Yesterday in the AFL Cairns competition, the Cairns City Lions defeated the Cairns Saints by 11 points. It was their first flag for a little less that 13,000 days (for those who like to count such things), but there was something far more significant about this win. This time we only need to go back a bit over four years to complete a remarkable footy story.

(Image: AFL Cairns)

I was lucky enough (in a sense) to be on the field back in late 2017 wearing a Cairns City Lions jumper as they went down horribly by 290 points to the South Cairns Cutters. That day I played mainly forward or bench. Either way I was in a great position to watch a massacre that many would see as the nadir for the Lions. It was the day that a crossroad became real. The club had people like myself and some other Pyramid Power lads fill in to ensure they fielded a team. They had no reserve grade. With less than 20 players on their list, a terrible season on the scoreboard and potentially some sponsorship fallout, the future, that day, was grim.

 

Whilst the term "drought breaker" has a far more serious meaning across the world in these times of global warming, the 21st has been a drought-breaker so far for a large number of AFL clubs. A brief look unearths:

• In 2001 Lions win first flag for 57 years

• in 2004 Power wins first ever (in AFL)

• in 2005 Swans win first flag for 72 years

• in 2007 Cats win first flag for 44 years

• in 2016 Dogs win first flag for 62 years

• in 2017 Tigers win first flag for 37 years

• in 2021 Demons win first flag for 57 years ??

 

The AFL has today announced that Optus Stadium in Perth will host the 2021 Toyota AFL Grand Final.  However the start time is yet to be determined.  While he timeslot is likely to be determined by the biggest audience in the eastern Australian states,  many around the world eagerly await that timeslot to see when the match will start for them.

Grand Finals parties are an important part of the calendar for footy clubs around the world who use the event to fund raise and to build their footy community far from the home of the Australian game.  At any rate there are few places outside of Asia/Pacific that the time is hospitable, but the sooner clubs know the sooner they can promote the event, book venues and sell tickets.       
 
The announcement comes after the Victorian Government agreed to the Grand Final being relocated from the MCG for the second year running due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

It was certainly a bittersweet day at the Gold Coast Suns today. Trounced by 87 points by a rampant Sydney Swans, the club had no choice but to wear the defeat and then put 2021 behind them – reset for 2022.

Part of that reset was a changing of the guard as old made way for new. On the same day as youngsters in Joel Jeffrey, Jeremy Sharp and Jy Farrar strutted their stuff in their first seasons, Zac Smith said farewell.

But of major importance for north Queenslanders, it was the day that Jarrod Harbrow retired after 262 games for the Suns and the Western Bulldogs. The former Cairns junior – playing for both the Manunda Hawks and South Cairns Cutters – went on to have an illustrious career as a hard-running, courageous defender from 2007 to 2021; 15 seasons at the highest level. Along the way he was a Suns’ club champion and holds club records for most possessions and most wins.

Picture Credit: afl.com

The AFL Commission today announced all 18 clubs will field a NAB AFL Women’s team from the 2022-2023 season onwards, with the final four AFL clubs Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans all granted a license to enter the Competition in Season Seven.
 
The four clubs provided submissions on their readiness to enter the national competition, including detailing their resourcing, team build strategy, corporate support, and investment into their AFLW program, fan base growth and facilities.

Make no mistake. For Cairns to remain a viable AFL destination it needed a catalyst match to build a future on. It came last night when their 2021 AFL premiership match saw St Kilda hosting the Adelaide Crows. Whilst skill level was questionable at times, the excitement of a grandstand finish made up for that – setting Cairns alight.

It is already well enough documented that Cairns lost its annual premiership match after their Round 1 fixture in 2018 was almost washed away. Southern rival, Townsville, was handed the 2019 match and Cairns had to pray for miracles to get their match back. It came in the form, ironically, of COVID-19 when the AFL was forced to relocate four premiership fixtures to a new hub and Cairns was ready, eager and determined to grab opportunity when it knocked.

(Image Credit: The Age)

Third time lucky for the Lions.

They broke the Adelaide Crows hearts, the same way the Crows did to them way back in 2017. 

Brisbane Lions have secured their maiden AFLW premiership, after they went down in their previous two grand final appearances to Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs, defeating the Crows by 18-points at Adelaide Oval.

Image Source: Mark Brake

For most of the match, the Crows were the team with greater possession of the ball, but the Lions stood tough and strong down back each time the Crows sent the ball forward in attack.

It was all the Lions after the scores were tied at quarter time, as they kicked five of the last seven goals to win 6.2 (38) to Crows 3.2 (20).

In the second week of the AFLW finals series, the week off given to the two top sides, the Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions proved invaluable. 

Also, the experience of the two sides in AFLW finals shone through in the preliminary finals.

The Lions and the Crows showed that their experience in preliminary finals counts. 

Image Source: Albert Perez

The Crows were determined to defeat the Dees and not have a repeat of round seven when the Dees thumped them by 28 points at Casey Fields. 

Collingwood were the best team going undefeated until round seven and were trying to make their maiden AFLW grand final, but the Lions were able to hold on by four points to progress through to their third AFLW Grand Final. 

 

The first week of the AFLW finals series was enthralling to watch and from the two elimination finals, Melbourne and Collingwood advanced to preliminary finals week. 

Melbourne showed that they mean business in 2021 defeating a Fremantle Dockers side that was left empty last year after their finals series was cancelled due to the coronavirus. 

Image Source: Getty Images

The Dockers were the best team of 2020 and of the finals series last year and were hoping to be the best finals team in 2021, but it was not meant to be. 

North Melbourne had heartache from the 2020 season like Fremantle, because they had advanced through to the second week of the finals but the coronavirus crushed their finals dreams as well.

Round nine was a great round of footy to bring an end to the 2021 home and away season. 

It was a round filled with finals intensity matches from start to finish. 

In the top of the table clash to determine which team finished top, the Adelaide Crows flexed their muscles and showed Collingwood why they have been the premier team in the AFLW competition since the AFLW started in 2017. 

The Crows are the minor premiers in 2021. 

Image Source: @aflwomens

In the 2021 AFLW finals series, the Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Melbourne, Fremantle and North Melbourne will all feature. 

The Crows and Lions will both have a week off, as they advance straight through to the preliminary finals week.

What a home and away season, the 2021 AFLW season was.