Pre Season Concludes with strong win over the Hawks.

 Pre Season Concludes with strong win over the Hawks.

The Tigers completed their pre season trail games on Thursday night with a comprehensive win over Tuggeranong Hawks at Dairy Farmers Park.

Two games were played against the Hawks with the local Division 1 team just scrapping home in the curtain raiser.   The NEAFL match was an entertaining affair with a fast and furious opening quarter.

The Tigers tall timber up forward were too strong in the opening stanza posting 6 unanswered goals. The remainder of the game was deemed relatively close.

Both Clubs were pleased with the trial game(s) with a number of standouts for the Tigers.  Youngsters (and newcomers to the club) Beau Walker and Ben Fulford showed promise with Walker collecting a number of possessions during the course of the match.

Former ADFA full forward Jaegan McNeill is another promising youngster to the Tigers Camp and will prove a handful up forward when playing the top grade.  He was a leading goal kicker with the ADFA Division 2 premiership team of last year – although  missing the grand final through injury.

Last years Grand Final best on ground player Kaine Stevens has continued his good form along with the Tigers other on ball group of premiership players including Will Griggs, Ben King and Toby Conroy.     The return of Matt Cavedon, Matt Liddle and Paul Slater was a welcome sight – Cav returning after a number of years interstate including a coaching stint at St Albans, Lids with injury and Slats with a year off.

The trial games excluded a number of players who were unavailable including Neil Irwin, Steve Jolliffe, Sam Jensen, Andrew Swan, Jordan Longmore Mitch Daniher and Mitch Heaslip – to name a few.

In recent weeks the Club played North Shore winning comfortable in the main encounter played over 6 periods but losing the Under 18 grade trial.  A combined team of youngster played in the Batemans Bay Hawks Carnival two weeks ago winning both early matches to make the final of the Carnival only to be defeated by a Magpies outfit late in the day.

All is in waiting now for the opening round matches on Sunday 24 March at Dairy Farmers Park against Ainslie.  All grades will be playing with the very young Under 18 grade team kicking off at 9.30am.     The Tigers will be raising the NEAFL Premiership flag at approx 12 noon with many former players expected to be in attendance for the unveiling of a further 10 Walk of Honour plaques acknowledging 200 game players.