North Launceston’s dominant TSL era not taken for granted as Bombers shape up for sixth flag

North Launceston’s recent dominance over Launceston hasn’t always been the case, with Bombers skipper Brad Cox-Goodyer on the opposite end of some early beatings from the Blues.

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NORTH LAUNCESTON might have dominated its cross town rivals during its dominant era but captain Brad Cox-Goodyer will never forget being on the opposite side of the ledger in the early State League days.

Launceston snapped an 18-match losing streak spanning seven years in round two this season, before the Bombers restored order in round eight.

It sets up a mouth watering “decider” in Saturday’s grand final at UTAS Stadium, where Cox-Goodyer is aiming to add a sixth premiership to his already bulging cabinet.

And while the fierce rivalry between the two clubs is enough motivation for the skipper, his memories from the start of the TSL will always ensure he takes nothing for granted while North are the undisputed powerhouse of the competition.

Brad Cox-Goodyer (right) only has to think back to the early days of the TSL to remember North Launceston hasn’t always had a stranglehold of Launceston. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“I played my first year of the new State League in 2009 and I think we won the first game against them we played and then they beat us until 2014,” Cox-Goodyer said.

“A lot of guys in our football club are used to winning, but I was always on the receiving end of some pretty good Launceston teams with the likes of our assistant coach now Scott Stephens and the Finch brothers.

“Guys were running around bullying us for years. That’s something that sticks in the back of my mind because I was part of that.

“Obviously we have been giving it back to them for the last few years and they broke the streak in round two when they beat us over there.

“It [the rivalry] is definitely fierce and gone both ways, it is one all this year and whoever gets the decider will be the important one and the two other games will be forgotten about.”

Cox-Goodyer, the 2017 Alastair Lynch medallist and two-time Darrel Baldock winner, also revealed had the 2020 season not been impacted by COVID-19 he would have missed a large chunk of the campaign.

Football. Tasmanian State League grand final 2019. Lauderdale V North Launceston. Brad Cox-Goodyer North Launceston captain with the premiership cup. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

In the club’s training run before a final practice match leading into the original round one he suffered a syndesmosis injury.

“We were getting ready for our last practice match and in our last training session I actually tore my syndesmosis.

“I was going to miss three months of the year, and that was our very last training session before we got shut down.

“I had surgery a week after and was off my feet for about three months and was able to get back for the start of the year.

“It was a bit of a blessing in disguise for myself.”

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