O’Sullivan shows side how to win

WHEN the game was on the line, Darwin Buffaloes ruckman Ryan O’Sullivan took it upon himself to keep his team’s season alive against Waratah at TIO Stadium yesterday.

A multiple best-and-fairest winner when at TooleybucManangatang in the Central Murray League, the big veteran sensed his teammates needed someone to lift them at halftime.

The Buffaloes trailed the Warriors by 25 points and had only kicked three goals in the slippery conditions at TIO Stadium. They looked gone for all money.

So O’Sullivan took it upon himself to inspire his teammates, who were quieter than usual in the dressing rooms at halftime.

“It was pretty quiet and we needed a bit of a lift, and we did that in the second half,” O’Sullivan said. “You’ve got to jump in there and try to get the ball forward. You put (the team) on your own shoulders and try to help your team out, and away you go.”

O’Sullivan did just that, highlighted by a booming goal from 45m out to set up a thrilling finish. The big ruckman was visibly exhausted after fulltime after willing himself to win a stack of stoppage ball.

But that didn’t matter as he and his teammates gathered in front of their loyal and vocal supporters to thank them in helping to get their team across the line in such a massive game.

“It was a pretty good effort, to come back from where we were at halftime,” O’Sullivan said.

The fifth-placed Buffaloes are expected to make the finals now they are two competition points ahead of Waratah.

Both teams will take on respective powerhouses Nightcliff and St Mary’s in the final round – but O’Sullivan knows his teammates need to improve.

“It’s something we can’t do again – we can’t let sides get the jump on us,” O’Sullivan said. “Everyone was pretty quiet (performance-wise) until the second half.”

The Waratah players slumped to the turf at fulltime – they looked the better team for most of the match.

But the Buffaloes’ secondhalf surge was too much for them to handle.