FLAVOUR OF NORTH
THE Port Douglas Crocs are full of Victorian recruits with barely any Far North locals in their squad.
Their southern recruits rock up to the club in the days leading into Round 1 and fly out straight after Mad Monday each year.
That is a popular notion that is thrown around AFL Cairns grounds over the last few years when the Crocs were on their way to back-to-back flags, with potentially another one on the way this Saturday afternoon against Cairns Saints.
While it would be fun for rival supporters to send those barbs the way of the Crocs, it is far from the truth with almost a third of their squad for Satur- day’s decider being north Queensland locals.
Dickson brothers, Angus and Jack, Davidson brothers Ashley and Daniel, as well as Ethan McCullough, Tom Goodall, Kaine Freyling and Brett McKeown have all been in the Crocs senior ranks this season and could feature Saturday, as would Mitch Bohm, if he had not torn his ACL earlier in the season.
Crocs skipper Kye Chapple, who has been with Port Douglas for four seasons, has seen enormous growth in the local talent in the squad.
“When I first got here I think it was only Kaine Freyling in the senior squad and you would hear people say stuff like “you guys are just a mob of out of towners,” Chapple said.
“Now, we are picking five or six every week and they are becoming leaders of the club, too.
“Brett McKeown is in the leadership group and is excellent on the field, as well as off the field, he is just as good and takes the role as a leader very serious.
“You need the local fellas to take on a leadership role, that is what clubs are built on.
“Mitch Bohm, before he got hurt, was another in the leadership group.”
Port Douglas President Chris Bradsworth hears the criticism over the fence from supporters of other clubs but is proud of the development he has seen at the Crocs over the last few years.
“It is a feather in the cap of our club to have that many local guys in the senior side and it really is hats off to our junior programs, too,” Bradsworth said. “We have to integrate our recruits into the team with our local guys.
“We work hard with the juniors and this year has shown how many kids have come through our system and have stayed here, as well.”