A mid-table tussle for second spot in the AFL Cairns Women's League played out to a thrilling end on the weekend, with the Manunda Hawks edging out Centrals Trinity Beach by just eight points. Both teams remained evenly matched throughout Saturday's game, but it was the Hawks's combined fire-power of Jacqueline Newton, Meg Pullinger, Briony Pratt and Sally Green that eventually sealed the win 4.4-28 to the Bulldogs' 3.2-20 at Holloways Beach. Centrals coach Dale Dowson said while his side fought well, communication ultimately let them down against a more disciplined Hawks outfit. "We were just giving the Hawks too much open space," Dowson said. "There's not much you can do in a tight situation like that. We just ran out of time." Dowson also nominated Bulldogs Cassy Velonias as the team's standout player on the day. "She really had a captain's game this weekend and really took charge and led from the front,' he said. In round eight's other clash, North Cairns 12.18-90 proved far too strong for the South Cairns Cutters, who were kept scoreless. However, Dowson said he remained hopeful of giving the Tigers a run for their money when his side faced them this weekend, if the Dogs could implement the right stragety and find some mental toughness. "We've got to do a lot of defence work for Norths," he said. "They are a beatable side, it's just they've got that mental block over everyone at the moment."
Last Modified on 03/10/2013 14:09