Brothers await joint debut
The Newman brothers will need to wait until North Queensland selection comes around again in 2019 to finally play a game together. Cairns Saints midfielder Joel Newman (above), originally from Townsville, and Max Newman, who plays at Northern Beaches Suns in Townsville, were both selected in the extended squad to represent NQ later this week.
THE Newman brothers will need to wait until North Queensland selection comes around again in 2019 to finally play a game together.
Cairns Saints midfielder Joel Newman, originally from Townsville, and Max Newman, who plays at Northern Beaches Suns in Townsville, were both selected in the extended squad to represent NQ later this week.
The Newman family were hopeful the brothers would be able to play their first game together but the younger brother, Max, who has only recently taken up the game, just missed selection for the final team, which was announced yesterday. Joel will be a key member of NQ’s midfield rotation this Saturday and was keen to share the experience with Max but is hopeful of finally doing it together in the coming years.
“He played at a different club to me in Townsville so we have never actually played together,” Joel said after Saints win over Centrals Trinity Beach on Saturday.
“He was a rugby league player when he was younger but when one of the clubs in Townsville needed a spare player, he put his hand up and has not stopped.
“He is loving it now and is a bit over rugby league.”
North Queensland will play South at the Aspley Hornets’ Graham Road venue in Brisbane this Saturday afternoon.
“To play with the best of the competition is going to be great,” Joel said.
“You will get the chance to play with guys you usually come up against.” THERE will be plenty of eyes on the Townsville, Mackay, Capricornia and Mt Isa contingent of the North Queensland squad on Saturday.
AFL Queensland advise how many AFL Cairns footballers are allowed to be in the NQ squad, making sure there is also spread from the weaker southern leagues.
From the 25-man squad named yesterday, seven are from outside the Far North.
In the defeats NQ have copped over the last two years, the consensus was there were a few players from the other four leagues in the team that were not quite up to the standard.
Let’s hope the lads selected this year are up to the challenge this Saturday and NQ can bring the prize home. ■ FITZROY Greenwool turned out for Broadbeach in the QAFL Seniors last Saturday with his Gold Coast Suns having a NEAFL bye.
The fleet-footed Fitzy kicked a goal as his side went down to Morningside in a tight loss.
Fellow AFL Cairns junior Jacob Heron dropped back for a few games in the QAFL last season before being drafted and hopefully the Kowanyama product can follow suit.
Surely Broadbeach director of coaching Travis Marsham could have found a lower number than 60 (above) for the noted goal sneak. ■ SOUTH Cairns forward James Dixon looks set for a stint on the sidelines with a hamstring injury but he may be on the way to an award at the end of the season.
Before Dixon went down up at Port Douglas on Saturday, he took a huge mark that could be an award nomination.
Dixon is on the wrong side of 30 but he can still move like a teenager. Hopefully he can get back from his bad hamstring soon enough to help his Cutters cement their spot in the AFL Cairns top four.