Far North Queensland is NRL heartland but last Friday night it was Aussie Rules which drew more than 2000 spectators to watch the inaugural Australian Football League Women's game played in the region.
Fans from all over the state including Weipa, the Gulf, Townsville, Torres Strait and Bamaga were joined by those who travelled from NSW and Victoria to cheer on the teams for the AFLW's Indigenous round in what was a cracker game.
Regional leaders rubbed shoulders with local politicians, business owners and die-hard fans from the first siren and it was neck and neck with a single point between the Tigers and Hawks at half-time.
But a concentrated effort by Richmond to overcome a nine point deficit as they ran onto the ground for the final quarter allowed them to overcome the Hawthorn defence and triumph with a 6.5 (41) to 4.6 (30) victory to keep their finals hopes alive.
But a concentrated effort by Richmond to overcome a nine point deficit as they ran onto the ground for the final quarter allowed them to overcome the Hawthorn defence and triumph with a 6.5 (41) to 4.6 (30) victory to keep their finals hopes alive.
Cairns AFL general manager Craig Lees said the match was a sensational boost for the code, fans and players.
Earlier, Hawthorn CEO Ashley Klein praised the venue and the passionate fan turnout.
"The ground here is the best surface our girls have played on all year," he said.
Many fans turned up early to watch family and friends giving their all on the oval in the pre-match battle between U17 Girls representative teams Cairns Lions who with a score of 5.11.41 defeated the visiting Crusaders from Cape York and Northern Peninsula Area on 1.1.7, before an enthusiastic crowd.
Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development, Cairns MP Michael Healy said sporting events such as this were "wonderful for the economy and the fabric of society".
"Cazalys is a world-class facility," he said.
"It's great Cairns can host such important games such as AFLW."
Mr Healy said he wanted to encourage more significant sporting events to make use of the facilities the region has to offer.
