CENTRALS Trinity Beach hope the worst day in the club's history is behind them, but they know things won't just get instantly better at the beaches, either.
Last Saturday their reserves team had to forfeit to North Cairns – something club stalwarts believe had never been done since their formation in 1963.
"It was the worst day I’ve had as a footballer in a long time," stand-in coach Baden Crathern said.
"Everyone that was there I’m proud of because they fought hard, but it was pretty disappointing on the whole."
Crathern is only at the helm because both senior and assistant coaches – as well as three quarters of the board – have exited since round one.
And being all too aware of the proud club history – it was his grandparents who helped found the association – Crathern is still committed to the Dogs’ recovery.
He even got his grandmother Norma into the changerooms, a scary place for even than the bravest of women, to say a few words before last Saturday’s game.
"She just said how proud she was of the guys who had continued to show pride in the jumper and that the club was going to move on and be strong after this," he said.
"We’re not going to let (a forfeit) happen again, whatever it takes," he said.
He said numbers at training have remained steady and the board was stronger than it had been all season.
Their focus is on getting things right for next season and presenting a unit like the one of the past, that won 11 premierships between 1967 and 1993.
The efforts of families like the Emerys had not gone unnoticed, the young coach said, and it was about honouring their hard work.
"The people at the club are still here and they are prepared to go through thick and thin," he said.
"We need to grow that by recruiting quality people and create a good environment."
But, he admitted, in the short term a win or two to finish 2012 would be pretty cool, too.
"I just want to see the willingness to compete and I want to see plenty of heart," Crathern said.
Centrals will host South Cairns when the seniors start at 2.30pm.
Last Modified on 25/09/2012 10:50