AFL Cairns: Cairns City Lions out to create own piece of history
One of the great premiership runs in FNQ sporting history has come to an end. For the first time in half a decade the Port Douglas Crocs will not be crowned AFL Cairns champions.
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ONE of the Far North’s greatest sporting dynasties has come to an end.
For the first time in half a decade the Port Douglas Crocs will not be crowned AFL Cairns champions, after the five-time defending premiers fell to a spirited Cairns City Lions outfit who made history in the preliminary final at Cazalys Stadium.
Cairns City stunned the Crocs to book the club’s first grand final appearance since it adopted the ‘Lions’ moniker in 2011, when Cairns City’s Cobras merged with Redlynch Lions Juniors.
It will be the first time in 27 years that a Cairns City side has played in the grand final, with Cairns City’s Cobras finishing runners-up in 1994.
The Lions will be out to break a 38-year premiership drought on Saturday, with a Cairns City side last winning the premiership in 1983, when the club, then known as City United, claimed back-to-back titles in what remains its only two premierships.
To put it in perspective, Cairns City player-coach Aaron ‘Flash’ Davey was about three months old when the club won its last flag.
The former Melbourne Demons star was in the thick of the emotion after the full-time siren on Saturday night.
“I’m just trying to take it all in and trying to come to terms with what actually happened,” he said.
“It’s sunken in but it hasn’t fully sunken in.
“I’m just super proud of the boys and the club and what we’ve been able to achieve.
“Myself and (club president Shane Law) took over a few years ago and the club was on its knees, and to have all these young boys come in and buy in, we’ve got a bond there and a brotherhood there that is unbreakable.
“We haven’t fluked this opportunity; we’ve worked hard and we’ve got that belief now.
“We know the importance of going out there and playing for this jumper, but also the history that comes with it, and now we’re on our own path to create our own piece of history.”
Davey said beating Port Douglas to make the grand final was a “bittersweet” feeling, and paid tribute to Crocs coach Brad Cooper.
“Coops has been amazing for myself in particular; great guidance coming up here from Melbourne and the most successful coach in the history of AFL Cairns. They’ve been like our big brother club,” he said.
“But I reckon if there was a team that Coops would have wanted to be in there instead of them, he’d give us his blessing.”
The Lions kicked six first-quarter goals to roar out to a 33-point lead, before the Crocs booted the last four majors of the second stanza to get back within 13 at halftime.
Port Douglas made it five in a row when Chapple, the season’s leading goalkicker, slotted his second of the night early in the third quarter.
But the Crocs would kick just one goal to the Lions’ six for the rest of the term, as Cairns City dominated possession and were able to hit the scoreboard to open a 37-point lead at the final break.
The Lions were never threatened in the final term as they went on to win by five goals and book their spot in the 2021 AFL Cairns grand final against Cairns Saints.
Robert Turnbull and Eddie Sansbury booted four goals each for the Lions, while rising star Joshrayahn Tilmouth kicked three majors in the 16.13 (109) to 11.10 (76) win.
Cairns City’s Jake Long and Liam Maiden also kicked multiple goals.
Crocs’ Brad Kilty booted three goals, including two crucial majors in the second term, while Lee Staple and skipper Kye Chapple kicked a pair each.
Manunda Hawks soar in to grand final
Manunda Hawks produced one of the great comebacks to topple Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs in the AFL Cairns Women’s preliminary final and book their place in Saturday’s big dance.
The Hawks barely troubled the scorers in the first half of their Cazalys Stadium contest on Saturday, kicking only four behinds to trail the well-drilled Bulldogs by 11 points at the main break.
It was always going to be a hard-fought encounter between two teams well-regarded for their defence, and it proved to be the case as the clash wore on.
The Hawks found their kicking boots in the last term, restricting the Bulldogs to two behinds. Manunda piled on 13 points, and when Zoe Bartolo kicked her major it gave the Hawks a one-point lead, which they held and turned into an emotional win.
The Hawks will face the undefeated Cairns Saints, who won the premiership in the shortened 2020 season, in the decider on Saturday.
Lions’ historic postseason success has them roaring into Crocs bout
The Cairns City Lions have already made history just by making the AFL Cairns post-season, but now the boys from Holloways Beach are eyeing the major prize as they prepare to face the five-time defending champions in the preliminary final.
The Lions won their first finals match in 21 years, but captain Brodie Deverell warned his side would equal their ferocity when they face a Port Douglas outfit smarting since a 22.18 (150) to 14.8 (92) hiding at the hands of Cairns Saints.
But it’s more than what’s happened on the field.
Deverell, the captain of two seasons, attributed the club’s turnaround to the work club president Shane Law and coach Aaron ‘Flash’ Davey had put in since joining up four years ago.
The Lions were routinely thrashed before former Melbourne Demons player Davey took the helm.
“What he’s done, with Shane behind the scenes as well, has been significant for the club and the direction it’s going in,” Deverell said.
“In my first year, we made our first finals for a while and lost by about a goal. Next year we lost by about two points.
“So on the weekend it was good to be able to get over the line after being so close in the past two years.”
The Lions’ history-making finals triumph came in the form of a 9.13 (67) to 7.11 (53) win against the Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs.
Deverell said the win itself was great, but it was the joy it brought members of the club - who had endured decades without postseason success - that made it special.
“I reckon it’s meant a lot to them, especially those who have been there for the hard periods,” he said.
“It’s good that we as players, and other people who’ve come into the club, have been able to get that success.
“It just means the most. Being around the club, there are hard times; when you put in a lot of work, time and effort it’s good to see success from for those people.”
As for Saturday’s win-or-go-home clash, Deverell said the side was peaking at the right time.
“I reckon with us, we’ve got a very good team that’s gelling well over the last month,” he said.
“We’ve just got to have that belief that if we play our best footy, we’re going to beat teams.”
“We’re probably going in a bit as underdogs given their experience in finals footy, but knowing what we can achieve, we’re going in with a good fight on our hands.”
Port Douglas Crocs ‘raring’ for ‘redemption’ in plight for sixth flag
PORT Douglas Crocs coach Brad Cooper isn’t letting a 58-point thumping from the Cairns Saints get in the way of the side’s goal of making - and potentially winning - its sixth grand final in a row.
The Crocs were undone by the Saints 22.18 (150) to 14.8 (92) at Cazalys in the qualifying final, with Cooper saying his team was outmatched in a number of areas.
“We were outgunned, we didn’t take our opportunities with the ball when we had it,” Cooper said.
Port Douglas has won the past five grand finals, building a reputation as arguably the best in regional Queensland.
The Crocs will need to stave off a feisty Cairns City Lions, who last week won their first finals game in 21 years, for a shot at keeping that flag streak alive. With only eight players remaining from the Crocs’ 2020 triumph, Cooper said his squad wasn’t looking to its past as it stares down elimination.
“We reviewed game videos, picked out the areas where we were pretty poor, which was a few,” he said. “The boys are raring to go, get out there and redeem themselves.”
They face off for a spot in the grand final at Cazalys Stadium on Saturday. First bounce is at 5pm.
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