FINALS FRENZY
THREE champion teams from two clubs produced three dominant qualifying final performances, leaving rivals now trying to work out if - and how - they can be stopped in their respective grand finals.
FNQ’s most dominant club Port Douglas moved within one win of five straight AFL Cairns flags with a crushing victory, while Edge Hill United was barely challenged in the both men’s and women’s FNQ Premier League finals.
THE CUTTERS live to fight another day.
South Cairns entered the finals series as the most out of form side of the four teams, dropping three of their last four contests, but the men from Fretwell Park came to play on semi-final day.
The pre-season premiership favourites eliminated City Lions in a thrilling contest on Saturday afternoon at Cazalys Stadium to set up a contest with the Saints for a spot in the 2020 decider.
While the Cutters were the better side for most of the contest, in the end, they were still lucky to advance past an inconsistent Lions outfit.
A special Ross Tungatalum goal from the boundary gave Lions a sniff late on, but wasted opportunities from Brodie Deverell, Rodney Baird and Peter Yagmoor after that in front of goal killed their chances.
Lions had three clear chances to win it, but could not hammer the nail in South Cairns’ coffin.
South Cairns did enough to hold on in the end, 12.9 (81) to 12.7 (79) winners.
Cutters coach John Tootell was a proud man post-match and hopes the victory can give his club momentum as the finals series goes on.
“We knew if we could slow down a few of their players, stop their outside run, we gave them too much space in the second turn, they can just carve any team up,” Tootell said.
“We had a real crack today, that was the difference.
“It is finals footy and anything can happen, we just had to stop their outside run and we did when it mattered.”
The Cutters lost key defender Luke Anning in the warm up and replaced him with Parlyane Na’Awi, as they went much smaller.
Playing just their second finals game in two decades, Lions were led by the reliable Jake Long and Peter Yagmoor, but just could not put together consistent efforts across quarters.
Youngster Beau Flint worked himself into the ground all afternoon for Lions.
South Cairns had the better of the Lions early on, kicking four goals against the strong Cazalys Stadium breeze in the first term, before adding another quick one early in the second.
Reigning league best and fairest Jake Roach was enormous for the Cutters, giving his midfielders first use, or following up himself, as well as pumping the ball forward on several occasions.
The roaming Roach left the ground in the hands of the trainers early in the third term after suffering a knock to the head.
South lost the instrumental Roach at the worst possible time, as the Lions kicked four of five goals to start building some momentum.
With the competition’s premier big man off the ground, it forced South to shuffle the decks, Jermaine Wardle went on to the ball, which took away his strengths in other areas of the ground.
Roach eventually returned and hardly missed a beat, clearly best on ground in a dominant performance.
Tootell described Roach as a “freak” after the game as the big man was dominant.
A miraculous Adam Tipungwuti one-handed mark then followed up by a goal just moments before the final change gave Lions their first lead since the fifth minute of the opening stanza.
City Lions had their chances late but it was the same result as season 2019 for the club, sent home in the first week of the post-season.