Eagles ready to fly following border opening

Junior AFL Cairns club Cape York Eagles are hopeful of fielding all four of their teams in the upcoming season.

AFL Cape York Eagles and Garbutt Bombers.

• Racing Queensland must fix “imbalance” in FNQ as full calendar revealed
• Fourth CDRL clubs pushing to take the field in 2020
• Taipans recruit King brings enthusiasm to new challenge at Cairns
• Taipans coach confident Snakes will start season in Cairns

Junior AFL Cairns club Cape York Eagles are hopeful of fielding all four of their teams in the upcoming season.

The Eagles, made up mostly of students at the two AFL Cape York Houses and some Cairns-based footballers, have been as displaced as any over the past few months, with the majority of players heading home to the Torres Strait Islands among other northern communities.

The Eagles had originally planned at the start of season to have four teams in the local competition, boys colts, under-16 boys, under-18 girls and under-15 girls, and are hopeful that can continue.

“Now that the borders are open, our kids can travel between the communities and Cairns, we would like to think all the kids start coming back by the start of term three,” AFL Cape York House manager Rick Hanlon said.

“We are going to try and have an involvement as much as we can, as limited as it may be.”

Hanlon said 20 per cent of students are in Cairns now, with the rest to come back from their original homes over the next few weeks.

Cape York Eagles Kristal Harold and Satrina Mooka during training. PICTURE: ANNA ROGERS.

The Eagles may have a bye in the first week of the resumed competition next month but should have the majority of the squads back from then onwards.

Hanlon and everyone at AFL Cape York House have been smiling over the last week after the NQ Cowboys handed teenage speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, a former student, an NRL debut against the Warriors last Friday night.

Meanwhile, after a meeting between AFL Cairns and club delegates the decision has been made to start the Senior, Reserves and Women’s 2020 AFL Cairns Season on the weekend 10th of July.

This coincides with the Queensland Governments road to recovery stage three restrictions lifting.

The Junior competition will also start on the weekend of the 10th or 17th of July, with a fixture due out one week before start date.

Originally published as Eagles ready to fly following border opening