CUTTERS A TEAM TO FEAR
THIS photograph displays just how well AFL Cairns club South Cairns have come through the coronavirus shutdown.
Some rival clubs are scrambling to put a team on the park, others are wondering how they are going to get interstate recruits into FNQ with all the border restrictions changing over the last week in regards to the Victorian outbreak.
This photograph was taken as a season preview for the Cutters in the second week of March, not long before the season was put on hold.
Since then, only one of the club’s new recruits, Reece Walsh, who transferred from AFL Mackay originally in the off-season, has had to head to Victoria and is unlikely to feature in season 2020.
That is why many have the Cutters at the head of the field to lift the premiership at Cazalys Stadium in a few months time.
“We have always tried to help guys out as to work and lifestyle when they come up, we are not big on flying players in and out,” experienced Cutters coach John Tootell said.
“It can be hard work on the player as well coming in and out, we have worked hard to get guys to move here.
“We have got a good handy bunch of players there for this season, making sure they are comfortable and happy to be there, enjoying their time.
“It was great to hold on to most of them as they mostly had work, that was a big bonus.”
Some are tipping Daniel Weetra, who brings plenty of NEAFL and SANFL experience to FNQ, to be a Crathern Medal contender in 2020 and coach Tootell is still working out how he will deploy his versatile recruit.
Weetra, who is working for Clontarf in the region, has been damaging in a number of different roles across his football career.
“We have had a conversation around that, he is one of the best rebounding backmen up north and he can play lock down as well as attacking,” Tootell said.
“We see him as pretty versatile and will use him where we think we need him, he could run through the midfield a little bit as well, he reads and uses the ball so well, so we can use him there, or at halfback.”