Sport
10 April, 2026
Crocs show their intentions
THE Douglas Shire has seen a big fortnight of sports.
The Crocs officially kicked off their season with a convincing win against vising Cairns Tigers.
The Sharks and Dragons were both given a small break for the Easter weekend, while the Raiders and Douglas Heat both make their final preparations for their 2026 season launch.
AFL
THE Crocs kickstarted their 2026 campaign, hosting North Cairns Tigers in their annual good Friday showdown.
The day started with the women’s games, where the visiting Tigers handled the Crocs, easily winning the game 63-2.
The men’s development match followed where it was the Crocs who were victorious, winning the match 70-39. Scott Cooper led the way kicking three goals for the Crocs.
Finally, the senior’s game round the day out, where the Crocs dominated from the beginning, thrashing the defending premiers 171-35.
Kye Chapple finished the day with seven goals, getting closer to that milestone 1000 goal achievement, Liam Bartels and Shay Linke both also scored four goals on the day.
NRL and soccer
Both the Sharks and Dragons were gifted the week off for Easter, with both teams being two rounds into the season.
While both clubs were happy with a bit of relaxation, they’re quickly back to work preparing for round three where the Sharks look to gain some form and the Dragons are looking to maintain theirs.
Rugby
The Raiders are quickly approaching their 18 April season launch as they ramp up their final weeks of training.
The Raiders were also glad to announce Luke Edwards as their captain for the season.
He said he was “proud” to be captain and that he was “super excited for what the season holds”.
Basketball
After a delayed start to the season due to looming cyclone threats, the Douglas Heat basketball club have locked in a date for their season launch.
The club will be hosting their first “invitational” competition on Saturday 18 April, where they’ll have teams from Atherton, Cooktown, Innisfail and Mission Beach making the road trip to play each other in a round robin-style carnival.
