Sport
1 August, 2025
Friday night treat
FRIDAY night treat awaits punters as round 16 bounces off with, not one, but two primetime women’s clashes in the last full round of fixtures.
To start, the young Saints host the second-placed Tigers at 6.30pm.
The Saints have been much better value this season than their record suggests but may find themselves facing the fury of a wounded Tigers outfit, looking to bounce back from a 37-point thumping at the hands of the Bulldogs.
The other Friday night clash kicks off at 7.15pm, with the Cutters hosting the rampant Bulldogs.
Another side showing green shoots of progress, most notably in their effort against the Crocs a few weeks ago, the Cutters will hope to continue stringing together strong passages and even quarters.
They’ll have their work cut out, though, as nothing seems to be standing in the way of the Dogs and the 2025 minor premiership. The Bulldogs will be eyeing a repeat of their 55-point demolition of the Cutters in round 9.
The only Saturday game carries the greatest weight in terms of ladder implications, as the Crocs host last year’s premiers, the Lions, in what looms as a preview of the minor semi-final.
The Lions are still an outside chance of catching the Tigers for second but will need to beat both of them in their next two games.
The Crocs, already assured of a maiden finals berth, can do no better than fourth.
Their win-loss ledger sits at 6-7 and they’ll be eager to finish the season with an even, or potentially winning, record.
On the men’s side, the only combined fixture also sees the Crocs hosting the Lions.
On paper, this one looks sewn up: the Crocs are runaway leaders, enjoying a 10-game winning streak, while the Lions are reeling from a 201-point loss to the Cutters.
But footy isn’t played on paper. These two are old adversaries and the Crocs won’t be taking their wounded opponents lightly a month out from finals.
In the central Cairns contest (derby name still a work in progress), the Saints must beat the visiting Hawks to keep their season alive.
Their percentage is better than the fourth-placed Dogs, but their year has been marked by frustrating inconsistency and some bad luck, particularly against the Cutters.
The Hawks, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to play spoiler and end the finals hopes of the only contender left outside the current top four.
The round concludes with the game of the round across the board, as the final home-and-away ‘Battle of the Compass’ takes place at Fretwell.
Both teams are desperately fighting for second place and the all-important double chance in the finals.
The winner will take pole position in that battle, with both sides set to face the irresistible Port in their final regular season games.
The Tigers come in well rested after a bye, while the Cutters will be riding high from last week’s incredible performance against the Lions. The season ledger between the two sits at 1-1, making it all to play for at Fretwell this weekend.
