Flood fundraiser

AFL Cairns club North Cairns Tigers are holding a fundraiser for the Hermit Park Tigers affected by the recent flooding events in Townsville. The Tigers fundraiser is being held tomorrow from 3pm at Watsons Oval and will include raffles, auctioned goods, bake sale, a sausage sizzle and activities. “As a fellow community sporting club we understand the impact this devastation has, not only on the equipment and buildings, but on the hardworking volunteers,” Sharon Davon from North Cairns Tigers said. “Some of the members from Townsville are coming up to assist and we would love to give them some great support from our Cairns community.”

Spirit calling

FORMER Cairns resident Justine Smethurst has been included in Softball Australia’s 30-player Aussie Spirit squad for the 2019 National Pro Fastpitch season. The 30 players will attend an Open Women’s Training Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in March as they prepare for the 2019 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) season in the USA where they will compete as the Aussie Peppers of Minnesota. Smethurst is formerly Cairns based but now lives in the Brisbane suburb of Cannon Hill. Softball Australia will announce a team of 17 players following the conclusion of the NPF season in August 2019, who will represent the Aussie Spirit at the Asia/ Oceania Olympic Qualifier in China (September 24-29).

Racing changes

RACING Queensland has made a number of changes to upcoming north Queensland racing programs following Cluden Park’s track issues. The race meeting programmed for Thursday February 21 at Townsville will no longer be held and accordingly, many changes have been made to programs at race meetings in the Leichhardt and Far North regions. Cairns Jockey Club’s meeting for Tuesday February 26 will now have an additional race added to the program, a QTIS 2yo Maiden Plate 950m, $19,000. The race meeting will now comprise an eight-race program. Changes have also been made to upcoming meetings at Mackay.

Gliddon joins Rams

FORMER Cairns Taipans captain Cameron Gliddon has signed with the Canterbury Rams in the NZ NBL for the upcoming season. He left the Far North club last offseason to play with Queensland NBL rivals the Brisbane Bullets.