
NEAFL Dairy Farmers Park came alive on Saturday with activities all over the park to celebrate the final home and away match of the year.
Across the far side of the ground, our volunteer group of scoreboard attendants enjoyed the magnificent sunshine, a few bottles of bubbly and a busy day racking up the score for the very last time of the manually operated scoreboard.
Throughout the day, the ground was a hive of activity with a reunion of players from the 1991 1st Grade premiership team enjoying the day’s proceedings from the Growlers deck. Our Junior organisation hosted approx 100 youngsters from the Clubs Auskick and Junior program.
They entertained themselves (and others) on the hill in front of the growlers deck with mock sword fights with the club supplied thunder sticks – much to the delight of the strong crowd in attendance after which they played exhibition games at half time of the main match.
There were groups of supporters around the ground from both clubs to witness the Tigers and Hawks in the last NEAFL match of the season.
The result came as no surprise to followers of the Tigers who have seen a strong and vast improvement in the team’s performance over the past five weeks. A ten goal opening term paved the way for a welcome victory.
It provided the Club with much celebration as they held the 29th Annual 100 Club Function that evening.
Our second tier players (by way of age group) have taken the reigns with standout performances at the back end of the season. Will Griggs, Todd Dickinson, Brett Fruend and Paul Slater have all stepped up a level and with the likes of other youngsters in Sam Daniel, Ryan Price, Jeremy Kirkwood, Daniel Campbell, Steve Jolliffe, Sam Jensen and Kaine Stevens the team has started to gel as a young and up and coming group of players.
Old heads still provide the experience and knowledge and if they are all on board in 2011, then this team will move forward. It was tremendous to see Mitch Daniher back in form after an indifferent season due to injury etc. His mark in the first quarter in front of the grandstand was a beauty and contender for the mark of the year.
Queanbeyan 10 3 16 6 22 10 30 16 (196) Tuggeranong 1 2 2 4 9 6 15 9 (99)Queanbeyan Goal Kickers: D. Campbell 5, B. Fruend 4, J. Kavanagh 4, W. Griggs 3, T. Conroy 2, K. Stevens 2, M. Daniher 2, R. Jaques 2, T. Hollis 2, M. Heaslip , T. Dickinson , J. Kirkwood , S. Mackie Best Players: W. Griggs, S. Jolliffe, J. Kavanagh, T. Dickinson, R. Quade, D. Campbell Tuggeranong Goal Kickers: J. McCabe 3, K. MASTERS 3, N. IRVINE 3, A. POCOCK 2, B. Cleaver 2, S. TREVILLIAN , P. CLARKE Best Players: J. McCabe, B. Cleaver, N. Edyvean, K. MASTERS, D. NOLEN, A. POCOCK
Reserve Grade – MINOR PREMIERS
The Tigers Reserve Grade continued on their winning way to easily account for the Hawks. Like the NEAFL side, they dominated the first quarter posting eight goals to one and never looked in danger after the first break in proceedings. Three players kicked four goals apiece (Jared Daniel, Jackson Brooker and Paul Franchi) with first year player Ben Walsh and James Manie kicking three each.
This side has an excellent sprinkling of experience players mixed with the young. They enter the 2011 finals serious confident of providing strong opposition to their opponents after finishing the home and away season as minor premiers.
With the Tigers other senior grade teams absent from their respective finals series all emphasis is now with the Pavese / Campbell coached Reserves bringing home some silverware across the border.
QUEANBEYAN 8 6 15 8 19 15 24 17 (161) TUGGERANONG HAWKS 1 0 1 2 3 3 5 6 (36)QUEANBEYAN Goal Kickers: J. DANIEL 4, J. Brooker 4, P. Franchi 4, B. Walsh 3, J. Manie 3, B. WARD , B. WATTS , B. JABORNIK , K. WATTS , J. Oram , D. CORCORAN Best Players: C. Haddock, J. DANIEL, J. Brooker, J. Manie, P. Franchi, G. Hair TUGGERANONG HAWKS Goal Kickers: M. FERNIE 4, J. Brown Best Players: K. Mahon, G. WANGANEEN, D. SIDWELL, M. FERNIE, N. SMITH, N. Wright
Under 18 Grade
It looked like the Tigers would win their sixth straight game when taking a three goal lead midway through the second quarter against the Hawks only to see the top of the table Tuggeranong team claw their way back with some determined footy .
The Tigers had played some excellent football and had it not been for some inaccurate kicking they would have been well in front at the long break. Unfortunately their winning streak came to an end with the Tuggeranong team eventually taking the match with a well deserved 25 point win.
Nothing can be taken away from this team as they developed from an inexperience team at the beginning of the season into something special by the end of the year. Had they not lost four games by points during the year they could have made the finals and probably given the title a real shake.
They can look forward to next year with optimism with quite a number of players still eligible to play and a strong group of Under 16 Grade players progressing through the ranks.
QUEANBEYAN 2 3 5 6 6 10 6 12 (48) TUGGERANONG HAWKS 1 0 6 1 9 5 11 7 (73)QUEANBEYAN Goal Kickers: A. Kenworthy 4, T. YEATES , P. Maher Best Players: D. BEVAN, J. Bowyer, K. SHEA, M. Elliott, J. Galloway, S. CAMP TUGGERANONG HAWKS Goal Kickers: L. Monger 2, N. WOOD 2, M. YOUNG , P. Webb , M. Lovett , S. cryer , H. Cameron , B. SYMONS Best Players: B. SYMONS, M. YOUNG, S. HOGAN, J. Whyte, B. RENET, D. Cleaver

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