COOPER: MAWSON’S JAIL STINT WILL BE A TURNING POINT

Star Mawson sidelined by drugs jail term

PORT Douglas coach Brad Cooper believes Croc Jesse Mawson’s four-month stint in jail will be the turning point of his life for the better.

The leadership group member was originally named to play Manunda in their AFL Cairns contest on Saturday before, on Thursday afternoon, Mawson (right) was sent to prison for the next four months for trafficking party drugs.

Mawson will be paroled on November 17 after serving four months of a two-year sentence for trafficking MDA and MDMA.

The former Geelong-based footballer has had the situation hanging over him for almost two seasons, after it first emerged early in 2018.

As a club, the Crocs spoke about the situation internally in the days leading into and before playing the Hawks at Cazalys Stadium on Saturday.

“The boys were a bit flat on Thursday night at training after what happened, and myself included,” Cooper said after his defending premiers claimed their 11th straight win for the season on Saturday.

“We just move on as a football club because that is all we can do; we have spoken about it internally to the group.

“Jesse will do his time and hopefully he learns his lesson and it is something that he can look back on in time as a turning point in his life, which I think will be the case.”

The North Queensland representative midfielder was having an excellent 2019 season before it was cut short.

The Crocs, chasing four straight flags, will have the depth to cover for Mawson, however.

“He leaves a massive hole in our side, as he was having a terrific year,” Cooper said.

“For us, we just need to get on with the job, because it is what it is.”

In Saturday’s game, a faststarting Manunda put the visitors on the back foot early on as they kicked five goals straight in the opening term to lead by four points at the first break.

But, as Port Douglas usually do, they put the pressure on to kick seven of the next eight goals to all but end the contest by halftime.

Crocs skipper Kye Chapple put in an encouraging display after battling a knee complaint in recent weeks.

Hawks coach Marc Harbrow was pleased with the way his side played in patches, but knows they need to do it for longer.

“We certainly had some passengers that caused the massive blowout to happen in the end,” Harbrow said.

Elsewhere, Saints went two games clear in third spot on the ladder with a convincing victory over Centrals Trinity Beach.

Saints named arguably their strongest side of 2019 and it showed, as they are building towards the back end of the season.

On-baller Cade Wellington played his first game back in over a month and was named in Saints’ best.

editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost

SENIORS Cairns City Lions 11.6-72 16.16-112 24.21-165 37.22244 North Cairns 0.1-1 0.3-3 0.3-3 1.4-10 CAIRNS CITY LIONS Goal Kickers: T. Rainbird 10, A. Davey 4, B. Deverell 4, D. Ferreira 4, J. Butler 3, T. Lindenmayer 3, G. Braico 2, B. Lovell 2, T. Mooka 2, R. Davey, B. Flint, K. Thompson Best Players: M. Vasterink, T. Rainbird, S. Connelly, B. Flint, F. Braico, T. Mooka NORTH CAIRNS Goal Kickers: C. Hampton Best Players: A. Stewart, B. Wollin, C. Lee, B. Pajor, C. Smith, R. Magee Manunda Hawks 5.0-30 6.1-37 9.6-60 10.6-66 Port Douglas 4.2-26 11.12-78 15.17-107 28.20-188 Cairns Saints 7.4-46 9.8-62 14.13-97 18.16-124 Centrals TB 0.5-5 2.9-21 5.1141 7.15-57 CAIRNS SAINTS Goal Kickers: J. Philp 6, M. Horne 3, K. Daley 2, C. Kirtley, B. Bux, H. Cox, J. Willis, C. Wellington, O. Wallace, A. Davey Best Players: J. Willis, T. Pearce, N. Edwards, C. Wellington, D. McCall, M. Horne CENTRALS TB Goal Kickers: D. Smith 2, M. Culpitt, J. Anderson, S. Babia, B. Graham, C. Paterson Best Players: J. Brinn, A. Evans, N. Meadows, T. Meadows, M. Culpitt, B. Graham RESERVES Cairns City Lions 7.7-49 14.1195 20.17-137 28.20-188 North Cairns 0.0 0.1-1 1.2-8 2.2-14 CAIRNS CITY LIONS Goal Kickers: D. Mooka 12, M. Dotoi 7, J. Gardner 2, D. Winstanley, J. King, L. Moore, F. Walker, T. Fricker, M. Keating Best Players: R. Villalba, J. King, L. Keating, K. Kris, D. Mooka, T. Fricker NORTH CAIRNS Goal Kickers: N. Amber, S. Kris Best Players: S. Ahmat, S. Kris, W. Duck, Z. Tibbs, L. Sailor Manunda Hawks 2.2-14 6.6-42 10.7-67 14.7-91 Port Douglas 1.4-10 4.6-30 5.7-37 5.7-37 Cairns Saints 2.2-14 4.6-30 7.7-49 11.9-75 Centrals Trinity Beach 1.2-8 1.3-9 2.3-15 2.4-16 CAIRNS SAINTS Goal Kickers: D. Holding 3, T. Messenger 2, M. Cooper, M. White, T. Burke, T. Mackrill, J. Willmott, B. Sullivan Best Players: B. Sullivan, T. Burkett, J. Willmott, A. Graetz, D. Holding, T. Messenger CENTRALS TRINITY BEACH Goal Kickers: S. Adaway, M. O’Sughrue Best Players: D. Ward, D. Ryan, J. Bin Tahal, A. Tongue, A. Penn, M. O’Sughrue