Crocs to face Manunda in season opener
THE Port Douglas Crocs start their quest for five-straight AFL Cairns premierships against a new-look Manunda Hawks side to open the 2020 campaign.
After lifting their fourth flag at Cazalys Stadium late last season, the Crocs will headline Round 1 of the new competition on their home deck, tackling the Hawks, who will be coached by Brad Sinclair for the first time in his second stint in the job.
Led by spearhead skipper Kye Chapple again in 2020, the Crocs have had a huge turnover of players across the summer and will welcome in a glut of new faces.
In a blockbuster opening round of fixtures, traditional rivals South Cairns and Saints will do battle at Fretwell Park, while Ronnie Burns will debut as a senior coach for North Cairns, hosting City Lions.
Centrals Trinity Beach have the opening round bye. The much-anticipated grand final rematch between Port and South Cairns will be held in Round 4 at Fretwell Park.
The Cutters, beaten in last year’s grand final, have been busy recruiting this off-season from down south as well as picking up influential Manunda Hawks on-baller Joel Karwan. With Cazalys Stadium set to host international cricket in early October, the first two weeks of the AFL Cairns finals series will be played in late August, with the grand final to be contested September 5.
The 2019 season started and finished two weeks later than the 2020 campaign will.
AFL Cairns will host an official 2020 fixture release on Tuesday morning at Cazalys Stadium, with Gary Young, league president, Craig Lees, football operations manager and Aaron Davey women’s operations manager, attending.