North Launceston heads into TSL finals with huge win over Glenorchy

The bus broke down, they were late for the game, and when they got there it was a nightmare — not the best day for TSL club Glenorchy.

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THE season Glenorchy would rather forget ended with another forgettable day in the final round of the TSL season on Saturday when the team bus broken down in Campbell Town, making them late for their pre-game warm-up, and ended with a thrashing at the hands of powerhouse North Launceston at UTAS Stadium.

For North Launceston, the injury-ravaged Magpies were little more than road kill on their way to another finals series, winning the week 13 match in emphatic style, 17.11 (113) to 3.7 (25).

Glenorchy “won” the wooden spoon for the first time in more than two decades while North Launceston claimed another minor premiership.

“I was happy with our first quarter effort and after quarter-time I was disappointed with the way we moved the ball going forward,” said North Launceston coach Taylor Whitford.

“They had a lot of numbers behind the ball and at times were a little bit too happy to kick to a turn over situation.

“UTAS is a big ground and we play it well, and we need to use the ball better going forward.”

Big Bomber Zac Burt kicked four goals — more than Glenorchy as a team — and Jack Rushton and Jack Avent each kicked three.

Glenorchy coach Paul Kennedy said he would let the coronavirus-affected year sink in and turn his attention to priming the team for next season.

“The day started with our bus breaking down, and our first quarter was probably a reflection of that,” Kennedy said.

“We wanted to be the aggressor, but when they started well we went on the back foot and when you do that against North Launceston they will eat you alive and that was probably the tale of the day.”