Early pain makes jinx real before win ends it

SHARKS coach Stephen Daniel didn’t believe in the club’s Voxson Oval hoodoo against Aspley pre-game, but minutes into the NEAFL fixture he was convinced the ground was jinxed.

Southport lost both Kai Sheers and Michael Manteit to illness on match day, with the former hospitalised, and defensive general Ryan Davis three minutes into the game after tearing his groin.

The reigning premiers, who last won against Aspley in Brisbane in 2012, overcame the setback to produce a thrilling 8.21 (69) to 8.13 (61) win over the Hornets.

“I don’t think it was a hoodoo,” Daniel said of the club’s struggles up the M1. “Losing two the morning of the game and then Ryan was pretty tough. At that point I thought the ground was jinxed.”

Davis is expected to miss up to four weeks.

Southport trailed at each of the breaks of the high pressure and contested game but took the lead with six minutes left before holding on to secure their second straight win.

Daniel’s game-defining moment came with two minutes left when defender Jordan Taylor, contesting against three Aspley players, managed to get the ball to ground before taking it to a stoppage. Southport took it down the field in the moments after.

“It was a really important passage of play for us,” Daniel said. Southport will travel to the ACT to play Canberra this week.