Young talent blessing for improving Saints
ROWAN SPARKES
A CHANGING of the guard at Cairns Saints could pave the way for the once-dominant club’s return to finals in 2020.
After three consecutive senior Division 1 titles from 2016 to 2018, Saints missed the finals last year, winning just three of 15 games in the regular season, to finish fifth.
But, with plenty of lessons learned, the club is poised for another premiership tilt.
“It has been a changing of the guard at Saints,” said cocaptain Moera Blair. “A few of the girls have moved on and we’re playing against them now, but it’s all good fun and great for the competition.”
She said the club had confidence in its young players, and would need to lean on them if it was to be there at the pointy end of the season.
“We had some young Saints girls come up to our A-grade side last year and they’ve returned this year,” she said.
“They’ve learned so much from last year and with the work that we’ve done in the pre-season, we’re all very excited to carry on. They’ll be the stars of our future.”
Saints returned to the court a much more determined outfit in Round 2 of Cairns Netball
Association’s senior Division 1 competition on Wednesday night. Coming off an 11-goal defeat at the hands of South Cairns Cutters in the opening round, Saints went into the second-round with their game faces on. In a clear improvement on last week’s efforts, Saints dominated for most of the 45-23 win.
Co-captain Amanda Cole said the team had been determined to take the court with a renewed intensity, to make amends for the previous week’s defeat.
“The girls were really fired up,” she said.
“I think some of the younger ones last week were taking it a bit easy, so this week we really made an effort to come out firing and we wanted to hit the court with determination and intention.
Saints wingers Halia Cowley and Jordan Fern were dynamic in the mid-court.
“Halia in wing defence had a really good game, dictating the play for where her player was going to be,” Cole said.
ROUND 2 RESULTS
Sharks 50 d Leprechauns 37 Saints 45 d Tigers 23
Fierce 43 d Cutters 35
NEXT WEEK: Cutters v Leps, Fierce v Saints, Sharks v Tigers
“Jordy was fantastic feeding into the circle.”
Saints will meet Phoenix Fierce in Round 3 action next Wednesday night.
“Phoenix is a really tall team, whereas we’re a bit more vertically challenged,” Cole said. “We’ll have to rely on our fitness and our teamwork to get the win.”