Cairns duo take winning ways to Palmerston

AFL Cairns pair Ezekiel Frank and Aaron Davey were busy for Palmerston in their NTFL season opening win over Waratah on Friday evening.

The duo recently finished their Far North seasons, with Manunda and Cairns City Lions respectively, and slotted straight into the Magpies for an 18-point win over Waratah.

The Magpies shot out to a four-goal advantage after one term and held on to win, despite inaccurate goalkicking.

Palmerston play Nightcliff in Round 2 this Sunday.

Meanwhile, Port Douglas ruckman Joshua Wilson carried Wanderers’ ruck division in their first-up win over the Tiwi Bombers on Saturday. ■ FORMER Cairns City Lions stalwart Tommy Furness is still playing some good footy down south. Furness claimed the QFA division one reserves’ best and fairest on Saturday night at the 2017 Queensland Football Awards, for the second straight year.

The two-time Reg Dean Medal winner for best and fairest player in the AFL Cairns reserves competition is now playing with the Caloundra Panthers. ■ MAREEBA’S Aron Baynes was almost in an NBA brawl on Sunday in a preseason game. Boston’s Marcus Smart was ejected following a dust-up that started when his teammate Baynes was pushed by Cleveland’s J.R. Smith.

“He wants to be so tough in that situation,” Smith said of Smart. “He leads the league in flops, easily. You can’t flop as much as you do and then be tough. How does that even work?”

Boston lost the game by 11 points as Baynes and his Celtics return home to play Philadelphia in the season opener on October 16. ■ FORMER Cairns Taipans assistant coach Jamie Pearlman has landed fellow former Snake Nnanna Egwu at his new club, KL Dragons.

Egwu is currently an injury replacement with the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL but will join Pearlman once the stint is over.

“Nnanna is the perfect guy for this season’s young team. I think he will fit in very well with the culture here,” Pearlman said.

“He prides himself on defence and teamwork.”

The ASEAN Basketball League season starts off on November 16.