New Croc right up with elite recruits

THE list of quality midfielders from country Victoria who have landed in Port Douglas over the journey is a lengthy one.

Current Croc Matthew Medcraft (pictured) might just push himself near the top echelon of their southern recruits over the past few years if his first six games in AFL Cairns are a decent form line.

Medcraft, from the Sunbury Lions in the Ballarat Football League, is a ball of muscle, runs all afternoon and was one of the Crocs standouts in their victory over South Cairns.

The best and fairest winner at Sunbury said he has worked closely with another former tough inside midfielder, Crocs coach Brad Cooper, since he landed in the Far North.

“He does a lot of work behind the scenes with every player really,” Medcraft said.

“He tells you how it is, too. If you need to get fitter, he will tell you. I respect that and he has really helped me fit in to the competition.

“It is a big difference to the style of footy back home last year.

“The biggest change from Victoria to here is that everyone in Cairns can tackle hard, it must be the rugby background up here.”

Cooper expects Medcraft’s performances to just get better as 2017 goes on.

“He has been pretty solid every game,” Cooper said.

“He has played a good standard of footy in Victoria, he was good against good opposition in South Cairns.

“He is playing the same position as he did in Victoria, but he is playing it differently, because that is the way we do it.

“He should grow into that more and more. The bigger grounds should suit him.”