Cutters have flag in sight
SOUTH Cairns coach Steve Daniel is ready to start planning his side's assault on the AFL Cairns premiership after the Cutters cemented a top-two ladder finish on Saturday.
With a fortnight left in the regular season the Cutters guaranteed themselves a second chance in the finals series by comfortably beating North Cairns 17.15 (117) to 10.8 (68) at Fretwell Park.
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Daniel said the top-two finish had his team well positioned for a tilt at September glory.
"That’s a goal we set at the start of the year for the club. History shows that premierships are won from one or two on the ladder," he said.
"We had a few boys come back today, so a few of the players are underdone at the moment but I suppose it’s good for them the next three weeks if we get some game time under their belts."
The Cutters’ run home features match-ups against fellow top-four sides Manunda and Port Douglas with Daniel hopeful the tough fortnight ahead will steel his players for a premiership charge.
"If we happen to get into the grand final they are 50-50, aren’t they?" he said.
"Anyone who gets in the grand final is a chance of winning it and we believe if we get in there we have every right to think we can win it."
If the Cutters can regularly reproduce the form they showed in the second quarter of Saturday’s match then Daniel has good reason for confidence.
The Tigers led by a point at the first change before the home team’s midfield, inspired by former VFL player Hayden Foss, proved its class.
Dominating the clearances with their superior run, the Cutters’ unleashed a seven-goal blitz in the second term to take a 46-point lead into halftime.
It was too much for the Tigers’ to recover from, with player coach Troy McGuane left lamenting the disastrous quarter after the match.
"As a whole, three quarters were quite competitive and one was a shocker," McGuane said.
"We’ve only got a couple of weeks left so we are just trying to get out there and enjoy our footy and do our best."
Cutters forward Ty Harrison finished the match with six goals, while team-mate Joey Morrison chipped in with three.
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