A triumph to remember

Covid has caused Illawarra’s sporting arenas to fall silent, but while that’s far from ideal it does give one the opportunity to reflect on years gone by: the 2018 Under-17 boys premiership rates as one of my greatest sporting joys –if not the greatest.

I’d coached the same group of kids since Auskick (Under 8s) and we’d made it to the big dance (the grand final) on four previous occasions, but every time we left the ground empty-handed.

The heartbreak of two years previous – losing to Figtree by less than a goal – was still burning in our memories.

This time the lads just scraped into the finals in fourth place and expectations were not high. We weathered the storm against Figtree in the first elimination final and then we were set to face a combined Shellharbour/Albion Park/Kiama in the grand final qualifier but injuries forced them to withdraw – so we were off to the big dance!

Our opponents, a combined Batemans Bay/Ulladulla, had recorded a comprehensive win in the grand-final qualifier so they were favourites.

An absolute ‘banger’ of the day greeted the teams at North Dalton Park. Could our lads finally break their grand-final Hoodoo?

We started in the best fashion with a goal against a reasonably strong wind. After that the Tigers seemed to slip back into second gear as the Seahawks’ running game took over and by three-quarter time they had taken a commanding 20-point lead at the last break.

Our co-coach, Austi’s own “Fabulous” Phil O’Neill (the Tigers’ longest serving coach), revved the boys up stating that this was the last chance for all of them to win the ultimate prize together.

I was quite animated in my speech to the players. I told them that, at the end of the game, they had to be able to look their coaches and teammates in the eye and tell them that they had done their best. I said that they had to be able to look at themselves in the mirror after the game and ask themselves if they’d given it everything they had. I expressed – quite colourfully – that we needed all players to use every drop of petrol in their tanks. If they ALL did that then I guaranteed there’d be a premiership medallion around their necks that night.

The boys were fired up. They knew they had to score more in the last stanza than they had in the previous three. A quick early goal gave the impression the boys were up and about. Within two minutes Austi lad Logan Davis received a free kick and, with a bit of “Home and Away”-style acting, ensured a 50m penalty on top of the free kick and saw another goal. The crowd roared and the players knew they were a chance. A Jai McPhee mark and goal with eight minutes to go edged us within one point. A quick point saw scores level with seven minutes to play. The tide had turned.

Then the moment that will live on in Tigers history: captain Jack Collimore grabbed the ball and, from 60m out on his non-preferred foot, booted it towards the goal. The ball floated over the forwards’ heads, took more twists and turns than a Dan Brown novel and after a final bounce, which was a leg-break even Shane Warne would be proud of, it trickled through the goals.

We’d hit the front! The noise from the grandstand was as loud as when Dave Warner had raised his bat at the SCG.

A bone-crunching Tommy Mott tackle and subsequent smart play from Brodie Ryan to soak up 90 of the last 120 seconds meant the Tigers held on to possession.

Then the final siren blew – we’d won! The ecstasy, the frenzy, the excitement, the euphoria and maybe even the relief that followed was a moment to be savoured.

More than 150 people ran onto the ground but I managed to find my son in the crowd. The smile and hug we shared will be etched into my memory forever. I was so happy for him and the others who had endured so much heartache on the road to that victory – but it was time to celebrate.

And celebrate we did!