Big-name recruits bolster Centrals’ title chances
CENTRALS Trinity Beach Bulldogs were staring down the barrel after 10 rounds of the AFL Cairns Women’s season.
They were sitting second-last on the ladder, with only the winless Cutters beneath them, and struggling for consistency on the field.
Finals were a distant thought, if not a longshot.
Yet, in the past four rounds, the Bulldogs have regained their bite, with three wins and a timely bye pushing them into the top three and breathing life back into their finals aspirations.
A big part of their rise has been the injection of former Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns captain Leah Kaslar and her former teammate Jade Ransfield.
Kaslar, a Centrals junior, has returned to the Far North’s footy fields after she was not offered a new contract by the Suns for the 2022 AFLW season.
“She’s massive to have up here, not only for ourselves but for the whole league, showcasing to the young girls what they can do in footy if they work hard,” said Bulldogs coach Dale Farrell.
“She used to play basketball with Kat Fatnowna back in the day and Kat got her over to play footy with us originally. We’ve got Kat back playing this year and I think she just wanted to have another run and a few games with her.”
Ransfield, a teammate of Kaslar’s in the inaugural Brisbane Lions AFLW team in 2017, has also linked with the Doggies, reuniting with former Yeronga South Brisbane teammate Sophie Cooke.
“She’s been fantastic in the forward line,” Farrell said.
“If she gets a hold of the ball, you know where it’s going.”
Kaslar has played the last two games, while Ransfield has played the last four, with both players among the side’s best in Saturday’s big win against South Cairns.