The Tigers are eyeing off their first finals after Saturday’s victory over the Demons at North Hobart Oval
The Tigers are eyeing off their first finals appearance in the TSL after Saturday’s victory over the Demons.
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THE Tigers escaped North Hobart Oval with a last gasp win over the plucky Demons, and now the club has a much bigger target in its sights — its first TSL finals.
North Hobart midfielder Nathan McCulloch’s last kick of the game, a snap from the deep forward pocket, was just a touch narrow and instead of levelling the scores, the Demons suffered a heartbreaking five-point loss, 10.11 (71) to 10.6 (66).
The tight result was significant as with Clarence going down to Lauderdale, the Tigers are now two games clear of the Roos (who they play next week) in fifth spot and eyeing off their first finals appearance since joining the TSL in 2014.
Tigers coach Trent Baumeler said post-season action was a realistic goal.
“We make no bones about that, we’ve talked about it we would like to be the group that plays finals for the first time in the club’s history in the TSL,” Baumeler said.
“All we’ve done by winning today is given ourselves that opportunity. We’ve just got to keep putting in the work.”
But to do so the Tigers had to survive a huge scare.
They lead for the vast majority of the day thanks largely to three first half goals to Tyler Carter and the work of Lochie Griggs (32 touches), onball star Kieran Lovell (29) and midfield bull turned forward Lochie Clifford (two crucial third-term goals).
Leading by 15 points at the last break, the Tigers seemed to have the Demons measure, only for the home side to kick two quick goals to bring the margin back to within a straight kick.
They would be the only goals of the last term as the match became an arm wrestle dominated by stoppages and fierce tackling until the final siren ended the thrilling contest.
“Sometimes you’ve got to win a scrap and that was a scrap and that’s good to win different ways,” Baumeler said.
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“At the end of the day it is four points and that’s what matters and keeps it in the five.
“That was our focus, we had to walk out of here with a win no matter how you had to do it.”
Demons spearhead Colin Garland injured the hamstring on his good leg after returning from a three-week lay off from a similar strain on his opposite side, but somehow battled on manfully to provide a target and still somehow kick one of the only two goals in the last quarter.
The Demons remain winless, but coach Richard Robinson said they were far from flattened.
“I think we’ve improved a lot since last year,” Robinson said.
“Last year we were uncompetitive and I know it is easy from the outside to say, ‘You don’t win’, but we still get guys turning up with smiles on their faces, so today would have been reward for their effort.”
brett.stubbs@news.com.au
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