Perfect 10 from Tigers’ saviour
AS euphoria took hold of Darren Andrews in the aftermath of his grand final triumph, the shock at what he had witnessed from one man remained.
Hermit Park ace Benjamin Lynch put in a performance the Tigers faithful will never forget, kicking 10 goals to steer his side to a 18.6 (114) to 7.14 (56) victory over Curra Swans.
It was a showcase that injury very nearly prevented from taking place.
After picking up a shoulder injury in the penultimate round of the AFL Townsville campaign, Lynch was kept on ice as his police academy demands took precedence.
According to Andrews, the towering forward was determined to play earlier but had to be reeled in for his own sake.
But Andrews said he always knew that competitive spirit was within his star player.
Having played against Lynch’s father, the first-year Tigers coach said all he needed was for the 21-year-old to be half the player his old man was.
His grand final performance, an effort that earned him the player of the match medal, blew those expectations out of the water.
“When I found out he was coming up (to Townsville) I knew I had to get him. I actually played against his father Manny years ago when I was in the army and he was in the navy,” Andrews said.
“I knew what Manny was like and I thought if Benji was half as good as a footballer as I know his father was, he’s going to be an asset.
“I got hold of his number when I found out he was coming to the academy, and thank (goodness) when I rang him he said he would come for a run.
“From that first training session he slotted into our club, he felt so at home. I said to him this is a game where fellas like you can absolutely tear it apart and he kicked 10 goals, best on ground by far. He is just an absolute weapon.”
While it was expected to be an arm wrestle of a decider, Hermit Park had other ideas out of the sheds.
Youthful exuberance and fearlessness proved the Tigers’ greatest asset once the opening buzzer sounded, with 15 members of the squad under 20.
Yet while Andrews was full of praise for his young brigade, it was the presence of an injured star that he believed inspired their return to the top of the podium.
Co-captain Declan Wode was felled in round 2 of the campaign, with serious damage to his ankle ending his hopes of a dominant season.
But Andrews said he needed to keep his “spiritual leader” active around the team.
What transpired was the complete “reconstruction” of the Tigers’ midfield.
“As soon as I knew he was gone for the season I knew I had to keep him involved. I said to Wodey ‘once you’re right, let’s get you back involved as midfield coach’,” Andrews said.
“He could’ve played he reckons, but we knew he was done for the season when you twist your ankle 180 degrees.
“He’s an inspirational leader, he’s an inspirational bloke.”