TIGERS CLUB NEWS ARCHIVE

TIGERS NEWS February 2006
Jaques brothers sign with the Tigers

Two new signings this week have bolstered the Queanbeyan Tigers ñbig manî department for Season 2006.

Brothers Daniel and Roy Jaques have signed with the Tigers after two years with arch rival Ainslie.

It is virtually unheard of for players to transfer between the two clubs but 2006 is the exception with former Tigers Best and Fairest Bill Neely joining the Ainslie Tricolours this year as Assistant Coach.

Neely won the Tigers top award in 2001 and was a member of two premiership teams under the guidance of James Dore in 1999 and 2000. Since those achievements in addition to 95 1st grade games with the Tigers he has spent the past three years in Adelaide, winning two Best and Fairest awards with Glenelg in the SANFL.

Due to family reasons he is returning to the Canberra / Queanbeyan District.

Employment opportunities at the Ainslie Club as its full time Development Officer is the main reason for his movement to Ainslie - the Tigers long time rivals across the border.

The Jaques brothers join the Tigers at a critical time for Queanbeyan who were resigned to the fact that they had not found suitable replacements over the summer months for ruckman James Geale, 2005 Best and Fairest Jamie Charlton and regular senior grade players Jason Thomas and Michael Doyle ¿ all of whom are joining AFL Queensland Club Labrador Tigers.

Daniel Jaques ¿ the older of the two brothers at age 28 - has a distinguished career. He played with the strong Port Adelaide Club in the SANFL winning a Premiership in 1998 with the Magpies after moving from his home town of Cootamundra in the mid nineties. He joined Wagga Tigers on their admittance to the AFL Canberra competition in 2002 and played 31 games with the Tigers winning the prestigious AFL Canberra competitions Mulrooney Medal in his first year.

After two years with the strong Riverina based club, he joined Ainslie in 2004.

Regarded as one of the biggest players to have ever played in the local AFL Canberra competition, Daniel Jaques has further highlighted his career with inclusion in the All Australian team selected at the Australian Country Championships in 2004 after being a member of the AFL Canberra team that successfully won the title for the first time.

A ruckman, his presence on the field for the Queanbeyan Tigers amongst an exciting group of young on ball players such as Mitch Daniher, Matt Liddle, Brett Daniher, Andrew Lieschke Chris Walmsley and Luke Whatman provides the team with youth and experience at the centre bounces.

Roy Jaques aged 26, is of similar height but with less bulk than his older brother. A regular player for the Kangaroos with 39 first grade games, he has held down the centre half back position with Ainslie for the past two years and is seen by Tigers Coach Mark Armstrong as a vital cog in the Clubs defensive unit for 2006.

ñRoys inclusion in the team certainly releases players of the calibre of Neil Irwin who played in that position for most of last year and the likes of Ryan Quade returning after a stint with the Sydney Swans into other positions around the groundî Armstrong said.

He made comment of the huge boost both players will make to what has been a subdued preseason so far for the Tigers.

ñThe experience of these two players combined with our own senior group of players and youthful on ball division has certainly given the Club a chance of taking out premiership honours in 2006î Armstrong said.