Big boys to fly for premiership spoils

WHEN Port Douglas premiership-winning ruckman Josh Wilson is not playing footy, his mind usually wanders to the golf course or his next fishing adventure.

So, you can forgive him for not noticing a big bloke carrying an NTFL club’s bag on to a flight from Darwin to Cairns earlier this year.

The Crocs linchpin has been flying between the Territory and Far North for years for footy, playing in flags in 2005, 2017 and 2018.

And, grand final rivals South Cairns have followed suit this year, signing a dominant big man from the Top End.

Pint ruckman Shane Williams has travelled to Cairns on a handful of occasions this season, with an eye to stopping Wilson’s dominance in the centre of the ground in the finals.

Williams has played only sparingly in 2019, just enough to qualify for the post-season, but he will be front and centre this Saturday afternoon.

With specific flight times needed to get into Cairns to play footy on a Saturday afternoon, while accommodating work and family life, the pair have shared flights at times – not that Wilson clicked at first.

“I did notice South Cairns had a new ruckman, but I am not a footy head – I am thinking golf and fishing most of the time,” Wilson said with a laugh from his Darwin office yesterday morning.

“I did not even click at first. I saw a guy carrying a Pint’s bag on our flight once and thought it was a bit weird, but that is not a disrespectful thing, my mind is usually elsewhere with work and whatnot.

“It was not until after we played each other in the first week of the finals it clicked and I realised who he was – it makes sense now.

“He is a good footballer and he will give me a big challenge in the grand final.”

Pint play in the grade under Wilson’s club Wanderers in the NTFL so they would not have played against each other in Darwin.

Wilson is edging towards 37 years of age but is still near the top of his craft, polling best-onground honours in a game late in the season.

The 2019 decider may be the former SANFL ruckman’s final game in Cairns, but he said he would see how his body felt following the season.

For the Cutters, the inclusion of Darwin-based Williams has given the club an array of options, not just this Saturday, but throughout the season just completed.

Crathern Medal winner Jake Roach is allowed to roam free at centre half forward while the talented Jermaine Wardle is able to do as he pleases and fill gaps.

Cutters coach John Tootell said Williams had been key to the club’s rise to the 2019 decider. A rival AFL Cairns coach talks tactics ahead of Saturday’s grand final - Page 32