At the top of his game
Port skipper rises above injury to play stellar season
IT is like asking a parent which child is their favourite.
Or maybe putting the question to a recent Hawthorn footballer, which of his premiership victories is the best.
Which of Port Douglas captain Kye Chapple’s three 100goal seasons is the standout?
The Victorian full forward booted his third straight ton of goals last Saturday against the North Cairns Tigers, bagging 16 goals, the fourth time he has kicked double figures this season.
He is well clear of the chasing pack and will claim his sec- ond Matthew Walsh Leading AFL Cairns goal kicker award at the end of the 2017 campaign.
If you ask Port Douglas Crocs coach Brad Cooper, he believes 2017 is clearly the best of the trio of goalkicking milestones.
There were some doubts during the pre-season how much footy Chapple would actually play this season as he battled osteitis pubis.
“He is more of a revered player than when he first got to Port Douglas,” Cooper said.
“I played with plenty of good footballers and not all of them could play hurt, Kye has played hurt a lot of times this year.
“A number of times I have said to him that his body is not right but he has never whinged ... he always got himself up.
“He has been able to manage his body and be resilient, this is the second time he has had OP so he knows how to manage it a bit.
“He is also very good around the club.”
While he plays as a key-forward, Cooper revealed his skipper is in the top three endurance runners at the AFL Cairns premiership fancies.
He booted 113 for the campaign including finals in 2015, followed by 112 last season and Chapple still has a few games to add to his 102 in 2017.
The Crocs travel to Cairns City Lions this afternoon and Chapple is sure to add to his tally.
At Holloways Beach Sporting Complex, the Lions will today host their 2017 Life Members and Heritage Round as well as a 25-year Premiership reunion.
In other Round 20 games, Centrals Trinity Beach will be desperate to get back on the winners list, after falling last start to South Cairns, as they travel to North Cairns.
The Cutters head into town to tackle Cairns Saints at Griffiths Park.