Sport
14 August, 2026
Crocs in good spot for finals
THE Crocs have continued their remarkable form heading into the AFL Cairns finals, producing another dominant weekend of football against the North Cairns Tigers to strengthen their position at the top of both competitions.
While in soccer, the Dragons have endured mixed results in their latest rounds of soccer, recording a dominant victory over Leichhardt before falling narrowly to Innisfail as the regular season draws closer to its conclusion.
The Crocs’ reserves put together a commanding performance, thumping the Tigers 130-7 in a one-sided contest.
The Crocs controlled the game from the opening stages and never allowed North Cairns to find any real momentum.
Matt Laskey and Riley Forrest led the way on the scoreboard, both finishing with five goals as the Crocs’ attack proved far too strong for the Tigers’ defence.
Their accuracy in front of goal helped set the tone for a comprehensive victory and further highlighted the depth of attacking options available to the side.
Matt Laskey said “the boys in both teams seem to be finding great form at the right time so were hopeful for a huge finals campaign”.
The seniors were even more ruthless, dismantling North Cairns 223-12 in a performance that demonstrated exactly why they remain one of the competition’s dominant forces.
The Crocs exploded after half-time, booting an incredible 24 goals in the second half alone.
Their relentless attacking pressure overwhelmed the Tigers, with the scoreboard continuing to climb as the game progressed.
The huge victory provides another statement of intent from the Crocs, who appear to be hitting their best form at exactly the right time of the season.
With just two rounds remaining before finals, both the reserves and seniors currently sit on top of their respective ladders.
Their recent results have put them in a strong position heading into the final stages of the regular season, but the focus will now turn towards maintaining that momentum and finishing the job.
Soccer
THE Dragons opened their latest two-round stretch in emphatic fashion, cruising to a convincing 6-0 victory over Leichhardt.
From the opening whistle, the Dragons looked in control, putting together a strong attacking performance while keeping their opponents scoreless
Georges Laulhe and Tyron Drumm were at the forefront of the attacking display, with both players finding the back of the net twice.
Their doubles helped drive the Dragons to a comprehensive victory and provided plenty of confidence heading into the next round.
However, the Dragons were unable to carry that momentum into their following match, going down 3-2 to Innisfail in a thrilling encounter.
The nail-biting contest remained close throughout, with the Dragons finding the back of the net twice but ultimately falling just short.
Despite the disappointment of the result, the performance showed the competitiveness of the side as they continue to prepare for the business end of the season.
With just two rounds remaining, the Dragons currently sit third on the ladder and remain firmly in the finals picture.
The next fortnight will be crucial as the Dragons look to build momentum before the finals begin.
Coach Doug Baird said “as a group we have plenty of faith we can repeat as champions, but with the quality of our opponents we need to go into every game 100% ready moving forward”.
The contrasting results against Leichhardt and Innisfail highlight the fine margins that can decide matches at this stage of the season.
