AFL Cairns: From Dark Horses to Contenders: Breaking Down the Finals Field
There is no love lost between the Port Douglas Crocs and Cairns City Lions. These two sides have won all of the last eight premierships, which of these rivals will get it done in the do-or-die final.
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It’s an elimination clash that will define the AFL Cairns finals series.
Crocs come into the game with an abundance of premiership pedigree, lifting seven of the last ten premiership cups.
Lions, a dark horse for the premiership, will welcome the Northern Territory brigade into the 23 with former West Coast Eagle Ashton Hams, Jake Twycross, ruckman Liam Read, Jonathan Lanyon, Phillip Wills along with former Brisbane Lions tall Matt Eagle in the line-up.
We could have a shootout on our hands with Matthew Walsh medallist Tyron Rainbird edging out Kye Chapple in the final round of the home and away, with both bagging an incredible 10 goals each.
But let’s not forget about the 2022 grand final, where the Lions thumped the Crocs by 95 points on the very same ground they line up on this Saturday.
All you need to know heading into the clash.
What happened this year:
Round 1 – Lions 7.4 (46) def by Crocs 10.9 (69)
Round 8 – Lions 10.7 (67) def by Crocs 14.10 (94)
Round 15 – Crocs 7.8 (50) def by Lions 8.5 (53)
September Beasts:
Brett McKeown (Crocs)
Will the seven-time premiership winner make it eight?
A competitive beast, McKeown this time last season would’ve been looking at how he can shutdown one of the oppositions star players.
Now, the opposition will be looking at how they can limit his impact.
After spending majority of his career as a tough one-on-one defender, he has seamlessly transitioned into a ball magnet in midfield, covering ground like few players in the competition.
Daniel Charlesworth (Lions)
The leading possession winner at the Lions averaging 27.5 disposals per game, Charlesworth has been a revelation for the Lions since moving back to the Far North to represent his junior club.
An intercept defender for majority of his career, Lions coach Aaron Davey decided to shift Charlesworth on-ball in pre-season and he’s added another dimension to their inside midfield group.
His movement between the arcs combined with his height and agility make him feel like an extra key position forward or backman at times.
Exciting Match-ups:
Harvey Moore v Tyron Rainbird
Harvey Moore was a big loss for the Crocs in their round 16 defeat to the Tigers.
After returning to the side following the Crocs round 17 bye, he will be massive in curtailing the impact of the competitions most dangerous forward this season.
Whether Harvey Moore or Peter Megee get the match-up on Rainbird remains to be seen, but Moore will be a key intercept marking threat, particularly with 200cm Eagles spending more time in the forward line.
Nicholas Johnson v Kye Chapple
After booting 10 goals against the Saints last week and six in last years Grand Final against the Saints.
The 1000-goal sharpshooter rarely misses a set-shot and embraces the big stage.
Lions full-back Nicholas Johnson, who celebrated his 100th game last week, has had an outstanding season since returning from a serious knee injury that kept it out of the 2023 season.
With his size and anticipation, he would seem best suited for the match-up, however captain Sean Connelly may also get the nod.
With Crocs coach Nick Salter and Lee Staple both named in the side, both defenders will be in for a huge night.
Stats that matter:
Crocs lead the competition in clearances by a significant margin with 619 compared to the Lions (fourth) with 484. Crocs also lead the comp in hit outs.
Lions have made the least turnovers in the league (365).
Lions have taken the second most intercept marks in the competition (261), while Crocs sit second last (205).
Both sides have conceded the least turnovers by foot with Lions only making 297, while Crocs have made 309.
Wildcards to Watch:
Lee Staple (Crocs)
Former SANFL premiership player and Crocs assistant coach Lee Staple is a huge in for the Crocs this week.
After missing a significant chunk of the last two seasons, the centre-half forward will accompany Salter and Chapple in an already stacked Crocs forward line.
Matt Eagles (Lions)
After spending more time in the forward line in recent weeks with Lions gun ruckman Read battling hard. Eagles has freed up the marking and scoring burden on Rainbird.
Aaron Davey (Lions)
Will we see Aaron Davey pull on the boots?
The Lions coach is currently listed on the emergencies for the Lions, but he would be a huge inclusion into the Lions backline.
With 178 games to his name at the Demons, ‘Flash’ has only played two senior games this season in round 2 and round 5.
However, he played three of the last four games at development level and is match fit for the rivalry clash.
Endgame specialists:
Liam Brandt
A leading contender for the Crathern Medal, Brandt has been first-class this year and leads the competition in disposals, clearances and is the Crocs number one tackler.
Beau Flint
Celebrating game 100 this weekend, Flint has been a contested beast this season and stood up in the tough games against top three opposition. Expect him to deliver once again.
Where and when:
Crocs v Lions, Saturday at 5:45PM at Cazalys Stadium
North Cairns Tigers v Port Douglas Crocs
After hosting the game of the year earlier this season in an unforgettable Anzac Day clash in round three, Cutters and Tigers will lock horns for the second week straight for a spot in the grand final.
There is an unpredictability about this clash, from previous fixtures, match-ups and interesting team selections.
We break down the blockbuster match.
It’s the Tigers rapid roll of the dice footy against Cutters control and territory.
Tigers dangerous dynamic forward line led by Fitzroy Greenwool (42 goals), Alex Pulling (36 goals) and James Neale (28 goals) will be bolstered by the returns of former player-coach Jason Tom and gun Billy Welch, who will make his long awaited return.
Welch only played the opening three games of the season before injuring his knee, however still managed to boot nine goals.
Player-coach will also return after playing for the Tigers development side last weekend.
Meanwhile, Cutters will be without powerhouse defender Jermaine Wardle after being suspended for a week in the 33-point victory over Tigers last weekend.
Former Gold Coast Sun Bradley Scheer has been named on the emergencies and could be a surprise feature.
It would be a surprise if the team lists both sides released on Thursday evening were the final 23 on Saturday, particularly with Cutters coach Daryn Cresswell expected to have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Cresswell has put together a versatile and hybrid side laced with A-grade stars.
The likes of X-factor forward Damien Hill, former Carlton tall Tom Fields, Tyler Roos, Joseph Ugle, Liam McCarthy, Beau McKeown and Jamie Wells have featured in a variety of roles and positions, swapping in and out quarter-by-quarter, making it tremendously hard to predict and match-up against.
Number One in the competition for disposals, contested possessions, goals, marks and with one loss to their name in 16 games, it’s the Cutters final to lose after a remarkable season.
What happened this year:
Round 3 – Cutters 13.14 (92) – Tigers 13.7 (85)
Round 10 – Cutters 6.14 (50) – Tigers 9.8 (62)
Round 19 – Tigers 7.10 (52) – Cutters 13.7 (85)
Where and when:
Cutters v Tigers, Saturday 3PM at Cazalys Stadium
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Originally published as AFL Cairns: From Dark Horses to Contenders: Breaking Down the Finals Field
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