Page 54 - AFL Queensland 2014 in Review

AFL came to Cairns for a fourth straight year, as the Gold Coast SUNS hosted a new opponent, the Western Bulldogs, at Cazaly’s Stadium on Saturday, July 12.
The Round 17 match up was the fourth played in the Tropical North and the first by the Western Bulldogs, with 9,743 spectators attending.
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AFL COMES ALIVE IN CAIRNS
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The week leading up to the match kicked off with a clinic for children with disabilities, providing them an opportunity to experience Australian Football with activities modified for them, while local community leaders from a range of backgrounds attended a session to learn more about Australian Football.
Sixty local coaches heard from Kevin Sheedy and Brendan McCartney at an AFL Queensland Coaches Master Class, gaining insights from the high-profile mentors.
Both clubs immersed themselves in the Cairns community, holding open training sessions in the days before the match.
Western Bulldogs player, Jordan Roughead, visited Cairns in May, taking a tour of AFL Cape York House and attending some AFL Cairns Juniors matches.
Gold Coast SUNS player, Jack Martin visited a number of Cairns attractions as the match approached, including Palm Cove, and Cairns Tropical Zoo as well as some local schools.
The Bulldogs also headed to numerous junior clubs in the region as part of their trip to North Queensland, with more than 500 burgeoning footballers treated to a visit from the players.
On the day, the Gold Coast SUNS Academy U17 team had their share of the spotlight, playing as a curtain raiser to the AFL match.
The Bulldogs’ inaugural foray into Cairns paid off for them with a 13.16 (94) – 9.12 (66) win over the SUNS in humid conditions.