Kingborough secure elusive first TSL premiership with 15-point win over North Launceston

Kingborough are the kings of the TSL jungle with the Tigers securing a famous 15-point grand final win on Saturday to secure their first ever state league premiership. Full match report >>

Tigers celebrate. TSL grand final Kingborough Tigers V North Launceston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Kingborough are the kings of the TSL jungle with the Tigers securing a famous 15-point grand final win on Saturday over North Launceston at North Hobart Oval to secure their first ever state league premiership.

Trent Baumeler Tigers coach with players. TSL grand final Kingborough Tigers V North Launceston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The Tigers broke the game open in the second quarter with a four goal burst that eventually proved the difference in the 8.8 (56) to 5.11 (41) win with superstar midfielder Kieran Lovell winning the Baldock medal as best afield after a stunning three goal performance up forward.

Lovell, who battled calf and hamstring injuries in the back half of the season, showed why he is still one of the competition’s best players with his class inside 50 a clear standout on multiple occasions.

Fellow midfielder Eddie Cole was also terrific across the entire contest, nullifying the influence of Bombers co-captain Ben Simpson while still collecting plenty of the footy himself.

After leading his side back to the grand final 12 months after they were soundly defeated by Launceston, Tigers coach Trent Baumeler understood just how much Saturday’s win meant to the entire club.

“It’s a great day and one I’ll remember forever,” Baumeler said post-match.

“It’s been a really solid journey since I came to this club so to see the smiles on the faces of the supporters and the players, you can see it means the world to a lot of people.”

Trailing by two goals at the first break, Kingborough’s midfielders stood up and changed the course of the contest throughout the second term.

Kieran Lovell Tigers. TSL grand final Kingborough Tigers V North Launceston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Skipper Lachie Clifford, Cole and Nic Baker brought their side back into the contest with Baker’s shift from a wing into the middle critical in turning the tide back in their favour.

“We had ‘Bakes’ (Baker) outside the footy and then a few things shifted that allowed him to play more of an inside role and that was a real difference.”

Leading by 15 at halftime, an early turnover that resulted in a goal to Clifford extended the margin to a game high 21 before Lovell’s kicked his third minutes later.

Bombers playing coach Brad Cox-Goodyer kicked his second of three goals to have his side believing an upset was possible but the work of Kingborough’s back seven snuffed out any chance of that.

Ben Donnelly Tigers and Oscar Mansell North Launceston. TSL grand final Kingborough Tigers V North Launceston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Fullback Ben Donnelly capped off a stellar season with another great display while Will Clifford, Murray Bastick and Blake McCulloch’s ability to limit the influence of the Bombers forwards went a long way in the Tigers winning the game.

A competition largely dominated by both northern teams across the last decade, the Tigers win saw them become just the third southern based club to win a TSL premiership after Clarence (2009 and 2010) and Glenorchy (2016).