Honest Aisi on double mission

MANUNDA Hawk Willie Aisi has club and country football on his mind.

The experienced defender is looking to put his Hawks into third position on the AFL Cairns ladder tomorrow afternoon as well as representing his native Papua New Guinea at the International Cup from next week.

The PNG Mosquitoes are out to defend their International Cup title in Melbourne in August, with Aisi to turn out for the team for the fourth time in nine years.

He will be joined by North Cairns on-baller Tyler Gorogo as well as Centrals Trinity Beach midfielder Gideon Simon at the AFL International Cup, which is played every three years.

“It is great to be able to play for PNG with my brother Tyler,” Aisi, who arrived from Papua New Guinea as a raw 18-year-old, said. “I am so proud of Tyler. “I told him he needs to have a crack at this and he has got his opportunity.”

The PNG trio will be joined in Melbourne by former CTB Bulldogs recruit Brendan Beno.

Hawks coach Marc Harbrow said Aisi was as reliable a player as they come.

“Willie is brown and gold through and through,” Har- brow said. “He is an honest player and someone you can always count on as a coach.”

Manunda have dropped both their games to Sunday’s Round 17 opponents, CTB Bulldogs, this season but Aisi is confident they can get one back on their fellow finals side.

“We have tried our best to overcome the top four teams like Saints and South this season,” Aisi said.

“The Bulldogs are a very good side. We need to start well to get a lead and then defend well later.

“They have great foot skills but we need to play our brand of footy.”

Bulldogs midfielder Jackson Williams has been named despite pulling out from North Queensland selection last week with osteitis pubis, which was expected to sideline him for three weeks.

In other games, Saints will be without the key forward pairing of Tim Lamprill and Lachlan Poulter as they travel to Port Douglas while Cairns City Lions host South at Power Park.

THE BULLDOGS ARE A VERY GOOD SIDE. WE NEED TO START WELL TO GET A LEAD AND THEN DEFEND WELL LATER WILLIE AISI, MANUNDA HAWKS