THEY did it again.
Cairns Saints won their third consecutive AFL Cairns premiership at Cazalys on Saturday, beating Port Douglas 17.16 (118) to 12.8 (80).
It was Saints’ 10th title in 20 years and the third time in two decades they have won three straight grand finals.
But unlike the other triumphs, Saturday’s win was the first under the leadership of player-coach James Coatsworth.
After achieving the ultimate prize in his first season as head coach, Coatsworth struggled to nominate a prouder moment in his football career.
"This is the best feeling," he said.
"I’ve played in two premierships as a player and an assistant coach and I’ve lost five senior premierships, so I’ve done the hard yards.
"I put a lot of hard work into the year.
"We had injuries all throughout the year. People didn’t respect us and people doubted us.
‘‘It was all about Port Douglas, but the Cairns Saints boys did it."
There was a familiar and frightening brutishness about Saints in the first two quarters.
At times they manhandled the Crocs, not allowing their opponents any easy entries into the 50m arc.
Coatsworth was at his free-roaming best, transitioning from on-ball to the forward line with great effect – as he has done in the latter half of the season.
While Saints dominated the Crocs, they failed to shut their opponents out of the game completely.
Crocs captain Evan Hocking and his fellow defenders busted every orifice in their bodies to thwart Saints’ scoring opportunities before halftime.
There was nothing stylish about the Crocs’ football.
It was a grim routine of outstretched arms and desperate punches, but it was enough to keep them within four goals of Saints at the major break.
The Crocs needed to make a move in the third term and they did. Midfielder Caydn Beetham goaled first before full-forward Matt Shaw, who was given a torrid afternoon by Saints defender Adam Couch, booted his opening major of the game.
Momentum was turning the Crocs’ way, with half-forward Sam Boxall fronting his team’s charge.
Two goals in quick succession from Boxall moved the Crocs to within a kick of the lead.
With their advantage whittled away to nothing, Saints responded with two goals before Boxall’s third for the quarter left the Crocs only eight points down at three-quarter time.
Thanks to The Cairns Post, read more at: http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/09/20/127445_local-sport-news.html
Last Modified on 06/03/2011 13:09