Nightcliff Tigers swingman Shaun Wilson puts his assured delivery, strength and fitness down to hard work after starring v St Mary’s in the 2020-21 NTFL Grand Final
NIGHTCLIFF utility Shaun Wilson says he’s not a flashy player who stands out. But that was exactly why he took Saturday night’s epic NTFL grand final by storm.
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NIGHTCLIFF utility Shaun Wilson says he’s not a flashy player who stands out.
But that was exactly why he took Saturday night’s epic NTFL grand final by storm.
When the game – played at frantic pace from the opening bounce – needed a steady, experienced head, Wilson often got his hands on the ball.
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It was why the Tigers’ goalkicking hero Trent Melville rated him the best on ground after arguably the greatest NTFL grand final of all time, which the yellow-and-blacks won by seven points in extra-time.
Wilson kicked two goals and never stopped running all game.
But nothing has ever come easily for the veteran swingman.
“I’m the first to admit I’ve got my limitations. I’m not as flashy as others, and I don’t bring those X-factor traits,” he told the NT News.
“I just work hard, and I know how important it is to build relationships with my teammates and coaches.
“It’s nice to know I’ve played a small part in the team’s success over the past three (premiership-winning) seasons.”
You wouldn’t have to argue at great length that Wilson is one of the strongest players in the NTFL.
Again, plain hard work got him there.
“As you get older it doesn’t get easier,” he said.
“So I pride myself on what I can control. Strong training habits are No.1 for me and I try to own that.
“Gym work, conditioning and recovery are so important for me so that I can play multiple positions, and stay fit so that I’m ready to go come the weekend.”
It was this always-switched-on mindset which allowed Wilson to bounce back from a flat third quarter by his own high standards.
That was when the Tigers only kicked two goals to lead by five points going into what has become one of the greatest final quarters in NTFL history, after holding a 20-point lead at halftime.
“I like to stand up in the big moments, and early in the game I had some good moments,” he said.
“That fell away a bit in the third quarter, but then I got more of a hold of it in the fourth quarter and extra-time.
“I went back to playing my team role.”
Wilson – a former Darwin Buffaloes star who crossed over to Nightcliff at the same time as Tigers captain Phil Wills in 2017-18 – said he took his game to a new level in the second half of the season.
And that he certainly did.
Wilson finished in his team’s best six times from the Tigers’ past seven games.
“After Christmas I felt like I was starting to get consistency in all aspects of my game, and the last few months I settled in to a spot on the wing,” he said.
Wilson said his teammates would continue pushing him hard as he looked towards maintaining his renowned consistency in the 2021-22 season.
“We want to push for a fourth-straight flag, and we feel like we’ve got a really good balance of players here,” he said.
“Our Division 1 team (beaten preliminary finalists to runners-up Banks) pushes all us guys in Premier League at training.
“Having a strong squad of 35-40 players is important and we’ve got that.
“Everyone who played Premier League played their part in us winning on Saturday.”
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