Saints stun Crocs to end unbeaten run
AFL CAIRNS
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- Crocs ready to 'turn the Port pink' in top of the table clash
IT had to end sometime.
Port Douglas' 26 game unbeaten run was slammed shut on Saturday in the Pink in the Tropics clash with Cairns Saints.
In a frenetic final term, the Saints did enough to hold off the Crocs to clinch a 13-point win after leading by more than eight goals late in the second quarter.
The Saints remain the only undefeated team following the triumph and have assumed the position as this year's flag favourite.
Port Douglas edged their way back into the contest after conceding 6.3 to 1.2 in the opening quarter, and hit the front when Adam Gross kicked truly eight minutes into the final term.
But the Saints responded with four of the last fives goal through stars Tom Eltringham (six goals), Jack Philp (three) and Joey Morrison to record a deserved 17.7 (109) to 15.6 (96) victory.
It was the Crocs first loss since going down to South Cairns in the 2016 semi final.
"It's completely odd (feeling) but we were definitely due for one," Croc Jack Dickson told AFL Cairns TV after the match.
"It will probably do us good if anything. We acknowledge what we need to do now, and we need to put it into action."
Eltringham has been a revelation for the Saints this season and leads the competition goal kicking table, while Ryan Fielding, Aaron Mullane and Lee Stewart were prominent against the Crocs.
Adam Gross (five), Ethan McCullough, Todd Shapter and Brett Meredith were all influential for the home team.
AFL CAIRNS - ROUND 6
PORT DOUGLAS 1.2 8.3 13.3 15.6 (96)
CAIRNS SAINTS 6.3 11.5 13.6 17.7 (109)
PORT DOUGLAS
GOALS: A. Gross 5, A. Davidson 3, K. Chapple 2, T. Shapter 2, C. Shiels 2, D. Davidson
BEST: A. Gross, E. McCullough, T. Shapter, B. Meredith, B. McKeown, T. Goodall
CAIRNS SAINTS
GOALS T. Eltringham 6, J. Morrison 4, J. Philp 3, T. Lamprill 2, K. Kamara, H. Cox
BEST: R. Fielding, J. Philp, A. Mullane, L. Stewart, J. Morrison, C. Wellington
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