Lack of TSL finals experience no deterrent for Tigers coach ahead of showdown with Clarence
The 2021 TSL season saw the Tigers set a host of new benchmarks, and now coach Trent Baumeler is urging his group to continue striving to defy expectations.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TIGERS coach Trent Baumeler has praised his side for defying all expectations in 2021 — and is now hoping his group can continue raising the bar.
The Tigers face Clarence in Sunday’s State League elimination final at Blundstone Arena on the back of their best ever roster season, which netted 10 victories, their highest individual score and biggest ever winning margin.
The next test is to now stand up in the cauldron of just its second ever senior finals contest.
“The expectations on us going into the year, probably a lot of people saw us as a bottom two team, probably fighting it out for the wooden spoon,” Baumeler said.
“We probably lost over 20 players off our list to community footy and guys like Kieran [Lovell] and Mackenzie [Willis] going up to higher levels.
“It was pretty grim around Christmas time last year but to the guy’s credit they’ve really taken that, its put a chip on their shoulder that they want to achieve and they’re a really fantastic group.
“Then we lose Tyler [Carter] in the middle of the year as well but they’ve just kept responding to every challenge.
“To win 10 games of footy, percentage of over 100, we’ve kicked our highest score this year, our biggest ever winning margin, just all those little things are just affirmation for the character of our group.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance.
“We haven’t been able to beat any of the northern teams which is unfortunate but we are 10-2 against the other teams in the south, which has been really good so onwards and upwards.”
The Tigers only taste of TSL finals football came in 2019, when Launceston dished out a 55-point hiding at Windsor Park.
Baumeler said while the group as a whole might not be blesses with loads of finals experience, enough individuals have played in big games.
“The majority of our guys did [play two years ago] but then you also look at some of our younger guys like Zach Adams, Max Collidge, Riley Ashlin, they all played in the Dev League grand final in 2019 as well.
“They’ve all played in some pretty high pressure games, Eddie Cole played in a NEAFL elimination final for Sydney Uni a couple years ago.
“MD’s [Marcus Davies] played on a pretty big stage and a final over there at the MCG [for Carlton], we’re pretty
content with that.
“The guys have got experience and they know what to expect, because it’s a different beast.
“That first five, six minutes, they’re going to go to places that they haven’t been yet this year, which is really good and we want to see our guys in those sort of scenarios and see how they stand up.”
Roos lose two more players for TSL finals
CLARENCE has lost two more players with season-ending injuries leading into its cut-throat TSL semi-final against the Tigers at Blundstone Arena on Sunday.
The Roos will be without Tasmania Devils captain Sam Banks (wrist) and enigmatic forward Tyler Penwright, who has a broken hand.
They join onballer Ethan Jackson (broken collarbone) on the sidelines.
“We’ve had some bad luck with injuries this year,” said Roos coach Jeromey Webberley.
“Tyler fractured two bones in his hand in a marking contest against North Hobart. It’s going to require surgery to fix it so he’s out for the season.
“It’s a blow. Tyler has a unique skill-set in terms of leg speed, and for a little guy he can catch it really well.
“He brings defensive pressure and we now have to find someone to come in and play that role. We think we’ve got some players who can go there and do it.
“We would have liked to have Tyler in the team but unfortunately he won’t be there for his first finals series.”
Banks must have a wrist injury repaired ahead of the AFL Draft later this year.
“He had it operated on at the start of the year. It just hasn’t healed correctly so he’s going to have another operation, so we’ve lost him as well,” Webberley said.
It’s a test for Clarence’s depth.
“So far we lost Rainbird to concussion, Ollie Davis to the SANFL to follow his AFL dream, Jackson, Penwright and Banks,” Webberley said.
Good news for Roos fans was that former Brisbane and Essendon AFL player Josh Green will be fit to play after a hamstring scare in the final home-and-away game against North Hobart at North Hobart Oval last Saturday.
“He had a bit of tightness in the first quarter,” Webberley said.
“We took him off just before quarter-time and he didn’t go on after that. We sat him out for the game because we didn’t want to risk him.
“He caught up with the physio today and got the all-clear so he’ll be fine to go this weekend.”
Defender James Holmes will return after being sat out with a bruised elbow.
“He probably could have played on the weekend and he was keen to play, but he’s just too important for us,” Webberley said.
“He will train fully this week and be right to go.”
Bombers bracing for Blues bounce-back
LAUDERDALE’S hopes of receiving an easier assignment in its last match of the TSL season may have gone out the window courtesy of Eastern Shore rivals Clarence.
The Bombers round out their 2021 campaign with the toughest ask in the competition, a trip to Windsor Park to face defending premiers Launceston.
And any thoughts of the Blues having one eye on its blockbuster second semi-final against North Launceston next weekend have most likely been squashed after the Blues were upset by the Roos last Saturday.
While just Launceston’s second loss, the jolt on the eve of the finals will no doubt sharpen Mitch Thorp’s troops — and that could spell trouble for the Bombers at a venue the hosts boast an average winning margin of 94.6 points this year.
“We have been able to play some much better footy in the back half of the year, won three of our last four games and that’s been great,” Lauderdale coach Daniel Willing said.
“But we are fully aware of what we are going up to, it is the toughest road trip in footy to go to Launceston and play them at Windsor Park and coming off only their second loss of the year.
“They will be pretty hungry. We are looking forward to the challenge, fully aware it is our last game but we are going up there to put our best foot forward and continue to play some good footy.
“If we can do that we think we give ourselves a chance.”
Lauderdale has been the “best” of the beaten brigade at Windsor Park, with the 48-point margin in round seven the closest any other team has got to the Blues.
Roos lose top onballer for clash with Demons
CLARENCE is scrambling to replacement young guns Ethan Jackson and James Holmes on the eve of the TSL finals as the Roos prepare for a “hard battle” against North Hobart in their last home-and-away game at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.
Jackson’s season is over after breaking is collarbone in a contested ball situation in the Roos win over premiership favourite Launceston at Blundstone Arena last Saturday.
Holmes hyper-extended his elbow in defense but could return for the first round for finals next weekend, causing Clarence coach Jeromey Webberley to make changes for the Dees.
“It’s a real balancing act going into the last game when you know you’ve got a final the following week _ you don’t want to rest a lot of players and put in a really poor performance or just scrape in,” Webberley said.
“We want to make sure we go into the finals in really good form.”
The finals campaign will not include Jackson, one of the TSL’s best inside midfielders.
“It’s extremely disappointing for ‘Jacko’ as an individual but also for the group,” Webberley said.
“He has been one of our best players, inside our top two inside mids as well, so that’s extremely disappointing.”
Launceston swung the axe, making six changes to the team that lost to Clarence for its clash with Lauderdale at Windsor Park.
Bomber Nat Franklin (finger) returns for his first game in two months.
Glenorchy regained bigmen Darrean Wyatt and James Deegan for its match against North Launceston at UTas Stadium, and the Northern Bombers brought in Will Edmunds and Ben Simpson.
SELECTED SIDES FOR Tasmanian State League - Round 21
NORTH LAUNCESTON v. GLENORCHY
01:00
UTAS Stadium
North Launceston
B: M. Stingel, C. Nankervis, B. Van Buuren
HB: F. Bennett, Z. Burt, R. Sanders
C: J. Avent, B. Cox-Goodyer, B. Simpson
HF: J. Rushton, T. Bennett, O. Sanders
F: J. Edmunds, T. Donnelly, B. Leary
R: A. Lee, M. Walsh, J. Foon
Int: W. Edmunds, N. Pearce, B. Sulzberger, R. Whitney
Emg: H. Bayles, M. Cossins, H. Griffiths, L. Mitchell
In: W. Edmunds, B. Simpson
Out: M. Cossins, H. Griffiths
Glenorchy
B: J. Arnold, C. Howard, B. Patterson
HB: N. Blowfield , D. Wyatt, D. Joseph
C: L. Nicholson, J. Geard, N. Reibelt
HF: A. Roberts, H. Gunther, B. Simpson
F: C. Daly, L. Brown, J. Whitford
R: J. Deegan, R. Oakley, B. Kamaric
Int: D. Brown, M. Joseph, I. Manson, C. Thompson
Emg: R. Dilger, C. Hills, T. Turner, B. Webb
In: J. Deegan, D. Wyatt,
Out: J. Meredith, M. Dilger
NORTH HOBART v. CLARENCE
02:00
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart
B: D. Ford, B. Young, H. Williams
HB: T. McGinniss, B. Walker, J. Pullen
C: S. Caswell, D. White, B. Tilbury
HF: K. Ryan, S. Banks-Smith, W. Splann
F: G. Mcleod, L. Elphinstone, J. Sandric
R: N. Jackson, J. McCulloch, C. Kilpatrick
Int: T. Liefhebber, I. Mathewson, F. Poke, C. Smith
Emg: M. Bidgood, R. Higgins, J. Menzie, A. Norton
In: Nil
Out: Nil
Clarence
B: J. Bealey, Z. Buechner, J. Holmes
HB: O. Paprotny, K. Wylie, J. Webberley
C: L. Borsboom, D. Gardner, J. Harper
HF: J. Barwick, S. Green, K. Howlett
F: J. Green, C. Garland, T. Penwright
R: O. Angerstein, B. Norton, J. Preshaw
Int: B. Alomes, H. Burgess, T. McCallum, B. Smith
Emg: R. Cowie, N. Holmes, O. Preshaw, L. Swinton
In: J. Bealey, J. Webberley
Out: S. Banks, E. Jackson
LAUNCESTON v. LAUDERDALE
02:00
Windsor Park
Launceston
B: J. Tuthill, J. House, J. Woolley
HB: S. Foley, A. Wright, B. Gillow
C: C. Brown, J. Harper, J. Smith
HF: J. Blackberry, J. Groenewegen, B. Taylor
F: J. Donnellan, Z. Morris, G. Holt
R: H. Leedham, I. Hyatt, B. Palfreyman
Int: J. Burling, J. Dowling, J. Hinds, B. Pearce
Emg: J. Boyd, K. Chilcott, L. Jones, B. Pitcher
In: I. Hyatt, J. Hinds, H. Leedham, B. Pearce, J. Dowling, S. Foley
Out: M. Musicka, F. Seymour, C. Thorp, J. Hinds, M. Hodge, J. Boyd
Lauderdale
B: N. Raglione, O. Shaw, B. Steinbauer
HB: W. Poland, T. Sookee, J. Williams
C: L. Paton, J. McGuinness, R. Sutton
HF: A. Christensen, H. Richmond, B. Rolfe
F: E. Stanley, T. Martin, S. Tilley
R: H. Smith, S. Siggins, N. Franklin
Int: L. Arnold, A. Hevey, B. Kingston, T. Ratcliffe
Emg: W. Francis, L. Gallagher, L. Hodoniczky, F. Kenny
In: B. Rolfe, N. Franklin
Out: W. Francis, L. Gallagher
Demons young star emerging as AFL draft smoky
SWITCHING back and forward between another Covid-19 interrupted NAB League season and the TSL has been difficult for a host of Tasmania’s best underage players.
But one of North Hobart’s young guns is emerging as a possible AFL draft smoky with a strong finish to the 2021 State League campaign.
Key forward Will Splann brushed off a potentially season ending finger injury earlier in the year to hit a purple patch of form for the Demons, booting five goals in the side’s second victory against Glenorchy last Saturday.
It came after another strong outing against Lauderdale, where only poor conversion (2.4 and one out on the full) ruined a commanding showing in attack.
The 17-year-old Guilford Young College student is relishing a bit of continuity with his club football, something which is benefiting both himself and the Demons, who have been at the mercy of Devils availability all season.
“It is obviously great to come back to club and get a win on the board, just having the Devils around brings a strong energy to the rest of the group,” Splann said.
“Obviously it is a bit frustrating with the NAB League and whatnot but good to string a few games together.
“It makes it a bit hard, you do want to be committed to both but at the same time you want to be as professional as possible so you are doing everything you can and communicating with all the coaches.”
Splann, son of North great Garry, isn’t giving the AFL draft much thought despite no doubt catching the eye of recruiters as an emerging key target.
“I was getting interrupted earlier in the season with a finger injury and I got told if I had of made it any worse it could have been season ending.
“But everything is good now with my body, I’m just going out there each week and trying to put my best foot forward.
“I haven’t given it [the draft] too much thought, just trying to keep playing good football and going about it the way I am.
Demons coach Clint French said the upside in Splann was “enormous”.
“He’s had well over 12 shots on goal easily in the last two weeks for us, he’s getting the opposition’s best defender, I would definitely think he is being spoken about,” French said.
TSL ROUND 20 VOTES
Tigers v North Launceston
3 Mark Walsh (NL)
2 Lachlan Clifford (T)
1 Michael Stingel (NL)
Clarence v Launceston
3 Darcy Gardner (C)
2 Cody Thorp (L)
1 Keegan Wylie (C)
Glenorchy v North Hobart
3 Will Splann (NH)
2 Tyler McGinniss (NH)
1 Chris Howard (G)
LEADERBOARD
20: Jake Hinds, (Laun), Jay Blackberry (Laun)
18: Jay Foon (NL)
14: Brad Cox-Goodyer (NL)
10: Michael Stingel (NL)
9: Dylan Riley (Laun), Cody Thorp (Laun), Baxter Norton (C), Lachlan Clifford (T)
JackJumpers to ‘go out with a bang’
It’s likely to be their last game as the NBL’s reigning title holder, so the JackJumpers plan to play like champions against the Cairns Taipans in Hobart on Saturday night.
Live stream: Expanded TNL season set to begin with a bang
A bigger and better Tasmanian Netball League season is set to kick off season 2025 with a massive opening round. See how to watch weekly games LIVE.