Finals rule changed

CDRL aims to avoid ‘embarrassing’ repeat

A CONTROVERSIAL CDRL rule that cost Northern Pride winger Shawn Bowen a premiership with MossmanPort Douglas Sharks has been changed for next season.

The Sharks were dealt a massive blow in September when the Pride star was ruled ineligible to play on the eve of finals despite featuring in nine matches for the club during the season.

Under the old rule, a Pride player must have played more than 50 per cent of his games in the CDRL to be eligible for the finals.

But having played nine games at Intrust Super Cup level as well, Bowen was ruled out by the narrowest of margins.

In 2019, Pride players must now have played at least seven games to qualify for CDRL finals unless the Pride remain “alive” or themselves.

Sharks president Jason Fasano said he welcomed the change, while admitting the rule may be tinkered with again next season.

“The 50 per cent plus one rule was embarrassing for our competition, particularly when you look at the talent that missed out,” Fasano said.

“With Shawn, this is a local playing in finals junior who’s been extremely loyal to Mossman.

“We were very disappointed that he didn’t qualify when he had played so many games for us.

“That said, we backed the rule at the start of the season and had to get on with it.”

Bowen had been extremely supportive of his teammates throughout their finals campaign and even celebrated the Sharks’ grand final win over Tully, Fasano said.

“Full credit to Shawn with how he handled it,” he said.

“He was so mature about it. We spoke to him and his family about it. He accepted it and moved on straight away. But we assured him at season’s end we would raise it with the league.”

During the finals, Pride coach Ty Williams said it was important to keep players on the edge of ISC selection playing in the Far North competition.

“If you’re consistently one of my better players, you’re not playing local league anywhere near that much,” he said.

“I’m sure there are a lot of people in Mossman who would have loved seeing him play in the grand final.”

In a further change, Under 18s will be eligible to play in any grade during a CDRL finals series next season.

NEAFL drops Cairns

CAIRNS’ Cazalys Stadium is set to miss out on hosting a NEAFL game in 2019 when the full fixture is released this morning. NEAFL operations manager Luke Gatti revealed earlier this month that the semi-professional sports league was considering a request from clubs, with one being a match in Cairns featuring the Gold Coast Suns. The full 2019 NEAFL fixture will be released this morning but like the NRL and AFL, the Far North is set to miss out next year. “I can confirm though that there is no match scheduled in Cairns next year,” a NEAFL spokesman said yesterday afternoon. The North East Australian Football League is the second-tier competition across New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory, servicing four AFL clubs: Sydney, GWS, Brisbane and the Suns.

Davey first coach

The sister of Cairns City Lions player-coach Aaron Davey has been named the as the inaugural coach of the Crows’ new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Female Football Academy. Bronwyn Davey said her aim was to encourage young indigenous women on to an elite pathway. “The program’s focus is on … elite training, strength and conditioning, nutrition, so it’s basically giving them an insight into being an elite AFLW player,” she said. Davey has herself been playing football for 11 years and said she was one of only a few Aboriginal female coaches across South Australia. She is also PE teacher and said she hoped to see the Aboriginal Academy girls play a curtainraiser at one of the Crows AFLW home games in 2019.