PROMISES

Easy to make but sometimes hard to keep.

But for the 22 Kingborough players that saluted in the club’s historic 15-point grand final triumph over North Launceston, breaking the promises they made following a late season loss was something that was never going to happen.

It’s September 2. The final round of the home and away season and the Tigers are handed their first defeat at the Twin Ovals all year by Clarence.

While in another world it may have been a loss that derailed their quest for back-to-back grand final appearances, it went on to become the catalyst for premiership glory just 21 days later.

“Clarence were better on the day than us, there was no question about that,” Tigers coach Trent Baumeler said.

“We just didn’t show up like we normally do. That was disappointing because we’d set ourselves a goal not to lose at home all year. So to get to the last game of the year and be 8-0 and then finish it 8-1, we weren’t able to tick it off.

“But looking back, it was probably the best thing that happened to us. It was a wakeup call and reminder. It really flowed into our theme for finals around the Tim Tebow promise speech.”

Tebow, an NFL legend and former college standout, gave one of the most iconic post game speeches on September 27, 2008.

It came after the undefeated Florida Gators loss to the un-ranked Ole Miss at home, almost 15 years to the day of the Tigers grand final win.

After the game, Tebow apologised for the loss and promised they would do better.

He would keep good on this promise, as the Gators would not lose another game for the rest of the season and would go onto win the National Championship.

“As a coach, storytelling and connection and the way you drive your players is just as important as the x’s and o’s you put up on the whiteboard,” Baumeler explained.

“You normally have some that you store away and call upon and the Tebow one fitted in beautifully. It resonated with me and a soon as the game was finished I had it in my head that it was the direction we were going to go. I flicked it through to the leadership group on the Sunday morning and they came back really positive.

“We watched the video in our review on the Monday night and then the players went back and wrote down what their promise was going to be for the next three weeks and put them up on their lockers.

“I thought it was really important that the players took the time to physically write it down and think about what the next three weeks looked like for them and what they were willing to sacrifice for their teammates, their footy club and the community to be able to give ourselves the best chance to win a premiership.

“I went around and read them all and when you see things like being a selfless teammate and winning a premiership for the supporters and families, I thought it would be pretty tough to beat us because I could see what it meant to group.”

“Sometimes you get them right and sometimes they go wrong but it was pleasing that this one connected.”

LOVELL’S BALDOCK WIN

The win over the Bombers wasn’t without its own homegrown storylines with none arguably bigger than the three goal, best afield game of Baldock medallist Kieran Lovell off back-to-back injuries.

Missing the final four rounds with a calf complaint, the 26 year-old returned for the qualifying final only to go down with a hamstring strain early in the contest.

It was a cruel blow for one of the TSL’s premier midfielders but Baumeler was confident he was always a chance to play in the grand final.

“Probably in my mind, he was definitely always playing,” he said.

“The injury was tendon based and not muscle which helped. The only real issue Kieran had was around his ability to pick the ball up off the ground because he could still do top speed running.

“We spoke on the Monday after the qualifying final that he would be given every chance to play so it was just about us doing everything right to get him to the point he could be confident to do that.

“We made a few jokes that we’d play him in the forward pocket and he’d kick a few and win the medal so it’s amazing it turned out that way.”

HEARTBREAK STORY

While Lovell was the grand final good news story, fellow midfielder Lochie Griggs was undoubtedly the hard luck one.

The winger had put together a career-best year but had gone down the week of round 21 with a nasty knee injury that put him in a race against time to return for finals.

And while it was a race he ultimately lost, the 24 year-old’s determination to return to the line-up wasn’t lost on Baumeler or his teammates in the lead up to the decider.

“Lochie did everything he could to get himself to the line and if the game was seven days later, he would have played. That’s how close he got,” Baumeler revealed.

“I think that sort of spurred the boys on in a sense though. We felt like we had an obligation to him (to win) because he had put everything in to try and turn a six-to-eight week injury around in three, and he very nearly did it.

“That’s never an easy conversation to have, especially when someone wants something so bad. I’ve coached Lochie for a long time but it was the right decision because his body wouldn’t allow him to play his role on the wing to the standard he had set.

“He is 100 per cent part of (the win) though. It can be hard for players that don’t take the field on the day to feel a part of it but to see him involved, pre-game and post-game, was a real sign of his maturity and growth as a person.”

OFF-SEASON RECRUITMENT

After going down in the 2022 decider by 72 points to Launceston, Baumeler knew the Tigers had to get better. As he describes it, they had to find that extra “five per cent”.

That came in the form of a strong recruiting drive during the off-season.

Losing a host of star players that included Jordan Lane, Zach Adams, Luke Graham and Sam Duigan following the loss to the Blues, the Tigers had to get busy if they were going to once again challenge for a premiership.

And get busy they did.

That started with adding former Cygnet players James Zeitzen and Murray Bastick as key pillars at either end of the ground, with their additions allowing other dominoes to fall.

Jake Williams signed from Claremont as a ready-made forward replacement for Graham while former TSL stars James Webb (Glenorchy) and Nic Baker (Lauderdale) completed what proved to be a highly successful recruitment drive for the eventual premiers.

While Baker would miss the final nine games of the season with a nasty finger injury, his return for the finals series would prove critical in the win, while Webb’s return to the state league was an outstanding one given his consistency across the year.

“Nic’s return worked out well for us,” Baumeler said.

“His second and third quarters in the grand final, when he shifted into the middle, went along way to turning the game.

“But bringing in both ‘Bakes’ and ‘Webby’, along with the other new guys, was crucial all year.

“Those two guys allowed us to have those extra bodies and different combinations at centre bounce. For a long time it’s been Lachie Clifford, Kieran Lovell, Eddie Cole and Will Campbell so I think being able to shift the dynamic in there really brought a new look to the side.

“The thing with those boys though was that they all had grand final experience. The Cygnet lads had played in the losing one last year while ‘Bakes’ had played in a couple with Lauderdale. ‘Webby’ also had tasted success at Glenorchy so it was important to bring someone in that understood what that felt like.

“Looking back, we probably lost a few more than we wanted though. There were times in the pre-season where you do get frustrated because you know you have a good team and then someone leaves and you are chasing your tail to replace them, but what this group is really good at is playing their role.

“I know that term can sometimes be looked down upon but they are the ones we celebrate the most internally.

“A guy like George O’Neil for example. He is probably one of the best guys I’ve ever coached and he plays his role perfectly in team defence.”

SKIPPER’S STANDING

While off-season recruitment definitely helped, the internal growth of a number of players was also key in the Tigers success.

While major improvement was seen by the likes of Griggs, O’Neil, vice-captain Ben Donnelly and forward Max Collidge, none was bigger than captain Lachie Clifford.

Already regarded as one of the competition’s best midfielders, Clifford took his game and consistency to new heights in 2023.

A career-best year, Clifford averaged 27.1 disposals (fourth in TSL), 13.3 contested possessions (second) and 8.2 clearances (second), that was capped off by two outstanding finals displays.

After finishing with 33 disposals, nine clearances and six inside 50s in the qualifying final, Clifford backed it up with the ultimate captains’ game in the grand final.

The 24 year-old collected 30 disposals, 17 contested possessions and 12 clearances while also kicking an important goal at the start of the third quarter, the Tigers fifth in a row.

“It’s nice to see him get some public recognition for the way he has gone about it,” Baumeler said.

“But he is the sort of bloke that couldn’t care less about that sort of stuff. At 24, he is a premiership captain and he has always been an outstanding leader.

“I was his line coach at the Mariners when he was captain so I saw first-hand how he operated. As soon as I got the job, he was someone we earmarked as a future captain.

“(Former skipper) Sam Rice did an amazing job at mentoring him and preparing him for the job and to see him put together a career-best season in just his third year as skipper is a credit to him.

“It was important for me to get that opportunity to lift the cup with him because he has been a big part of the journey.”

SUSTAINED SUCCESS

While he urged his players to enjoy the spoils of premiership glory, Baumeler said the wheels would start to turn quickly at some point towards the final year of the competition in 2024.

And while he understood they had now gone from the hunters to the hunted, he was confident his group had the drive to become back-to-back premiers.

“When the dust settles, everyone should want to feel what we felt last Saturday again,” he said.

“It’s one of the best feelings you can have, particularly the way we did it, from the bottom to the top. That should really drive the boys in the off-season to achieve that success again.”