TIGERS EYE FINALS
ONE of the last remaining pieces to turn Tigers into a genuine TSL finals contender may have been unearthed after the club’s historic victory last weekend.
Saturday’s pulsating two-point win against Burnie at West Park — the first time the side has sung the club song away from Hobart — has kept coach Aaron Vince’s men in the hunt for a maiden finals appearance.
And crucial to the result was the performance of key forward Mitch Walker, who booted five goals, including one with only two minutes left on the clock in the last quarter after the Dockers had charged back from 28 points down to hit the front.
Walker, 20, has been a revelation in attack, impressing against Devonport before having probably his best outing in the yellow and black on the road.
“When we kicked the first goal of the last quarter I thought we were nearly there, then Burnie fired back,” said Walker, who is in his second season at the Twin Ovals having joined from former SFL outfit East Coast.
“Their pressure was unbelievable in the last quarter. Coming from SFL up to TSL was a huge step, just getting used to the skills and the pace of the game was what I’ve been trying to work on.
“I knew I had to kick it [his last goal]. A bit of pressure was on me, I had missed a couple of easy ones throughout the day. I looked at the clock and it was 27 minutes, so I knew there wasn’t long left.”
Walker’s best afield efforts lifted the Tigers to 4-5 at the halfway point of the year, one game and percentage outside the top five.
It was also the side’s highest score for the year, with Vince hoping Walker can continue to become the focal point the club has been yearning for.
“We have been longing for that big forward target where we know we will have someone to compete, and he has really stood up since ‘Batchy’ [Brandon Batchelor] went down,” Vince said.
Jaye Bowden has joined North Launceston duo Zac Burt and Tom Couch atop the REACT Insurance Player of the Year board after his best afield effort on Saturday night. Bowden polled three votes as Glenorchy snapped a fourmatch losing run against Hobart City.