Ladder leaders duel
You can always count on Trent for dogged loyalty
Trent Ogden will play his 500th game for the Centrals Trinity Bulldogs tomorrow. PERHAPS the only thing more impressive than Trent Ogden playing his 500th game for Centrals Trinity Bulldogs tomorrow is that someone was able to count them all.
The apprentice cabinet maker, 21, has been playing with the Trinity Beach club since he was five and says he has never considered switching clubs.
It is not as if he has been counting every game since then, though. He said the occasion arose after he and a few friends were speculating about the number of games he may have played late last season, considering how many years he had been playing.
Curious to know the exact amount, the club dragged out records dating back to his undereight days in 1997. Back then he wore the number one guernsey, because it was the smallest.
‘‘I was always playing up a grade or two against the bigger kids,’’ he said.
‘‘And my best memories were of the glory days when we were winning senior flags; I was running out as a 10-year-old with the team.’’
Things aren’t the same in 2013, although Ogden’s optimistic the club has turned a corner.
‘‘I was there when we forfeited reserves last year and it was really disappointing,’’ he said.
‘‘But we’ve got Darryl O’Reilly back, a new coach in Peter Seymour and a good playing group. We have got all the categories covered.’’
While many of the Bulldogs left the club at their low point of last season, Ogden, who has the word ‘‘loyalty’’ tattooed on his forearm, remained.
‘‘I wasn’t going to leave and watch the club deteriorate,’’ he said. ‘‘Seven or eight that have played since juniors are still here and more are slowly coming back.’’
The club honoured his commitment at training last week when the juniors formed a guard of honour after training.
‘‘I wasn’t really expecting that, it was nice to be recognised I guess,’’ he said.
Centrals play Hawks tomorrow as they attempt to string together their third straight win. THEY share top spot on the AFL Cairns ladder but Port Douglas coach Brad Cooper says his side must make big strides to stay in touch with North Cairns, whom he has labelled the yardstick of the competition.
It should be a fair fight though, with both teams fielding strong, big bodies at either end of the park and a nippy midfield to match.
Cooper’s men fell seven goals short of the Tigers in their earlier clash this year, but have had some big wins away from Port.
Despite missing Cairns representative star Kurt Bradshaw (shoulder, four-to-six weeks), they will present a solid challenge for the home team.
The coach said player retention and the ability to train for longer under their home ground’s new lights had helped them surge back into premiership contention after a few seasons of occupying the middle of the table.
‘‘Having a bit of stability; you can build off it,’’ he said.
‘‘And with the lights we are now getting two-hour sessions twice or three times a week where we can work on fitness and skill levels.’’
Luring back Lucas Teasdale has helped too, with former Crocs coach and current Cairns coach Andy Viola labelling him their biggest ‘‘in’’ this season.
He has helped the club build a reputation as the enforcers of the league, but Cooper argued Norths presented a similar case.
‘‘They are equally as big as us; they’ve got big targets and good movers up front, some good stoppers down the back and fast midfield,’’ he said.
‘‘We probably got a bit flattered by the scoreline last time; we’ll have to improve.’’
While Bradshaw’s absence will hurt the side, they will welcome back fellow rep stars Ben McCartney, Adam Boone, Mark Nuggin and Dylan Wearmouth.
‘‘From what I’ve heard and saw they all went well,’’ Cooper said.
‘‘What’s good about that is, if we get that far this year, they’ve already been exposed to that finals-type intensity and can deal with it.’’
Norths host Port from 3pm tomorrow at Watsons Oval.
Read tomorrow for a preview of Sunday’s clash between Cairns City Lions and South Cairns Cutters.