It is early days, so early in fact that Saints co-coach Brenton Powell is still learning the names of his new teammates. But last year's Crathern Medallist is confident the powerhouse club won't lose ground in the 2013 AFL Cairns season. The midfielder has been back in training, alongside returning co-coach Nick Braybon for the past month. Four weeks out from the pre-season cup, in which each team will play two 20-minute games, he said the new players were still familiarising themselves with each other. "It's a good chance to give everyone a run and get a feel for the team," Powell said. "Of course, it'd be nice to do the same things as we did last season. But it's such a long season so we try and build up slowly as it progresses." Nick Gill, who booted 100-plus goals from centre-half forward last season, is the only big loss at the club after moving to Tasmania to further his radio career. Returning is Far North Queensland product and former Cairns representative Matt Harth. The round-robin phase of the pre-season competition is on March 16, followed by a final the following Saturday, March 23, that is a curtain-raiser to the AFLC Women's League decider. The proper season begins on March 28th.
Last Modified on 04/04/2013 17:36