The Tigers played the Beenleigh Buffaloes yesterday at the Den in the final round of the Hart Sport Division 1 Cup in perfect conditions.
The Tigers were looking to finish their home and away season in emphatic fashion with the Minor Premiership in the balance and the opportunity for a week off for the team that finished in the top spot. The Tigers were on equal points with the Coorparoo Kings and with less than one percent separating them it was down to the wire or so it seemed.
It is fair to say that the Buffaloes have had a very tough year with their senior group decimated by injury and as such they have had to battle all season but to their credit they have earned plenty of respect across the competition with the way they have dug deep.
The Tigers however had serious business to do and as such there was not going to be any quarter given nor was it expected. The Buffaloes threw their best shot at the Tigers in the first ten minutes of the game with Brodie Murdoch kicking the first goal of the game from outside fifty in a very fast start to proceedings. Once again the Tigers were slow starters but eventually got their rhythm going right across the paddock as the midfield took control with Jamie Ivers flying high in the ruck and Beau Harris and Tom Fry getting on the job at ground level.
The Tigers set about peppering the goals to kick three before the Buffaloes responded again with a very handy goal from the boundary to stay in the contest at this early stage. The Tigers finished with five for the quarter with Ryan Doolan, Zac McLean and Zac Quin all opening their accounts in what was to become a big day out for the three spearheads.
While the first quarter was entertaining and the Buffaloes were showing all the fight they were capable of, the game took a big turn in the second term as the Tigers piled on eleven unanswered goals. The Buffaloes had no answer for the Tigers relentless attack and when they managed to get a hint of an attacking raid it was snuffed out by the Tigers impenetrable defence led by Daniel Schmidt taking intercept marks or spoiling with perfection. James Stolz continued his great form in defence while Kyle Henry was strong all day.
The desperation of some of the Tigers younger brigade in Haydn Petersen and Danny Athanasellis highlighted just how desperate the team is to succeed this year. Both boys dug deep to spur their team mates on with two particular plays where they were outnumbered set the team and the supporters alight.
It was all one way traffic for the second half as the Tigers accumulated their second two hundred plus total for the season with Quin, Doolan and McLean going on a spree kicking twenty eight of the Tigers thirty three goals for the day.
While McLean kicked seven and Doolan six, it was Zac Quin in the spotlight as he romped away to kick an extraordinary fifteen goals as the team did all they could to get him over the line for the competition’s highest goal kicking award. While he kicked fifteen goals, he also sprayed the goals with another nine points which could have made the result a certainty. It has been a chase all season with the Hinterland goal kicking prodigy Rhys Magin leading the way. The last quarter saw Quin kick five and seemingly overtake his rival who was ten in front prior to this game however the news filtered through that Magin had kicked five for the day so it was a tie on 74 goals each in remarkable circumstances.
Quin had missed three games this year so who knows what might have been but with Doolan finishing on 57 goals and McLean on 44 it has been a great season so far for the Tigers in front of the sticks.
But back to the bigger story with Caloundra taking their game right up to Coorparoo at the Sunshine Coast to secure a draw putting the Tigers two points clear at the top of the table and Minor Premiers for 2024.
The Tigers will enjoy a week off as they prepare to take on the winners of the Coorparoo versus University of Queensland game in the qualifying final.
Scores: Mayne 33.18.216 d Beenleigh 4.7.31
Goals: Z Quin 15, Z McLean 7, R Doolan 6, T Fry 2, B Wilkinson, M Bruce, D Morison 1.
Best: Z Quin, T Fry, D Schmidt, H Petersen, Z McLean, J Ivers.
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