IF Cairns City Lions can't come up with a win tomorrow they may have to wait 249 days for another opportunity at a maiden AFL Cairns victory.
That’s the grim reality facing coach Jason Roe, as he prepares his team for the home match against Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs.
"Of course, if we don’t win this week, we’ll regroup and go again the week after that. But we have to be realistic – we probably won’t win another game," he said yesterday.
That would mean a second consecutive season without a win, a record in Cairns only the Richmond Tigers could rival.
But Roe sees a rare opportunity this weekend.
He believes the Lions have improved in recent weeks and are on the cusp of breaking their 31-game losing streak.
"It’s just all coming together. We have been playing a lot better over the last six weeks and we have a full side to pick from for the first time all year," he said.
"We’ve been building towards it. We are playing at home against the second-bottom team.
"We aren’t going to have another opportunity like this again this year."
It’s easy to see where Roe’s doubts are coming from. The Lions close the season with games against the Saints, Hawks, Crocs and Tigers.
After this weekend, the 2013 season-opener becomes the Lions best hope for a victory.
You’d think that thought would drag a man down.
Not Roe, who believes the Lions are on the cusp of competitiveness.
For evidence, he points to the finer details of the competition table. The losses are still there, but the margins are far smaller.
And then there are the things that only those inside the Lions clubhouse see. Roe insists his team is more focused and consistent at training.
The squad has grown from eight players at the start of the year to more than 60 now, according to Roe.
"We’re a 30 per cent or 40 per cent better team than last year," he said.
"I know it. We’ve got a good core group of players that are going to make a good footy side in the
future.
"We’re not far away."
Hopefully, for Roe’s sake, neither is victory.
Last Modified on 25/09/2012 10:46