WAYNE Jackson was more than a footballer to Centrals Trinity Beach coach Mick Seymour.
He was a teammate, a mentor and most importantly a friend.
Jackson died from a brain haemorrhage in 1995 in the week leading up to the Bulldogs clash with North Cairns.
His passing was as sudden as it was tragic but the legacy of one of the Bulldogs best has never been allowed to diminish by those he left behind.
Every season the Bulldogs and Tigers battle for the Wayne Jackson Memorial Shield with Seymour given the duty of educating his club's present generation of footballers about the importance of the game.
"I've been talking about it for a few weeks, telling the boys a few stories about Wayne," Seymour said.
"He was my friend. It's hard talking about someone who passed away 14 years ago but I think iy's sunk into the boys how important the day is.
"After 14 years some things tend to fizzle out but not this. I think we're going to get as big a crowd as ever on Saturday."
Seymour said Jackson embodied all the Bulldogs were and aspired to be as a football club.
"He was just a person who held himself very well and was held in high regard," he said.
"As a young player coming in he was the type of bloke you'd look up to and admire.
"On the field he was a goal kicker. He had a fair build on him and was just a ferocious competitor. "
Seymour knows the Bulldogs need to display all the qualities that made Jackson special to topple the Tigers at Crathern Oval tomorrow and retain the cherished shield.
The Tigers were superb last week thumping reigning premiers the Cairns Saints by 64 points with the on-ball brigade led by Lukas Ehlich.
The Bulldogs mauled an undermanned Hawks by 112 points last match but Seymour is predicting a more torrid afternoon tomorrow.
"I'm expecting them to come out fired up," Seymour said of the Tigers.
In other games this round the injury ravaged Saints host the Hawks at Griffith Park and ladder-leaders South Cairns clash against Cairns City Cobras at Holloways Beach.
Last Modified on 22/05/2009 16:55