Eltringham primed for clash with mate
BEST mates will clash in the Griffiths Park goalsquare for all four quarters on Saturday.
AFL Cairns ton goalkicker Tom Eltringham returns to Saints’ ground for the first time as a Trinity Beach footballer after leading the Saints to the 2018 grand final.
In an odd twist, Eltringham’s close mate Rhys Bridge played at Trinity Beach in that 2018 season before moving to Saints.
Now, two years later, the close mates will again be in the goalsquare against each other, just for opposite clubs.
Victorian Eltringham, a chippy by trade, is an oldschool stay-at-home fullforward while Bridge is arguably the best full-back in the competition.
Bridge got the points decision when they first met this season, holding Eltringham to just three majors, and the former Saints leading man would be keen to kick a bag against his old mob on Saturday.
And, do not worry, the personal battle is a serious one, as the athletic goalkicker could rattle off the top of his head how many goals he has kicked on his mate over the last few years.
“We are still good mates and it will be good to play against him again,” Eltringham said.
“It is always a good battle between me and him.
“We are about even in our battles so far.
“I don't get stuck into him on the lip or anything but he gets stuck into me (laughs).
“He is a very good player and one of the better defenders in the league, it is a good match-up.”
When it emerged Eltringham was back in FNQ last offseason, some expected him back at Griffiths Park after kicking over a 100 goals two seasons ago, but he said Crathern Park with the Bulldogs was the best fit.
“I am really enjoying it. It is great to be back up here, we are not going that good on the field at the minute, but we are going in the right direction,” Eltringham said.
“We started off on the back foot, we had a poor pre-season, but we have a lot of good young kids coming through … we are just trying to improve as much as we can every week and I think we are.”
In other games today, Manunda travel to Holloways Beach while South Cairns hosts North.
Former Essendon-listed utility Jake Long has been named for his first game for City Lions.