Tigers take battle of the big cats
NOOSA overcame a horror road trip, then a horror start, to book a place in the grand final with a superb fighting win over Palm Beach-Cururubin at Salk Oval on Saturday.
The Tigers did it extremely tough.
They hopped on board a bus on the northern end of the Sunshine Coast at 9.15am, and for the 2nd time this season (Round13) spent more than five hours in transit to the Gold Coast due to a smash on the highway, then coughed up a six-goal start to the minor premiers.
It was enough to suggest the Tigers were going to feature in next weekend’s preliminary final because they looked totally set up for the kill.
Instead, after a magnificent comeback, it was the Lions despatched to that schedule as Noosa booked a home-town grand final after they beat the Lions by 16.18 (114) to 14.13 (97).
PBC led 7.2 to 1.6 at quarter-time, their big forward dominating and feasting off a feast of possession provided buy a rampant midfield.
But, after that, Noosa outscored the home side by 15.12 to 7.11 – a comeback delivered on the back of sheer hard work and team ethic.
It was the same shortly after half-time when., leading by a goal, PBC opened with the first two goals and kicked 19 points clear. It looked like the Tigers were gone again.
“It was a pretty long, slow trip and maybe we were a bit flat because we just walked off a bus,” said Noosa coach Wayne Fletcher of the lethargic start by the Tigers for a game that kicked off at 3.15pm.
“But to our guys credit they showed a great amount of character, they dog deep and fought back from that.”
To turn around the early trend, Fletcher asked for a lift in the midfield. The players responded and took control.
“Obviously they (PBC) were cleaning us up in the centre and at the stoppages,” he said., although he had reason to believe his side was still well in it.
“Sure, they kicked 7.2 and we kicked 1.6, so we’d had our opportunities.
“I’m pretty proud of the boys to come back and play like they did after spending five hours on the bus.”
A big-hearted performance from ruckman Peter Trompf drew deserved high praise from Fletcher.
The Tigers were hurt when back-up Ryan Jeffrey was inconvenienced by a corked thigh, so Trompf took it upon himself to tackle the Lions virtually single-handed.
Trompf, a fiery type who can lose the plot at times, did not look like putting a foot out of place.
“I thought Peter was outstanding . He led from the front and was very disciplined,” said Fletcher.
“He was hard and he was aggressive – yet he was disciplined. I don’t think he gave away a free kick for the game.”
Jack Rhodes through the middle, Zac Smith on a wing, Nick Hammonds and Brad Kearney also stood out, although the latter looked to be in trouble with a leg injury after he left the ground late in the final term.
“Zac Smith was consistent over the four quarters and it was probably his best game of the year.,” said Fletcher.
As for the Lions, it was evident Noosa’s pressure took its toll. Rarely have we seen a PBC side fumble so badly as they did on Saturday – yet they still lost by only three goals.
Too many spilled marks, many of them uncontested, hurt the home side but it is not the end of the world, according to coach Craig O’Brien.
In fact, the hit-out will only serve to steel the Lions, he said.
“I believe we reqlly needed that,” he said, explaining that PBC’s run into the game consisted of ‘soft’ matches against struggling Burleigh and Coolangatta, followed by a week’s break while the first round of finals was played.
Fletcher certainly believes PBC will hit back, acknowledging the Lions’ recent match program was no exactly taxing.
Rover Mikal Bloom., who copped a broken nose in an off-the-ball incident early, played on courageously in between blood-bin stints to be best for the Lions.
Evergreen defender James Drake, apart from an unbelievable and uncharacteristic clanger late, was also prominent, and Chris Williams did not give up.
Defenders Scott Vis and Matt Flynn were serviceable throughout.
Storming Surfers finish buries the Roos
SURFERS Paradise coach Paul Hams was still pinching himself on Sunday morning after the Demons eliminated title candidates Maroochy-Northshore from the premiership race at Fisherman’s Road on Saturday.
At one stage late in the game the Demons were seven goals behind and just about everybody in the Surfers camp was looking ahead to the traditional end-of-season wake.
All but the players, that is, because they somehow conjured up an escape act that pushed them into next weekend’s preliminary final against Palm Beach-Currumbin.
“I have never seen a game like that in my life,” said Hams after Surfers took the first semi-final by 21.13 (139) to 19.11 (125).
Surfers trailed by 27 points at three-quarter time, but added an incredible 9.1 to 2.2 coming home.
“At the 13-minute mark of the last quarter we were 42 points down, then we kicked nine in the space of about 15 minutes.
“I had to pinch myself this morning (Sunday) and I just can’t explain what happened. If somebody can, please tell me.
“I can remember saying to my assistant coach (Wayne Petterd), ‘it looks like we’re having a beer tonight – and plenty more again in the morning’.
“Even the Maroochy crowd thought it was all over because they started singing the club song at one stage.”
The rabbit Hams pulled out of the hat involved throwing four players on-ball and also switching the goal-less key forwards Ben McEntee (full-forward to centre half-forward) and Matt McCormack. Both featured in the late goal rush.
But the key certainly laid at the feet of the Surfers midfielders, who were superbly led by Travis Tamburro, Simon Fenton and Brad Scalzo.
Hams said Tamburro collected 18 possessions on the first quarter alone, suggesting Maroochy did not pay him due respect.
“God knows how many he finished the match with,” said Hams.
“But every player had a go and that’s probably the key.”
Lively flanker Adam Hall, ruckman Jon Stephens and rover Nathan Sullivan were other consistent performers for the Demons, who went into the match rank outsiders after defeats by margins of 74 and 80 points in matches against Maroochy this season.
On Sunday morning Maroochy’s coach Peter Somerville was still trying to come to grips with the unbelievable collapse of the Roos.
“The boys just switched off, they thought they’d won it,” said Somerville.
“I’m shattered, just gobsmacked.
“Seven goals up? Something like that should not happen. The playing group out there had it in their hands. They should have shut it down.”
Working against the Maroochy cause was the late start to the game, which cost the club the services of star on-baller Ben Mathews, who had to rush from the ground to catch a flight to Sydney for a pre-arranged function.
“It was not a problem until the game got delayed,” said Somerville.
“It was probably our mistake from a coaching side, but he needed to go and it all looked to be good.
“But, yes, it probably did hurt us losing his experience.”
Somerville, though, insisted his players must learn from what happened if the club is to build on what was such a good season – until they dropped successive finals.
Best for the Roos on Saturday was clearly small forward Ben Weightman, who kicked six goals in a Stephen Milne-like performance.
Tom Booth, used as a half-back and forward line utility, defender Peter Hay on McEntee, and wingman Paul Medveczky also shone for the home side.
Reserve grade:
PALM Beach-Currumbin were outscored 20 shots to 16, yet still held on to beat Wilston-Grange in the second semi-final at Salk Oval on Saturday.
The Lions came from behind to win by 11.5 (71) to 8.12 (60) with Jack Berry, Clint Schneider and Matt Derrick their best.
Wilston-Grange had Jake Waters, Lee Peters and Brad Percy as their best.
PBC are now through to the grand final while the Gorillas front up to Maroochy-Northshore in next weekend’s preliminary final after the Roos downed Noosa by 18.17 (125) to 8.8 (56Z) at Fisherman’ Road in the first semi-final.
Adam Thornton and Jason Weckert both kicked four for Maroochy who had Thornton, Declan Magill and Kane Tyson as best.
For the Tigers, Brendan Clohesy, Michael Lonie and Jesse Hawksworth all tried hard.
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