gippsland recruit Ben Morrow, Lochie Rosevear and Christian Koroneos among others coming into their squad.

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“We have changed up a little bit how we are playing this year,” Cooper said.

“Our personnel have changed a bit and we need to best use the skill sets we have, and that is usually the way we have to go about it, depending on recruiting each year.

“We have more talls this year, which we need to tailor our game to. We just need to implement a game plan to complement what we have.”

The Crocs and Cutters clash always has plenty of added spice and aggression.

Port Douglas coach Brad Cooper rallies his players at three quarter time in the AFL Cairns men's grand final match between the Port Douglas Crocs and the South Cairns Cutters, played at Cazalys Stadium. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

“It is always exciting to play South; it is always a tough journey to head down there,” Cooper said.

“We are up against an opposition that’s at the top of the ladder and I was reading the Cairns Post a few months ago and apparently they had 13 new recruits.”

Meanwhile, the Gold Coast Suns’ local Academy is swinging back into action after a coronavirus hiatus.

Suns North Queensland Academy Coordinator John Deitz. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN.

“We will have a couple of programs running from next week for eight weeks: 15s boys and a high-performance squad of older players in male and ­female,” Suns North Queensland Academy co-ordinator John Deitz said.

“It should be good to get them back into it.”

Originally published as Crocs prepared with new style for premiership defence