Tigers planning yet another final fling

DEATH, taxes and the Kingborough Tigers making the Masters grand finals are life’s only certainties.

The Kingborough Tigers head to Richmond tomorrow for their 12th straight grand final, having lost just one in all that time — the 2014 decider to Lindisfarne.

By contrast, the Lauderdale Superjets are chasing their first flag since the early 2000s, having lost last year’s grand final to the Tigers.

Tigers midfielder Jarrod Collis, in his first year in the Masters after playing with Kermandie, TSL Tigers and University previously, said the team was chasing history.

“The boys are going for five in the row and that has only been done once before so we are not creating history, but next year we might be able to if we get over the line,” Collis, 34, said.

“We’ve always had pretty good battles against Lauderdale and Sunday should be no different.”

Masters is traditionally about enjoyment and getting some exercise with not a huge emphasis on winning, but Collis said there was no doubt a grand final gets the competitive juices flowing. “It will, there is no doubt about it,” he said. “’Spotty’ [playing coach Todd Pepper] has got us in a space where we know every contest is going to be crucial. Grand finals can be funny games but we know if we continue with the form we’ve had most of the year we should get the result we want.”

Lauderdale’s Julian Proud’s path to the Masters is the complete opposite to that of Collis.

Proud, 46, only took up football two years ago having spent his entire sporting life playing soccer. “It is a great engaging sport,sport,” Proud said. “It was a newew challenge ... at this stage of life I thought I could always do something new and new challenges.”

The Superjets include Lauderdale’s TSL assistant coach Clinton Brown and the Masters team has the support of the entire club.

“They are quite excited the old grey-haired team has something to play for, so there is a bit of excitement across the club,” Proud said. TOMORROW’S MASTERS GALA DAY PROGRAM: 11am (third v fourth) Lindisfarne v DOSA Roosters; 12.30pm (fifth v sixth) Sorell Eagles v Hobart Pigskin Warriors; 3pm (Masters grand final) Kingborough Tigers v Lauderdale Superjets.