AFL Cairns Grand Final: Lions break drought as footy fairytale comes true
The Cairns City Lions’ fairytale is complete after winning the club’s first premiership in 38 years, defeating Cairns Saints in the 2021 AFL Cairns grand final.
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They stuck it to ‘em.
Thirty-eight years of pain was buried by two hours of football ecstasy to cap one of the best finals runs AFL Cairns has ever seen.
Cairns City's third flag – and first since adopting the ‘Lions’ moniker in 2011 – was delivered from fourth on the ladder, via three gritty finals performances and an immeasurable amount of desire, tenacity and togetherness.
That spirit shone brighter than ever in a grand final that shocked with its brutality and thrilled with its energy – all roared on by a crowd of more than 3000, predominantly favouring the underdog Lions, at Cazalys Stadium.
There was barely a dry eye in the house as Cairns City claimed its first premiership since 1983, a triumph countless long-suffering past players and supporters had waited almost four decades for.
Such a fairytale seemed just that only a few weeks ago, as an out-of-form Lions strived to become the first club to win the flag from fourth position at the end of the home-and-away season.
The Lions’ grand final victory on Saturday was their third finals win in succession and ended the longest-running premiership drought, with North Cairns taking over the unwanted mantle.
Led by player-coach and former Melbourne Demons star Aaron “Flash” Davey, the Lions absorbed everything the battle-hardened Cairns Saints could throw at them in a frantic final quarter – which was not without drama – to hold on for the historic win.
The final siren didn’t just confirm a full-time score of 15.12 (102) to 14.7 (91), it unplugged an outpouring of emotion for the once embattled club that only four years ago was fighting for its life.
“It’s a bit of a surreal feeling, I’m still trying to take it all in, I reckon it’ll probably hit me after a few beers tonight,” Davey said.
“I’m just extremely proud of these boys and to be a part of this footy club.
“I don’t want to bang on too much about the past but there’s been testing times, but it’s amazing what that little red thing can do.
“It brings us together from all walks of life.
“Thirty-eight years in the making – that’s a very long time, I was three months old. I’m just absolutely proud.”
The two sides traded goals in a seesawing opening quarter, before Cairns City started to dominate possession midway through the second term.
The Lions sliced the Saints apart with their precise ball movement off half back and through the midfield to kick the last four goals of the first half, opening up a 14-point lead at the main break.
They extended their lead to 21 points at three-quarter time before the intensity went to another level in a final stanza that had everything – including a power outage.
Lions midfielder and Howard Kennedy medallist Beau Flint drilled a set shot midway through the fourth quarter to make it a 27-point game.
Saints’ livewire forward Adam Gross responded immediately, kicking two goals in as many minutes to set up a grandstand finish, but just as the Saints seemed to be gaining the momentum a blackout plunged Cazalys Stadium into complete darkness.
The power outage, caused by a vehicle crash on Mulgrave Rd, stopped the game for about 10 minutes before it could resume on the stadium’s back-up power supply.
Saints’ player-coach Wes Glass made it three in a row soon after play resumed to get his side within two goals with just over five minutes to go.
But the Lions were not going to let this one slip away, with their defensive positioning and pressure late in the game putting the icing on their long-awaited cake.
“You probably couldn’t ask for a more dramatic ending, with how the lights went out, but we stayed composed and … held on for a gutsy win,” Davey said.
In a Lions side littered with former AFL-listed talent, including Jake Long, Eddie Sansbury, Gach Nyuon and Davey, it was one of the youngest players that stole the show on the night, in Joshrayahn Tilmouth.
The 18-year-old excitement machine was at his electric best up forward, booting four majors, including two spectacular checkside snaps.
Davey said his goal late in the second quarter was “one of the best I’ve seen up here”.
“The conditions as well, tough breeze down that end, running away – it was like a Daicos air goal,” he said.
“Then the other snap – you can’t teach that stuff.
“He’s seriously been the X-factor the last three weeks, just an all-round ripper.”
Davey said it had been a tough week for Tilmouth, following a family tragedy.
He praised Tilmouth’s courage to take the field under painful circumstances.
“His commitment to not go back home (to Alice Springs) in the school holidays speaks volumes, but he also had some sad news that he lost his grandmother last Sunday,” he said.
The Lions were near certainties to finish fifth with three rounds to go, before a Covid scare in the Far North in August forced the cancellation of round 17 and turned the competition on its head.
It meant two crucial games with finals implications were eliminated from the calendar, breathing new life into the Lions’ campaign.
And while it only gave them an inch, they made sure to take a mile.
“The last five week’s Covid’s been an unfortunate thing in our country but it was a blessing for us,” he said.
“It gave us that second chance and we made the most of it and finished off strongly.
“We’re premiers now – what can you say?”
In a cruel twist for the Saints, the Lions’ finals fate was in their hands in the final round, with their win against the Cutters ensuring Cairns City would finish fourth.
Peterson shows growth in scintillating grand final display
Dynamic Saints midfielder Akayla Peterson will head back to Melbourne later this year with another shiny medal around her neck.
Peterson backed up her best-on-ground performance in last year’s AFL Cairns Women’s grand final with another dominant display against the Manunda Hawks on Saturday to take out the award in consecutive seasons.
The 26-year-old, who co-captained the Saints to the flag 12 months ago, relocated to Melbourne at the start of the year to take up an opportunity with Carlton in the VFLW.
Peterson played 10 games for the Blues this season and showed how much she had learned during her stint with the club in Saturday’s AFL Cairns grand final.
She offered plenty of forward drive, running all day and causing headaches for the opposition with her speed, and could even be seen contesting the ruck at times.
Peterson returned to Cairns midway through the AFL Cairns season and played nine games for the Saints, including two finals.
“That was my plan to begin with and it was really good to come back and implement all the things I learnt in Victoria but wasn’t really confident to do,” she said.
“Coming back here and playing with the girls, they’re a great bunch and are very supportive as well.”
Coach Chris Novy said Peterson had improved from her time in the VFLW and her influence in Saturday’s grand final was “massive”.
“She works a lot on her fitness and it shows on game day because she just runs and runs,” he said.
“Every time she gets the ball it’s from running.”
Peterson is eyeing a return to Victoria in the coming months and hopes to take another step towards her AFLW dream as a train-on player with Richmond.
Cairns Saints march to back-to-back AFL Cairns flags
Cairns Saints have capped off a perfect undefeated season by securing back-to-back premierships with a dominant 38-point grand final win against Manunda Hawks.
The defending champions were just too good in the 8.5 (53) to 2.3 (15) victory at Cazalys Stadium on Saturday, to finish the season with a 17-0 record and extend their winning streak to 21 games.
Coach Chris Novy said this year’s premiership triumph required more commitment from the playing group and, as a result, he believed it was more impressive than the last.
“The season went for a lot longer this year, whereas last year there weren’t as many games and it was really hard to get into it in a sustainable kind of way, with a big break between the pre-season and actually playing games,” he said.
“This year we had the season all in one hit, so it’s been a super long year for everyone, and I think everyone in the competition’s probably felt that at times.
“So to be able to sustain the quality of football that they’ve played since the first round is a super achievement.”
Poppy Boltz and Courtney Jones were key contributors for the Saints, while Tiarna Ahwang provided plenty of run and carry on the wing.
Akayla Peterson, who picked up best on ground honours, was at her brilliant best, popping up all over the park and taking the game on at will.
Captain Freya Reilly was solid down back, while Kate Fowles and Iadakul Bowie also impressed as the Saints spread the scoring load with seven individual goalkickers.
However, the 2021 season’s leading goalkicker Millie Stephen was not one of them, after she took on a different role in the grand final.
“We pushed Millie up the ground a lot,” Novy said.
“She played a lot in the backline and through the midfield, but to be able to play her behind the ball and around the contest with her smarts was a real bonus and helped to open up our forward line.”
The rise of the Cairns City Lions
The Cairns City Lions are on the verge of something special.
Four years ago, the AFL Cairns club was teetering on the brink of survival following a mass player exodus, but on Saturday, it plays its first grand final in 27 years.
The dark days have outweighed the positive ones at Holloways Beach Sporting Complex since Cairns City adopted the ‘Lions’ moniker a decade ago, when Cairns City’s Cobras, in need of juniors, and Redlynch Lions, in need of a seniors, merged.
Cairns City Lions’ struggles in their early years were no secret – they failed to win a game in their inaugural campaign, and went on to win just four games over the next two seasons.
They found their competitive edge in 2014, winning six games in what was the first of three straight seasons of fifth-placed finishes for the club.
But just as the Lions were beginning to find some consistency on the field – and kicking goals off it, including wiping away about $100,000 in debt and owning and running the sports club at Holloways Beach – things took a turn for the worse.
It started when the club held crisis meetings after sacking player-coach Aaron McNab just weeks out from the 2017 season, following a mass player walkout to rival clubs and poor numbers at pre-season training.
Cairns City Lions could only field one side that year, dropping out of the reserves competition, and were in a constant battle to put 22 players on the park each week as 200-point drubbings became the norm.
There were concerns whether the Lions would even make it through the 2017 season at times, the situation was so dire at Holloways Beach.
And if it wasn’t for Cairns City stalwart Robbie Taranto, who returned to help spearhead the Lions’ revival alongside outgoing president Wayne Keygan, the club might have fallen by the wayside completely.
“It was looking pretty touch and go for a while there,” Taranto said.
“We only had one team and basically had to get as many players and people to put on the jumper as we could, it was pretty tough.
“We had 15-year-olds and we had 55-year-olds playing; everyone put on a jumper to try and save the club.”
It was later that year the Lions recruited former Melbourne Demons star Aaron “Flash” Davey to lead the club for the next two seasons – a move which has had as massive impact on the Lions’ growth, with Davey about to finish a fourth season at the helm.
In his first interview with the Cairns Post in 2017, Davey was asked how he would deal with the tag of Cairns City Lions’ “saviour”.
“I do not know about saviour but there will be a fair bit of pressure,” he said in September 2017.
“I am here to try and help the club get back to where it wants to be.”
At the time, Taranto said he hoped Davey’s recruitment would prove a turning point in the club’s history.
“If we can look back on this moment in 10 years’ time and say we changed the club around with this move, that is the aim,” Taranto said in September 2017.
While it didn’t take as long as Taranto first expected, Davey has made good on his promise four years later.
“When Flash got up here, we started to get some quality people around the club and really change the culture, that was our main goal,” Taranto said.
“We actually had a list up on the board at the club, which I think got rubbed off at the start of this year, but it said we wanted to play finals in 2020 – and we played in 2019 and 2020 – and we wanted to play in a grand final in 2021.
“It was very ambitious but the plan’s worked, I guess.”
Taranto said Saturday’s grand final appearance would be a special moment for the club’s faithful.
“That was one of the messages we gave to the boys,” he said.
“They’re not only representing themselves, but anybody that’s put on a jumper or supported the club during the tough times.
“There was a few tears shed over the last week, just with where we’ve come from and how much it means to those people that did it hard.”
The Lions will be out to break a 38-year premiership drought on Saturday, with the last time a Cairns City side won the flag back in 1983, when the club, then known as City United, claimed back-to-back titles in what remains its only two premierships.
Current president Shane Law, who took over from Taranto in 2019, said a return to the grand final was an exciting prospect for the club.
“It’s something that we’ve been working very hard at, especially since Aaron turned up, and it’s great we’ve been able to get there,” he said.
Law thanked Davey for his commitment to the club, saying he did not need much persuading to stay at the club after his initial two-year deal.
“Aaron’s a very loyal character,” Law said.
“I do know he’s received offers from other clubs in the league and he’s stood firm with us and has said Cairns City Lions is his family club, just like Palmerston is his family club back in Darwin.
“He’s had a history of being involved with clubs that have struggled for success, even at the highest level.”
Law, who moved to Cairns in 2015, said a win on Saturday would be for anyone who had been involved in the club since it was first established as City United in 1969.
“There’s a lot of people that have been involved in the club a lot longer than me that it means a hell of a lot to, that have been through long periods of tough times,” he said.
“I also want to make mention of the people that stuck by the club in 2017 and ensured it continued.
“If they didn’t do what they did, we not only probably wouldn’t be where we are today, we wouldn’t exist at all.
“They kept the club going and enabled us to come along and get it to where it is today.”
He said a highlight of this weekend was the number of players from the club’s tumultuous 2017 season that had lined up this season, including Liam Woodcock-Nowlan, Brandon Lovell, Jay Frankland, Mitchell Hunter, Brenden Deslandes, Sam and Tom Lindenmayer, and Nicholas and Patrick Johnson.
“Some people look at our top-level recruits that we get from elsewhere and seem to forget that we have 10 blokes that have come through our junior program at any time,” Law said.
“What Aaron’s done with those guys to not only improve their football but to get them to embrace what being a successful footballer entails has just been fantastic.”
Davey was only three months old when the club won its last flag in 1983, and 11 when it last made the grand final in 1994.
“I would have been up in Darwin with my brother Alwyn and my cousins kicking a footy – or Coke bottles, stubby coolers, anything that was shaped like a footy,” Davey said.
He said playing in the club’s first grand final in almost three decades was about more than the 22 players on the field.
“It’s not about us, it’s about everyone that can’t be out there – players, officials, support staff, our ressies, women’s, juniors, our supporters – we’re on this journey together.”
Top AFL prospects to watch in this weekend’s footy grand finals
Cazalys Stadium will play host three epic AFL Cairns grand finals on Saturday.
The Cairns Saints and Manunda Hawks will play in the women’s final at 12.15pm.
The Saints reserves will do battle with the South Cairns Cutters at 2.15pm.
And to cap off the day, the Saints senior men’s will clash with the Cairns City Lions at 5pm.
Each match will feature plenty of young talent for the eyes of AFL scouts to observe, here are a few rising stars to keep an eye on.
Cairns Saints
Noah Cockerell – fullback
Cockerell has been given more game time as the Saints’ season has progressed, and the 16-year-old has gone from strength to strength.
At such a young age, the Suns Academy product is hitting his stride at the right time with the draft well and truly on the cards for the young buck.
Jessica Frape – back/forward
Able to play both ends of the oval, Frape’s passion for footy knows no bounds.
After Saturday’s grand final, Frape will journey with the Gold Coast under-17 representative team to face Brisbane the following Wednesday.
Lara Van Dorssen – midfielder
Alyssa Gall – back
Both Gall and Van Dorssen have made their move into senior footy with relative ease, showing plenty of promise during the Saints’ stellar season.
The 16-year-olds have proven their worth in their respective positions, and expect no different from them as they continue to develop their young careers on the big stage.
Poppy Boltz – midfielder
Tiarna Ahwang – forward
Boltz and Ahwang might have left their younger years behind them, but that hasn’t stopped either of them from bolstering their professional portfolios immensely this season.
Boltz racked in the accolades – coaches MVP, Jo Butland Medalist and captain of the team of the year.
Ahwang returned from her stint with the Gold Coast footy with a vengeance, proving a reliable piece for her team inside 50.
Cairns City Lions
Branden Deslandes – halfback
Gold Coast prospect Deslandes has returned from the south bigger and better for the Lions this season.
His battling efforts in the back this season have earnt him a spot on the team of the year.
Thomas Lindenmayer – midfielder
Beau Flint – midfielder
Both Lindenmayer and Flint have also proven to be speed demons in the centre for their young side.
Lindenmayer added 25 goals to his efforts for the season, with Flint’s eagerness in the ruck a sure point of reference for scouts.
Robert Turnbull – midfield
A representative of the North Queensland team, Turnbull adds another vaunted piece to the Lions’ efficient midfield and displays many traits sought in professional football.
The runner notched 26 goals for the Lions in 2021, finished third overall on the Crathern leaderboard with 16 votes and second in the coaches MVP with 68 votes.
Joshrayahn Tilmouth – full forward
The young gun at the forward line for Lions, Tilmouth has shown he’s got the right stuff in the chances he’s been given.
This included an impressive three-goal finals outing against the Port Douglas Crocs.
Manunda Hawks
Jennifer Wren – midfielder
Of a mature Hawks side, Wren demonstrates the horizon is bright for the club with her stellar play in and around the ruck and centre.
Wren was named to the seniors team of the year as well as women’s rising star, making her grand final appearance hopefully one to watch from a scouts point of view.
Jennifer Jackson – forward pocket
Jackson has missed a couple of weeks with an injury, but should she suit up for this weekend, watch out.
The 18-year-old has helped generate plenty of scoring opportunities for her team inside 50, and will be a youthful boost to her side in the final.
Who do you think will be the winners of tomorrow’s grand finals? LET US KNOW in the comments below!
Saints do it for Joey: ‘He would’ve been there’
THE jumper of one of Cairns Saints most-loved members is one of the last things every player will see and touch as they leave the Cazalys Stadium changerooms at Saturday’s AFL Cairns grand finals.
Joey Kearsley was a dedicated player, coach, team manager and volunteer in his years at Griffiths Park, an outstanding person who touched thousands of lives.
The popular youngster and Gold Coast Suns Academy member was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive and very rare tumour located in the sinus area, following the 2019 AFL Cairns season.
He passed away earlier this year after a tough 20-month battle, with hundreds of people decked out in the red, white and black of his beloved Saints turning out at Cazalys Stadium to say a their final farewell in June.
On Saturday, at that same venue, the club Kearsley held so dear will strive to make history as possibly the first team to win all three senior grand finals in one year.
Kearsley has been there every step of the way.
Saints president Craig Hards revealed Kearsley’s jumper sat above the door in the changeroom, and, on the whiteboard, is a message written by senior men’s coach Wes Glass, reminding players of what Kearsley means to the extended Saints family.
Hards has little doubt Kearsley would have been out there on the field this grand final day.
“His jumper is there at every game. We had it at Griffiths Park, and for the major semi final we moved it to Cazalys,” Hards said.
“It’s above the door of the changerooms as the players walk out, we acknowledge it before very game.
“Mandy (Joey’s mum) has been unbelievable throughout, and we are naming the rising star or first year player award in his memory.
“It’s been a driving force for us.
“(After Joey’s death), we took a step back. It shocked a lot of people, and it put a lot of things in perspective for a lot of people. He would've been out there this weekend, I’ve got no doubt.”
Saints are the most successful club in AFL Cairns having won 13 premierships, including an impressive run of six premiership flags in eight years from 2008 to 2015.
But not since 2013, when North Cairns did it, has a club had a team qualify for all three senior grand finals.
Manunda Hawks did the same in 2011, but neither team was able to sweep all three deciders in the same year.
Saints have a very good chance of breaking through.
The senior men’s team romped to victory in the qualifying final and have shown, especially in recent time, their ability to raise the bar when the stakes are high.
They claimed the minor premiership, earned a thumping win against the five-time defending champion Port Douglas Crocs to qualify for the decider, and have beaten Cairns City Lions twice in their three games this year.
Under Glass’s leadership, the team has become arguably the most lethal in the AFL Cairns competition despite not once running with a full-strength lineup – which they may finally do on Saturday.
Hards and the committee have watched in awe as Glass and his fellow coaches have transformed the club into a powerhouse.
“Wes has been unbelievable,” Hards said.
“He’s at the club five or six days a week, running water or looking after juniors. He expects respect, and the guys all work hard for him.
“He puts in a lot of work. Other clubs have football managers; Wes is exactly like a football manager on top of his coaching.”
That culture, and success, has had a flow-on effect to the reserves, with bumper player numbers ensuring they field a quality side most weeks.
The reserve grade side finished second, just two points (one draw) ahead of grand final opponents South Cairns on the ladder, and, like their senior clubmates, won two of the three games played between the two clubs.
The women’s team have proved near untouchable in their pursuit of greatness.
The 2020 champions went through the regular season undefeated, kicking more than 1000 points – and 400 more points than the next best attacking team – finishing with a phenomenal percentage of 628.07.
Grand final opponents Manunda Hawks got closer to ending Saints’ winning run than any other team in Round 7, when the red, white and black prevailed by a point, but, for the most part, it has been one way traffic.
Coach Chris Novy, who along with Glass won the respective AFL Cairns’ coach of the year awards, has developed a culture of success based on high standards.
When Saints had the minor premiership in the bag weeks out from the finals, Novy still spoke of how the side was striving to play at the standard they demand of themselves week in, week out.
It’s why Saints have fast become a benchmark for women’s footy, the team to beat in the past two seasons – and could very well maintain that reputation in the future given their success in juniors.
“Chris has done an amazing job with the girls, but it’s the improvement over the three years,” Hards said.
“You just have to listen to him when he’s done on knee and talking to the team.
“It was our first year in the U18 girls and we managed to win that, and our 15s are coming together nicely.”
And as the red, white and black line up for the shot at a historic AFL Cairns grand final treble, you can’t help but feel Kearsley will be right there with them in the fight.
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
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Originally published as AFL Cairns Grand Final: Lions break drought as footy fairytale comes true
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