Twidale courts fresh challenge with Tigers

MULTI-SPORT athlete Tracey Twidale has taken to her new sport flawlessly, making an impact for Toowoomba.

DIRECT IMPACT: Tracey Twidale has been among Toowoomba’s best in the senior women’s competition this season. Picture: Kevin Farmer

AUSSIE RULES: Tracey Twidale has made a habit of bombing threes for the Toowoomba Mountaineers for the best part of a decade.

Now she’s taking the opportunity to slot them through the big sticks for the Tigers in a different setting.

The talented athlete gave the sport a try after the completion of last year’s QBL campaign, and she said it has her hooked.

“It was the end of the basketball season last year and two of my teammates had played AFL,” Twidale said.

“As a result I decided to have a go, and as it turned out, both didn’t play last year.

“I turned up to a training session and didn’t really know anybody, but decided to give it a go.

“I was thinking it was time for a change and wanted to have a go at AFL so that put the chains in motion.”

Twidale said she has been welcomed with open arms into the Tigers fraternity, and has been able to pick up on the skills and intricacies of the game.

“I didn’t know too much about AFL, but my basketball teammates loved the game and raved about it,” she said.

“Coming into the Toowoomba team, the culture is what makes a difference. It’s just something else.

“Everyone has been very welcoming and made me feel right at home. Otherwise I don’t think I would’ve come back if it wasn’t a supportive culture.
“Being an athlete, I was confident that I could pick the game up.

“Basketball and AFL have a lot of similarities. They’re quite dynamic sports with spatial awareness, played at 360 degrees and similar movement patterns.

“This has made the transition across a bit easier.”

The Mountaineers women will take to the court in a shortened QSL season in 2020, but Twidale will take the chance to enjoy a break and support in a new way.

“I’ve played for the Mountaineers for the last nine years, and this is an opportunity to take a little break from basketball,” she said.

“I’ve been a big supporter of them for many years. I’ll cheer from the sidelines (this season) where I can.

“I’m not fully stepping away and I’ll still be around.”

Twidale and the Tigers will be looking for their second-straight win tomorrow when they head to Dalby to take on a Goondiwindi Hawks side searching for its first win.

The other senior women’s competition fixture pits South Burnett against South Toowoomba at Lyle Vidler Oval.

REDBACKS SEARCH FOR FIRST WIN

The Warwick Redbacks will host Toowoomba as both sides look to secure their first win of the Allied Pickfords Cup season.

Warwick was accounted for by Coolaroo at the weekend, while Toowoomba was defeated in the final minute by South Burnett.

The Saints can continue their perfect season when welcoming South Toowoomba to Kingaroy.

The Bombers are coming off a narrow defeat in Goondiwindi.

Dalby gets back on the field after the bye round, playing host to the undefeated Hawks.

FIXTURES

ALLIED PICKFORDS CUP: Dalby vs Goondiwindi at Dalby AFL Oval; South Burnett vs South Toowoomba at Lyle Vidler Oval; Warwick vs Toowoomba at WCU Oval. Games at 2.30pm tomorrow.

SENIOR WOMEN: Goondiwindi vs Toowoomba at Dalby AFL Oval; South Burnett vs South Toowoomba at Lyle Vidler Oval. Games at 12.50pm tomorrow.

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