Sport
30 August, 2024
Can Saints upset PD Crocs?
THE final round of the men’s regular season sees a drastic difference in the stakes compared to the AFL proper, with the top four and first week of finals already set in stone, barring the situation where Port Douglas lose by 150 points and City Lions winning by 150 points against the cellar-dwelling Hawks at Cazalys.
Cairns Saints are the only team with a likely chance of making a jump up the table but would need a big upset over the Crocs in Port Douglas.
The ladder being set in stone is only going to help the top four teams in their quest for premiership glory as they can rest and rotate members of the squad who need a breather.
The game of the round, a Battle of the Compass, between first and second could represent a finals-like clash, with the Tigers the only team to beat their southern counterparts so far this year.
However, in a quirk of the schedule means that these teams are guaranteed to face off next week in the major final at Fretwell Park.
That could lead to some cat-and-mouse between the two teams in terms of selection and tactics, making it an intriguing game for lovers of chess.
Perhaps the most intriguing watch this weekend is to see if Kye Chapple or Andrew Coombe can outkick Tyron Rainbird to win the goalkicking award.
As it stands, Rainbird is up by four on Chapple and 11 up on Coombe.
