Saints too quick

for Towns

SAINTS are the winners of the 2005 Reconciliation Cup/Coates Hire Shield. The side, tipped to give

 the Premiership a real shake this year, gave the other sides something to think about after a

dominant weekend of football played in sweltering conditions.

Saints beat a gutsy Towns outfit 4.7.31 to 1.2.8.

Towns did it tough playing just twen­ty minutes after accounting for the Derby Lightning in a do or die final group game.

The Saints had the luxury of playing just the one game on the Sunday and predictably looked the fresher side.

The Saints midfield was explosive in the opening minutes and their pace was too much for Towns.

At the half Saints had opened up a 21 point lead with some tremendous run­ning footy.

A thrashing looked on the cards, but Towns rarely give in and worked tire­lessly in the second half. They couldn't eat into the margin and Saints celebrat­ed a well-deserved win.

The eight WKFL teams and a team from Fitzroy Crossing played a total of nineteen games over two days in front of crowds fit for a grand final, despite the heat the football was fast and furi­ous and there was little between the sides throughout the weekend.

All teams performed well, Fitzroy Crossing, with their small, fast for­wards impressed with their speed and agility around the goals and played out a thrilling draw with WKFL premiers Bidyadanga.

It was also a successful carnival for Derby Lightning who came within a game of making the grand final.

The Peninsular Bombers, David Cox, claimed a personal honour win­ning the Donnelly McKenzie Medal for the tournaments Best and Fairest.

WKFLeague president Aaron Dick wass pleased with the tournament.

"It was great to see a team from Fitzroy competing and maybe next year teams from even further afield will be invited to play," he said.

The first round of the WKFL pre­miership season kicks off on April 30 with some exciting fixtures.

Broome Saints will hope to continue their success against Cable Beach while Towns take on reigning pre­mier's Bidyadanga.

Derby Lightning are at home to the Broome Bulls and the Peninsula Bombers battle Mowanjum Hawks.

(Picture courtesy of Michael Doyle - Broome Advertiser - Thursday April 14th)