Cougars veteran racks up big milestone

USQ Cougars veteran looks forward to reaching milestone with DDAFL club.

MILESTONE MAN: USQ Cougars player Ben Tiller will play his 200th game for the club today. Picture: Kevin Farmer

AUSSIE RULES: Veteran USQ Cougars player Ben Tiller will follow in the footsteps of his club's favourite sons this weekend.

This weekend against traditional rivals Coolaroo, Tiller will rack up a milestone achieved by just seven other Cougars when the 40-year-old plays his 200th game.

Tiller is looking forward to the game.

"We're keen to lay down a marker. Coolaroo will be one of the top teams this year and it'd be good to get a win,” he said.

"Hopefully it will get the team pumped up too and not too focused on my milestone.”

First running out for USQ in 1997 at just 19 years of age, Tiller found it hard to describe how he feels about the milestone.

"It's all a bit surreal,” Tiller said.

"When you first start as a 19-year-old you don't think you're going to play 200 games.

"It is pretty special though - spending all that time with people and players you enjoy being around. People who have similar interests to you and making great friends in the process.”

Tiller's time with USQ Cougars has spanned two decades - broken up by a brief period in Cairns.

"After I moved back from Cairns I did think it might be an opportunity to start fresh and join another club,” Tiller said.

"That was pretty short lived though. Pretty quickly I realised how much I loved the club and signed straight back up.”

Despite the longevity of his career with USQ, Tiller has only been part of two premiership sides.

"I guess I was a bit unlucky in that regard,” he said.

"In '97 I was an emergency player for the reserve grade squad that won that year. I've been an emergency for a few sides.

"I was finally part of winning side in 2016 and then we backed it up in 2017 - that was pretty special.”

Premierships aside, Tiller ranks some of his club's toughest days as his favourite memories.

"We played in Brisbane for a few seasons,” he said.

"The competition was very tough and we struggled but I think it really united us as players.

"It was so cold during a match there was one night a few of the boys were sent to hospital with suspected hypothermia.

"The other thing I'll never forget is the smell of metsal cream - it's like deep heat.

"I remember smelling it my first night of training with USQ. It always reminds me of football.”

Originally published as Cougars veteran racks up big milestone