Big Morrow is ready to give Crocs bite in ruck
WITH ruckman Josh Wilson easing into retirement after multiple premierships, Port Douglas co-captain Kye Chapple believes his team has found its new answer in the middle of the ground.
Gippsland League recruit Ben Morrow was one of the Crocs’ standouts in their opening round triumph over Cairns City Lions, as they shoot towards five-straight AFL Cairns premierships. Wilson, an experienced FIFO footballer from Darwin, provided SANFL and NTFL talent to FNQ over the years but is getting into his late 30s and Port Douglas does not expect to see him in 2020. Enter, Morrow.
Chapple (pictured), who has been in navy blue and white across all of the club’s recent premierships, thinks Morrow can fill the big boots of Wilson.
“He was a gun for us, he is up from Moe, he looked really good,” Chapple said.
“He rucked against big Liam Woodcock-Nowlan all day and just battled hard, he was good.”
Ben is one of four Morrows who have transferred from different Gippsland leagues to Port this season, joining Justin, Sam and Tyler.
Chapple said Crocs debutants Lochie Rosevear and
Christian Koroneos had also been instrumental in the win, helping to make up for the loss of new Cairns Saints playingcoach Wes Glass down back.
Peter Yagmoor, formerly on the Collingwood-list, returned to his junior club, Lions, on Saturday but could not inspire an upset win first-up.
Down at Fretwell Park, South Cairns got its season off to a perfect start in its Kris Seivers round, an annual memorial match against Manunda
to honour one of the club’s players.
While all the talk over the off-season has been about the Cutters’ recruits, it was the incumbents who did the business against the Hawks.
South Cairns named six best players from its comfortable win over Manunda, with all being returning players from last season.
The premiership favourites, Port and South, were rarely troubled in Round 1.
SENIORS
South Cairns 1.2-8 4.8-32 11.10-76 17.11-113
Manunda Hawks 0.3-3 2.3-15 5.5-35 5.5-35
SOUTH CAIRNS
Goal Kickers: J. Barnett 5, J. Dixon 4, D. Lock 2, J. Wardle, T. Allwood, C. Allen, B. Sinnott, J. Karwan, D. Bosen
Best Players: T. Keilar, J. Dixon, C. Allen, J. Barnett, K. Petri, J. Wardle
MANUNDA HAWKS
Goal Kickers: F. Pittorino 2, C. Flint, R. Terry, W. Woldt
Best Players: A. Carter, E. Ware, C. Flint, D. Seden, W. Woldt, H. Hutchison
Cairns Saints 5.7-37 10.11-71 17.17-119 22.23-155
North Cairns 0.1-1 3.4-22 3.422 3.7-25
CAIRNS SAINTS
Goal Kickers: T. Tedmanson 7, J. O’Halloran 3, C. Wellington 3, R. McCall 2, C. Novy 2, W. Glass 2, D. McConachy 2, H. Jennings Best Players: S. Rowe, T. Tedmanson, C. Wellington, J. Barr, J. O’Halloran, H. Jennings NORTH CAIRNS
Goal Kickers: J. Jenkins-Clive 2, T. Connolly
Best Players: J. Kris, P. Ransom, C. Lee, C. Waldon, J. Jenkins-Clive
Cairns City Lions 4.1-25 6.238 6.4-40 9.8-62
Port Douglas 5.0-30 11.3-69 18.6-114 22.8-140
CAIRNS CITY LIONS
Goal Kickers: P. Yagmoor 3, E. Sansbury 2, J. Butler, T. Lindenmayer, J. Rolfe, A. Davey Best Players: B. Flint, T. Lindenmayer, P. Johnson, W. Patmore, N. Johnson, A. Davey PORT DOUGLAS
Goal Kickers: A. Gross 4, S.
Giblett 4, B. Johnson 3, K. Chapple 2, M. Bridgland 2, I. Baker 2, B. Wilson, J. Lea, B. McKeown, J. Mawson, D. Davidson Best Players: B. Morrow, D. Davidson, B. McKeown, J. Mawson, L. Rosevear, S. Giblett
RESERVES
South Cairns 2.3-15 2.6-18 5.636 9.7-61
Manunda Hawks 0.2-2 0.5-50 .5-5 2.6-18
SOUTH CAIRNS
Goal Kickers: K. Wilkins 3, S. Albrew 2, P. Buller 2, L. Ehlich, J. Panopoulos
Best Players: L. Henderson, L. Ehlich, Z. Penney, K. Isokangas, W. English, J. Panopoulos MANUNDA HAWKS
Goal Kickers: J. Smith
Best Players: P. Brown, E. Kadlecek, M. Khalu, J. Smith, T. Fatnowna, T. Davis
Cairns Saints 5.3-33 7.6-48 17.6-108 19.13-127
North Cairns 1.0-6 2.1-13 2.214 3.2-20
Cairns City Lions 0.1-1 0.1-1 0.1-1 3.1-19
Port Douglas 2.2-14 7.4-46 10.10-70 11.11-77
CAIRNS CITY LIONS
Goal Kickers: A. Bowles, L. Moore, R. Sam
Best Players: J. Scott, J.
Gardner, S. Reid, B. Scott, L. Moore, A. Bowles
PORT DOUGLAS
Goal Kickers: S. Morrow 2, G. Jacks 2, K. Scott-Spackman, D. Hobbs, K. Zammataro, M. Dwyer, D. Sutton
Best Players: K. Zammataro, T. McNally, D. Hobbs, N.
Santarossa, D. Sutton, S. Morrow