Southport captain, coach enjoy grand footy farewells

SOUTHPORT have sent captain Mick Esdale and coach Tim Cannard out on a high by thrashing finals-bound Bilambil 50-26 yesterday.

The Tigers finish the season in seventh place with four wins from 17 starts but can take solace from rising to the occasion to farewell two of the club’s key figures. Esdale will hang up the boots while Cannard, who lives in Brisbane, is stepping down from coaching to enjoy some time away from the football field.

“It was kind of an all-round dominant performance,” Cannard said.

“A lot of boys finally stepped up and they just clicked. I wish we had sort of had that six weeks ago but it is what it is.” The result throws a spanner in the works for the Jets, who enter a sudden death semi-final against Tweed Heads next weekend.

Kane Rudolph, Zoram Watene and Justin McKenna all scored doubles for the Tigers while Esdale kicked a conversion.

At Pizzey Park, Burleigh wrapped up the Club Championship by edging Runaway Bay 26-18. The Bears will now have a week off while Bay will have to play their secondagainst-third semi-final away against Tugun.

The game was on the line until winger Toby McIntosh crossed with two minutes remaining.

Burleigh were forced to finish the match with only 13 fit players after Daymeric Pelo (knee), Sam Grant (concussion), Anthony Gray (pectoral) and Ethan Mafi (severe cramps) were taken from the field.

“I had a whole stack of interchange cards in my hand but no one to use them with,” Bears coach Stuart Wilkins said.

Tugun will enter finals fresh after Ormeau forfeited. Tweed accounted for Currumbin 40-12.