North Cairns announced themselves as top tour contenders in the loudest way possible on Saturday by beating reigning AFL Cairns premiers Cairns Saints at Watsons Oval.
In undoubtedly their most important result of the season, the Tigers moved within four points of the top tour with an impressive 15.9-99 to 11.10-76 victory.
Inspired by first-year rookie Luke Chitty, the Tigers led by nine points at the break and rarely gave the Watsons Oval faithful any reason to doubt their winning resolve in the last two quarters.
Tigers coach Wes Lord said his players’ vigour and hardness at the ball early in the contest set up the win.
“We touched on it all week about how important it was to get a good start and that’s what we were able to do” he said.
“We want to (use the win as a springboard).
“We’ve got the bye this week and then after that we’ve got the Hawks, if we can beat them we’ll just about be in the four.”
Saints forward Matt Walsh finished the afternoon with seven goals; while teammate Christian Philpot was names his side’s best on ground.
In the day’s other match, Centrals Trinity Beach held off a determined South Cairns to win 16.24-120 to 10.7-67 at Crathern Oval.
The Cutters, producing arguably their most competitive performance of the year, trailed the Bulldogs by 27 points at three quarter time but could only muster three behinds in the last term.
Bulldogs captain Ben James led from the front and finished with eight goals.
Shane Kennedy, Brenden Joinbee and Nathan Davison all kicked two majors for the Cutters
Last Modified on 29/10/2010 12:18