Sport
3 February, 2023
Rise And Rise Of Afl Cairns
WHILST many local AFL Leagues have struggled in the Southern States of the country since the pandemic, Cairns looks to be thriving.
At least five more ex AFL players are making the move north for the 2023 season and likely, there will be more.
Jarrod Harbrow – Manunda, Ryan Nyhuis - Cutters, Jared Petrenko – Port Douglas, Josh Hall and Seb Tape - Centrals, are the latest ex AFL stars heading to the tropics following Zac Smith who played with Centrals in 2022.
AFL Cairns General Manager Craig Lees, who has been in the top job less than 12 months, clearly intends to make Cairns a destination for the top talent around the country.
The Far North has become home to many top tier AFL players who arrive not knowing what to expect and fall in love with the football, the young talent, and the tropical lifestyle.
That is the case for ex Western Bulldogs and Collingwood player Tyson Lane who made the move to Cairns after 61 games at the top level 20 years ago and he has no plans of leaving any time soon.
Lane first played with North Cairns winning the Crathern Medal in 2004 then with Manunda Hawks winning a premiership in 2006 and finished up at Centrals Trinity Beach. He has also coached a women’s flag with Manunda and has coached colts.
After two decades in Cairns, Lane got married and had two kids, bought a home, and is the North Qld Fleet and Maintenance Co-ordinator with Hertz. He is a great example of why to make the move to paradise after an AFL career at the top level.
Talking local football, Lane said things have changed a lot since his time on the field.
“It’s very transient these days, there’s a far bigger turnover of players and there is the fly-in aspect that wasn’t so prevalent in my time,” he said.
“I’m also a little worried about the Development Grade, the old Reserve Grade as we called it.
“Many players have seemed to have walked away from the game for several reasons, one being they just couldn’t get a senior game with the fly-ins coming in.
“Because they are travelling in and out and not moving here, what happens when they decide to not do the travel anymore?
“But, having said that, it’s a fine line and I can see what the League is doing and it does strengthen the top end of the competition,” Lane said.
Lane said having such iconic players coming up to Cairns would attract more spectators and new fans to the code.
“I think it will, which is a good thing and if it creates interest, then I suppose it’s a win-win situation,” he said.
“One thing I can say is that AFL Cairns aren’t sitting back on their hands, they are proactive and trying something which should be commended.”
AFL Cairns have taken matters into their own hands ensuring footy reaches everyone in 2023, with a doubling of the women’s game livestream and more statistical content that makes the sport more approachable.
It seems that in 2023 AFL Cairns will continue to rise and rise.
