AFL Cairns

AFL Cairns

Formerly	Cairns AFL
Sport	Australian rules football
Founded	1956
No. of teams	8
Country	Australia
Most titles	Cairns Saints (13)
Official website	Official AFL Cairns Website

The Australian Football League Cairns is a semi-professional Australian rules football league that includes clubs from the Cairns region in Queensland, Australia. It is widely regarded as the strongest regional Australian rules football league in Queensland and has a large base at Cazaly's Stadium which has staged Australian Football League matches.

The league has significant coverage in local media such as The Cairns Post. Each year the Grand Final attracts between 2,000-3,000 spectators.

The CAFL major end of season award is the Paul Buller medal and is awarded to the player with the most votes at the end of the regular season. The Paul Buller medal was formed after the Townsville sporting great moved up to change the competition. He played pretty the game with determination and strength.

History

An article in the Cairns Post on 3 September 1885 on page 3 titled "Football Match" describes a game of football played at the then cricket grounds, believed to have been in the precinct around Munro Martin Park and the Civic Theatre. This game was between Cairns, led by Jack MacNamara (believed to have been a representative of Victoria at first intercolonial match) and Townsville, led by F Rendall. References are made of "Little Marks" and the final score after 2 hours was Cairns, 1 goal 7 behinds to Townsville, 1 goal 3 behinds. The Cairns umpire was AJ Draper.

The Cairns team was :- Michelle Burke, Leonie Burke, J Swallow, "Little" Draper, Reid, Crawford, Horse, Campbell, Warren, Harrison, McClelland, Oldham, Rev.Nobbs, Grcnsen, J.Loridan, Bulcock, Wood, Ärmstrong, C.Loridan, Johnstone, D. Wall, Middlebrook, Schumhronk, Dent, McCarthy, Hogarth.

T. H. LAKE was the secretary.^[1]

The modern league as we now know it formed in 1956 and a local schoolboy competition was also formed resulting in a junior representative trip to Townsville by plane. In 1957 the ANFC, through Bruce Andrew, purchased land in Cairns for the first dedicated field in regional Queensland which became Cazaly's Stadium. The initial Senior competition had only two teams, Norths and Souths. This has since expanded to seven teams.

Around 2000, the league affiliated with the Australian Football League and was re-branded AFL Cairns. The league has grown rapidly in recent years with the ongoing development of Cazaly's Stadium, the success of the Queensland-based Brisbane Lions, and with Cairns hosting exhibition Australian Football League matches and later matches for premiership points.

The league introduced a Women's Footy competition in 2002.^[2]

2004 Grand Final brawl

In the 2004 Grand Final between the North Cairns Tigers and the Port Douglas Crocs, a wild and violent bench-clearing brawl ^[3][4] erupted after Port Douglas water runner Craig Bannister charged at the Tigers huddle after the anthem. It is believed Bannister was seeking retribution following a number of his business ventures being thwarted by Tiger players. The brawl escalated when spectators and team officials became involved. This caused widespread media publicity around Australia, and sparked the biggest investigation in the history of Australian Rules Football.

The instigator, former Coles deli expert and water runner, Craig Bannister was suspended for eight years (three years for a string of charges arising from the melee, including striking three opposition players and abusing and threatening the field umpires when they went to report him, and five years for bringing the game of AFL in Queensland into disrepute), and the 22 North Cairns players were suspended for a total of 400 matches, with suspensions ranging from 10 matches to five years, for various charges in relation to starting the brawl. AFL Cairns declared the Grand Final a "no result" and withheld the 2004 premiership. Bannister's Crocs membership has since been revoked.

Manunda Hawks Omission from 2015 season

In 2014 the Manunda Hawks forfeited a away game against Port Douglas due to the concern for the safety of a player that was threatened via social media. ^[5] The league reacted by suspending the club for the 2015 season.^[6]

AFL Players

Notable players from the AFL Cairns who went on to play at VFL/AFL level include

Colin Judd (Hawthorn) Craig Brittain (North Melbourne) Troy Clarke(Brisbane Bears) Mark West (Western Bulldogs) Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide) (Cairns Saints) Rex Liddy (Gold Coast) (North Cairns) Che Cockatoo-Collins Donald Cockatoo-Collins David Cockatoo-Collins Jason Roe (Cairns City Cobras) Courtenay Dempsey (Essendon) (Manunda Hawks) Jarrod Harbrow (Gold Coast) (South Cairns) Sam Michael (Essendon) (Manunda Hawks) Premiers 1956 South Cairns 1957 Tinaroo Falls 1958 North Cairns 1959 North Cairns 1960 Aloomba 1961 Babinda 1962 Babinda 1963 Souths/Balaclava 1964 Souths/Balaclava 1965 Souths/Balaclava 1966 Souths/Balaclava 1967 Centrals/Aloomba 1968 Souths/Balaclava 1969 Centrals/Aloomba 1970 Babinda 1971 Souths/Balaclava 1972 Souths/Balaclava 1973 Centrals/Aloomba 1974 Centrals/Aloomba 1975 Centrals/Aloomba 1976 North Cairns 1977 North Cairns 1978 Centrals/Aloomba 1979 Centrals/Aloomba 1980 North Cairns 1981 North Cairns 1982 City United 1983 City United 1984 North Cairns 1985 North Cairns 1986 North Cairns 1987 Manunda Hawks 1988 North Cairns 1989 Centrals/Trinity Beach 1990 Centrals/Trinity Beach 1991 Port Douglas 1992 Centrals/Trinity Beach 1993 Centrals/Trinity Beach 1994 Cairns Saints 1995 Cairns Saints 1996 Cairns Saints 1997 Centrals/Trinity Beach 1998 Cairns Saints 1999 Cairns Saints 2000 Cairns Saints 2001 Port Douglas 2002 Cairns Saints 2003 South Cairns 2004 Title withheld 2005 Port Douglas 2006 Manunda Hawks 2007 Manunda Hawks 2008 Cairns Saints 2009 Cairns Saints 2010 Cairns Saints 2011 Manunda Hawks 2012 Cairns Saints 2013 Cairns Saints 2014 Port Douglas 2015 Cairns Saints 2016 Port Douglas Grounds/Venues Port Douglas Sporting Complex (Port Douglas Crocs) Fretwell Park (South Cairns Cutters) Cazaly's Stadium (Manunda Hawks) Watsons Oval (North Cairns Tigers) Crathern Park (Centrals Bulldogs) Holloways Beach Sporting Complex (Cairns City Lions) Griffiths Park (Cairns Saints) Power Park (Pyramid Power) Redlynch State College Oval (Junior Training) Clubs Current Former Club Colours Years in competition[7] Flags Aloomba-Gordonvale 1957-1960 (Merged with Centrals to form Centrals-Aloomba) 1 Babinda Magpies Black, White 1958–1971 3 Balaclava 1960-1962 (Merged with South Cairns to form Souths-Balaclava) 0 Centrals 1958-1961 (Merged with Aloomba to form Centrals-Aloomba) 0 Innisfail Roos Red, White 1958, 1980, 1982–1983 0 Mareeba Saints Red, White, Black 1980–1982 0 Tinaroo Falls/Tolga-Tinaroo Dark Blue, White, Light Blue 1957-1958 (Under each name for one season) 1 Junior Centrals Trinity Beach South Cairns Cutters Port Douglas Crocs North Cairns Tigers Manunda Hawks Cape York Eagles Pyramid Power Cairns Saints Cairns City Lions Former Junior Clubs Tableland Pythons Redlynch Lions Babinda Magpies Cairns City Cobras (Cairns Cities) 2009 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts South Cairns 17 0 1 0 2363 1241 190.41% 68 1st Semi Cairns Saints 20 11 131 Manunda Hawks 17 12 114 Centrals Trinity Beach 14 0 4 0 2306 1347 171.20% 56 2nd Semi South Cairns 16 15 111 Centrals Trinity Beach 16 10 106 Cairns Saints 11 0 7 0 2152 1566 137.42% 44 Preliminary Cairns Saints 20 15 135 Centrals Trinity Beach 11 5 71 Manunda Hawks 10 0 8 0 1903 2093 90.92% 40 Grand Cairns Saints 16 8 104 South Cairns 12 9 81 Port Douglas 4 0 14 0 1471 2406 61.14% 16 Cairns City Cobras 4 0 14 0 1185 2045 57.95% 16 North Cairns 3 0 15 0 1424 2106 67.62% 12 2010 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Port Douglas 18 0 0 0 2826 1155 244.68% 72 1st Semi Centrals Trinity Beach 13 14 92 Manunda Hawks 9 16 70 Cairns Saints 12 0 6 0 2131 1453 146.66% 48 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 12 12 84 Port Douglas 10 11 71 Manunda Hawks 10 0 8 0 1982 1838 107.83% 40 Preliminary Port Douglas 16 25 121 Centrals Trinity Beach 4 6 30 Centrals Trinity Beach 9 0 9 0 1701 1899 89.57% 36 Grand Cairns Saints 17 16 118 Port Douglas 12 8 80 North Cairns 7 0 11 0 1750 1902 92.01% 28 Cairns City Cobras 6 0 12 0 1434 1992 71.99% 24 South Cairns 1 0 17 0 1136 2721 41.75% 4 2011 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Manunda Hawks 16 3 2 0 2381 1366 174.30% 76 1st Semi Port Douglas 15 16 106 Centrals Trinity Beach 9 8 62 Cairns Saints 15 3 3 0 2367 1383 171.15% 72 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 23 16 154 Manunda Hawks 9 8 62 Port Douglas 14 3 4 0 2337 1474 158.55% 68 Preliminary Manunda Hawks 14 11 95 Port Douglas 13 8 86 Centrals Trinity Beach 8 3 10 0 1817 1726 105.27% 44 Grand Manunda Hawks 14 9 93 Cairns Saints 8 10 58 North Cairns 6 3 12 0 1617 2300 70.30% 36 South Cairns 4 3 14 0 1654 1999 82.74% 28 Cairns City Lions 0 3 18 0 956 2881 33.18% 12 2012 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Cairns Saints 17 3 1 0 3197 976 327.56% 80 1st Semi Manunda Hawks 21 13 139 South Cairns 9 8 62 North Cairns 13 3 5 0 2072 1463 141.63% 64 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 31 11 197 North Cairns 6 12 48 Manunda Hawks 11 3 7 0 1796 1711 104.97% 56 Preliminary Manunda Hawks 18 11 119 North Cairns 13 11 89 South Cairns 9 3 9 0 1691 2042 82.81% 48 Grand Cairns Saints 24 10 154 Manunda Hawks 16 9 105 Port Douglas 8 3 10 0 1785 1897 94.10% 44 Centrals Trinity Beach 3 3 15 0 1091 2651 41.15% 24 Cairns City Lions 2 3 16 0 1567 2459 63.73% 20 2013 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts North Cairns 16 3 2 0 2460 1157 212.62% 76 1st Semi Port Douglas 11 18 84 South Cairns 8 11 59 Cairns Saints 15 3 3 0 2354 1247 188.77% 72 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 8 14 62 North Cairns 7 10 52 Port Douglas 13 3 5 0 2106 1413 149.04% 64 Preliminary North Cairns 21 8 134 Port Douglas 9 16 70 South Cairns 7 3 11 0 1659 2017 82.25% 40 Grand Cairns Saints 17 7 109 North Cairns 11 19 85 Manunda Hawks 5 3 13 0 1470 1885 77.98% 32 Centrals Trinity Beach 5 3 13 0 1221 2305 52.97% 32 Cairns City Lions 2 3 16 0 1408 2654 53.05% 20 2014 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts South Cairns 15 3 2 1 1963 1084 181.09% 74 1st Semi Port Douglas 17 16 118 North Cairns 11 6 72 Cairns Saints 14 3 3 1 1998 1101 181.47% 70 2nd Semi Cairns Saints 18 6 114 South Cairns 11 6 72 Port Douglas 12 3 5 1 2069 1176 175.94% 62 Preliminary Port Douglas 12 11 83 South Cairns 10 4 64 North Cairns 7 3 10 1 1253 1633 76.73% 42 Grand Port Douglas 15 10 100 Cairns Saints 13 6 84 Cairns City Lions 6 3 12 0 1684 2059 81.79% 36 Manunda Hawks 4 3 13 1 987 1699 58.09% 30 Centrals Trinity Beach 2 3 15 1 1087 2300 47.26% 22 2015 Ladder AFL Cairns Wins Byes Losses Draws For Against % Pts Final Team G B Pts Team G B Pts Port Douglas 16 0 2 0 2014 1083 185.96% 64 1st Semi Cairns Saints 14 15 99 Centrals Trinity Beach 6 12 48 South Cairns 12 0 6 0 1921 1202 159.82% 48 2nd Semi South Cairns 14 11 95 Port Douglas 11 14 80 Cairns Saints 11 0 7 0 1917 1236 155.10% 44 Preliminary Cairns Saints 14 11 95 Port Douglas 11 14 80 Centrals Trinity Beach 9 0 9 0 1659 1482 111.94% 36 Grand Cairns Saints 14 12 96 South Cairns 13 9 87 Cairns City Lions 5 0 13 0 1459 2000 72.95% 20 North Cairns 1 0 17 0 881 2848 30.93% 4 AFL Cairns Senior Grand Final Results (Formerly Known as "Cairns AFL") Year Winning Club Score Losing Club Score 1956 South Cairns N/A North Cairns N/A 1957 Tinaroo Falls 10.12 (72) Innisfail Roos 6.9 (45) 1958 North Cairns N/A N/A N/A 1959 North Cairns N/A N/A N/A 1960 Aloomba Gordonvale N/A Centrals N/A 1961 Babinda Magpies N/A Souths Balaclava N/A 1962 Babinda Magpies N/A Souths Balaclava N/A 1963 Souths Balaclava 11.11 (77) Babinda Magpies 10.7 (67) 1964 Souths Balaclava 17.8 (110) Centrals 8.13 (61) 1965 Souths Balaclava 11.16 (82) Babinda Magpies 8.9 (57) 1966 Souths Balaclava 8.15 (63) Centrals Aloomba 8.9 (57) 1967 Centrals Aloomba N/A Souths Balaclava N/A 1968 Souths Balaclava N/A N/A N/A 1969 Centrals Aloomba 10.11 (71) Souths Balaclava 8.10 (58) 1970 Babinda 13.6 (84) Souths Balaclava 11.15 (81) 1971 Souths Balaclava N/A N/A N/A 1972 Souths Balaclava defeated Centrals Aloomba Score N/A 1973 Centrals Aloomba 11.11 (77) North Cairns 10-13 (73) 1974 Centrals Aloomba N/A N/A N/A 1975 Centrals Aloomba N/A N/A N/A 1976 North Cairns N/A N/A N/A 1977 North Cairns N/A N/A N/A 1978 Centrals Aloomba N/A N/A N/A 1979 Centrals Aloomba N/A N/A N/A 1980 North Cairns 19.16 (130) Centrals Aloomba 9.9 (63) 1981 North Cairns 20.20 (140) Souths Balaclava 13.9 (87) 1982 City United N/A N/A N/A 1983 City United N/A N/A N/A 1984 North Cairns N/A N/A N/A 1985 North Cairns 14.14 (98) Souths Balaclava 11.8 (74) 1986 North Cairns 13.12 (90) Centrals Aloomba 11.8 (74) 1987 Manunda Hawks 14.12 (96) Centrals Aloomba 14.10 (94) 1988 North Cairns 17.13 (115) Centrals Aloomba 11.11 (77) 1989 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 22.23 (155) North Cairns Tigers 13.6 (84) 1990 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 23.16 (154) Port Douglas Crocs 7.12 (54) 1991 Port Douglas Crocs N/a City's Cobras N/A 1992 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs N/A City's Cobras N/A 1993 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs N/A Cairns Saints N/A 1994 Cairns Saints N/A City's Cobras N/A 1995 Cairns Saints 6.7 (43) Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 12.14 (86) 1996 Cairns Saints N/A Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs N/A 1997 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 20.10 (130) Port Douglas Crocs 5.9 (39) 1998 Cairns Saints 9.11 (65) Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 9.5 (59) 1999 Cairns Saints 19.18 (132) Port Douglas Crocs 9.5 (59) 2000 Cairns Saints 15.10 (100) Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 3.7 (25) 2001 Port Douglas Crocs 7.8 (50) South Cairns Cutters 5.16 (46) 2002 Cairns Saints 17.3 (105) South Cairns Cutters 9.15 (69) 2003 South Cairns Cutters 11.16 (82) North Cairns Tigers 6.10 (46) 2004^1 North Cairns Tigers 16.10 (106) Port Douglas Crocs 8.10 (58) 2005 Port Douglas Crocs 11.10 (76) South Cairns Cutters 11.9 (75) 2006 Manunda Hawks 18.11 (119) South Cairns Cutters 8.8 (56) 2007 Manunda Hawks 18.7 (115) Cairns Saints 13.16 (94) 2008 Cairns Saints 14.19 (103) South Cairns Cutters 5.16 (46) 2009 Cairns Saints 16.8 (104) South Cairns Cutters 12.9 (81) 2010 Cairns Saints 17.16 (118) Port Douglas Crocs 12.8 (80) 2011 Manunda Hawks 14.9 (93) Cairns Saints 8.10 (58) 2012 Cairns Saints 24.10 (154) Manunda Hawks 16.9 (105) 2013 Cairns Saints 17.7 (109) North Cairns Tigers 11.19 (85) ^1 The 2004 A Grade Grand Final was declared a "no result" and the Premiership Cup withheld. Recent AFL Cairns Reserve Grade Grand Final Results Year Premiers Score Runners Up Score 2003 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 14.11 (95) North Cairns 6.7 (43) 2004 Port Douglas Crocs 17.13 (115) North Cairns Tigers 8.9 (57) 2005 Port Douglas Crocs 19.14 (128) Cairns Saints 4.11 (35) 2006 Manunda Hawks 11.11 (77) Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 10.9 (69) 2007 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs 14.16 (100) Cairns Saints 11.2 (68) 2008 Cairns Saints 12.15 (87) North Cairns Tigers 2.9 (21) 2009 South Cairns Cutters 9.11 (65) Cairns Saints 9.4 (58) 2010 North Cairns Tigers 8.10 (58) Port Douglas Crocs 8.5 (53) 2011 Manunda Hawks 11.8 (74) Port Douglas Crocs 6.9 (45) 2012 Cairns Saints 17.6 (108) North Cairns Tigers 11.12 (78) 2013 North Cairns Tigers 14.14 (98) Port Douglas Crocs 13.6 (84) 2014 Port Douglas 18.14 (122) Cairns Saints 5.4 (34) AFL Cairns Reserves Premierships Summary List 1962-2014 Club Premiers North Cairns Tigers 12 Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs (Formerly Centrals Aloomba) 11 Cairns City Lions (Formerly City United/Cobras) 6 Babinda Magpies 6 Port Douglas Crocs 5 South Cairns Cutters (Formerly Souths Balaclava) 4 Cairns Saints 3 Manunda Hawks 3 Westcourt Demons 2 Mareeba Saints 1 See also Australian Rules football in Queensland References http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?l-title=Cairns+Post+%28Ql...%7Ctitleid%3A60&fromyyyy=1884&frommm=02&fromdd=14&toyyyy=1893&tomm=05&todd=20&q=Football Women pull on the jersey from ABC North Queensland PM - AFL yet to decide fate of brawling players Eight-year ban for ex-Swan - AFL - www.smh.com.au http://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/afl-cairns-holds-firm-on-call-to-suspend-manunda-hawks-from-2015-competition-after-friday-meeting/news-story/c1097bc6f04b6c2d646b32a065280510 http://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/local-sport/marc-harbrow-to-coach-manunda-hawks-after-afl-cairns-suspension-is-lifted-on-the-cazalysbased-club/news-story/f47c34b7332abd5f02e1bc1560284007 Cairns Post External links AFL Cairns Website North Cairns AFC website Coordinates: 16°56′06″S 145°44′55″E / 16.9349071°S 145.7486197°E