Tigers to raise bar Premiers set top-of-table goal for 2019
EDGE Hill might have won the grand final on Saturday night, but FNQ Football hasn’t seen the best of the premier men’s team yet.
Coach Paul Fitzgerald laid down the challenge almost immediately after the Tigers’ penalty-shootout win against Southside, declaring that he wanted his side to win next year’s premiership by finishing on top of the ladder.
The feat would be a massive turnaround from last year, when Edge Hill went through 2017 with zero wins.
“This year was about being competitive. We needed to change our mentality” Fitzgerald said.
“We’ve had so much criticism coming our way. People have been criticising our pitch, people have been criticising the way we play, but what are you supposed to do when you’ve got a club that didn’t win a game last year.
“I thought we were excellent and showed a lot of spirit.”
Fitzgerald said the fact his side could level the scores three times after trailing was proof of their heart and desire.
“For a team to be down three times in a grand final – I had six players down with cramp in extra time – I couldn’t be prouder,” he said.
“We just oozed confidence from April right through until now.”
The coach said he had a hard time managing his players in extra time because so many were battling cramps.
“The last 15 minutes were very hard to coach and in the last five minutes, we played for penalties – we had nothing left,” he said.
The Tigers found new life in the penalty shootout, though.
Lifted by the confidence of goalkeeper Kev Ward, who saved the first two Southside attempts, Edge Hill slotted all three from the spot to win the decider.
While the men’s season is over, the Edge Hill premier women’s team will front up this Saturday for the Crad Evans Trophy, along with other FNQ Football premiers.
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