2004 AFL Cairns Grand Final

North Cairns (nicknamed the "Tigers") was a founding member of the AFL Cairns competition (then known as Cairns AFL) in 1956, while Port Douglas (nicknamed the "Crocs") had joined in 1989. The clubs were bitter rivals. The previous grand final in 2003 had been won by South Cairns, who defeated North Cairns by 36 points. Finals series Port Douglas defeated North Cairns by 65 points in the second semi-final, however the Tigers were still able to qualify for the grand final after defeating Cairns in the preliminary final. ==Match summary==

Moments after the rendition of "Advance Australia Fair" was completed, North Cairns players charged at the Port Douglas players. A brawl immediately began, with some club officials and spectators joining in before the match had officially begun. The brawl, which involved all 44 players, eventually ended when umpires ran to the centre of the field and bounced the ball to start the game. Fighting continued on the field throughout the game between the two teams. Video broadcast on Nine News showed a North Cairns supporter punching another man in the face as fighting continued. Six police units were called to the stadium, with a 36-year-old woman arrested for obstructing police and contravening directions. A police spokesman later said officers were "too busy breaking up fights" to make more than one arrest. North Cairns won the game by 48 points. Medal presentations were not held out of fear for more violence, and Port Douglas players almost fought with spectators as they left the field. Some fighting continued in the crowd following the final siren. Scoreboard ==Aftermath==

Immediate reactions The brawl made national news, including reports on Nine News and Ten News in Brisbane the following night.Port Douglas coach Andy Viola said that "all week [...] Jason Love had indicated it was going to be fiery, he was in the radio, in the paper, saying 'watch for the start of the game'". A report into the brawl was handed down in October following a short delay. It was the lengthiest investigation in the history of Australian rules football. On 24 February 2005, Love was given an eight-year ban from coaching, to be served concurrently with the three-year ban, after being found guilty of "bringing the game into disrepute". It was eventually ended on 15 January 2013 after he appealed to AFL Victoria, having since moved away from Queensland. ==Legacy==

In 2015, AFL Queensland called the brawl "one of the ugliest incidents in Australian rules football history", and the game has also been compared to the infamous 1990 "bloodbath" grand final in the Ovens & Murray Football League. The Cairns Post has described it as "one of the darkest days in Far North Queensland sport" and one of the most infamous moments in Cairns sporting history. ==References==