‘Huge loss’: North Cairns Tigers farewell head coach
The North Cairns coach will leave the Tigers after taking the side to their first grand final in 11 years.
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North Cairns coach Sam Hughes will depart the Tigers after taking the side to their first grand final in 11 years.
The father of two made the decision during the season to head back home to Victoria at the end of the year for more family support.
Hughes said it was a tough decision to leave the club, but he believes the club’s foundations are now strong with a bright future ahead.
“Biggest highlight has been being able to help the club from where it once was,” Hughes said.
“Seeing the transformation in the Tigers, it’s not just about winning games of footy and playing in the grand final, but the strong culture we’ve been able to build with people from different walks of life and different backgrounds. It creates an environment where people want to be.”
Sam Hughes arrived at the end of 2022 from Leopold Lions in the Geelong Football League as playing co-coach with close friend Jason Tom before taking over the reins as sole player-coach for the 2024 season.
After guiding the side back to finals in 2023 after a dreadful few seasons, Tigers played their first grand final in 11 years after a 19-point thrilling victory against Cairns City Lions in the Preliminary Final.
Despite a tough 31-point final day loss to a powerhouse Cutters side led by former Sydney Swan Daryn Cresswell, it was nonetheless a strong season for the team that finished second with 12 wins and four losses.
“My coaching is very relationship based and the experience up here has been a lot different to back home (in Victoria),” he said.
“It can be cutthroat (down South), it’s either jump on the train or get left behind. It was a different tact for me up here, it was more of a focus on what I can do to get players on board. Making sure players are in a (positive) headspace, they get to training. Relationships became a priority for me.”
The half-back said Jason Tom did a power of work for the club along with fellow North Cairns coaches Marcus McGregor-Cassady, Braden Barber and club stalwart Travis Thorne.
“We were all like-minded people that wanted the same thing for the footy club.” Hughes said.
Tigers captain Darcy Keast said Hughes had a huge impact over the past two seasons.
“The playing group and supporters absolutely love him and he’s going to be sorely missed,” Keast said.
“He’s been huge, with what he has implemented, it leaves the club in a really strong position to move forward. The leadership structure is clear on the direction of where we want the club to go and he’s left the club in a much better place than what it was when he got to (Cairns).”
On the field, the former Geelong Falcon who played in the VFL brought a rapid transitional style of plan with an exciting forward line and rigid defence.
Vice-captain Dan Jackson will also depart the club, along with gun forward James Neale.
North Cairns president Greg Applin said there was no way the Tigers would be the team they are in 2024 without Sam Hughes
“Sam truly led by example,” Applin said.
“His passion and the work ethic that he bought to our club was highly contagious among (everyone) and this has paid a bit part in our current success on and off the field. It wasn’t unusual to see Sam down at the club on a Saturday morning with his son Bowie mowing in front of the clubhouse or late on a Monday afternoon reviewing game footage. There is no stopping his dedication to helping the club.
“He really will be sorely missed by all and hopefully that miserable weather in Vic does its thing and, fingers and toes crossed, Sam and his family miss our great FNQ climate and the green grass growing way too fast and he longs to return to Tigerland to mow that little patch in front of the coaches office.”
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Originally published as ‘Huge loss’: North Cairns Tigers farewell head coach
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