A SIX-GOAL haul to Adam Mueller helped propel the North Cairns Tigers to a 44-point victory over Port Douglas at Watsons Oval on Saturday.
The Tigers prevailed 16.19 (115) to 10.11 (71) and are the only unbeaten side left in the AFL Cairns after four rounds this season.
The home team led at every change, with centre-half back and assistant coach Lukas Ehlich earning best-on-ground honours.
While the result looked comfortable on the scoreboard, Ehlich said the Tigers had to earn their victory.
"In the end we sort of ground it out a little," he said.
"Port didn't allow us to play the game we wanted. They forced us into a lot of little mistakes, skill errors and poor decision-making within our zone.
"Full credit to them. I don't think we played at our best, but the boys hung in there and in the end I think we did all right."
At Cazalys, the Manunda Hawks came from 18 points down at three-quarter time to edge the Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 14.6 (90) to 11.14 (80).
It was the performance Hawks coach Clinton Gribble was looking for after his team copped a 104-point shellacking from Port Douglas the previous round.
"We showed a bit of character and that was the most pleasing thing," Gribble said.
"We're a young side and I was really proud of the way the boys came back from 18 points down.
"I put it on the line at three-quarter time. I told the boys the game could go one of two ways.
"Thankfully the boys chose to put their heads over the ball and decided to make something of it."
Gribble said it wasn't just the Hawks' senior players leading the way.
"We had a couple of guys playing their first game and some of the young boys really stood up," he said.
While disappointed his team could not maintain their lead in the last quarter, Bulldogs coach Peter Seymour was far from disheartened.
"We've come a long way from where we were last year," Seymour said.
"We're under no illusions about where we're at and what we have to do. It's all about hard work for us at the moment."
Seymour said the Bulldogs weren't far off a win on Saturday.
"In hindsight I don't think we did too bad," he said.
"Just at the back end of the game I think some of the Hawks' experienced players used the ball a bit better than us."
In the final match of the round, South Cairns Cutters beat the struggling Cairns City Lions 20.16 (136) to 14.12 (96).
The Cutters only led by four points at the final change of ends but powered home to boot seven goals in the last quarter.
Last Modified on 08/05/2013 13:59