Tigers talk up the positives
WHILE on the surface it appeared a case of deja vu, the Tassie Tigers’ 7-1 semi-final exit at the hands of the Brisbane Blaze on Saturday night was anything but, skipper Eddie Ockenden says.
Outplayed 9-3 in last year’s semi, the Tigers mounted a far stronger challenge in 2019 with a younger side, meaning the Tigers are closer to their second national title than ever.
Tassie finished with the bronze medal by virtue of ladder position, with the Blaze progressing to face NSW Pride in this weekend’s Hockey One grand final.
“The boys were disappointed we couldn’t get a shot at another final immediately after the game,” Ockenden said. “We were in the game for a large majority of it and caused them a lot of trouble.
“It felt a high-quality game in which we needed to take a few chances, but we simply couldn’t capitalise to get in front.”
The Tigers had ended the regular season with a record of three wins and two losses, comprehensively dispatching Adelaide Fire and Canberra Chill before an incredible come-from-behind 6-5 defeat of HC Melbourne at home.
“Ultimately we had three cracks at the two finalists and couldn’t beat them, which is hard, but I think it was still a very successful season for us.
“Brisbane and NSW are both stacked with national players and we were still definitely in those games.”
Ockenden pointed to the progress of the Tigers’ younger players, such as debutants Josh Brooks, Gobindraj Gill and Henry Chambers, who stepped up after former national squad members Jeremy Edwards and Kurt Mackey left the program.
“A lot of the young guys have improved dramatically, which helps push the team forward and we had fantastic contributions from our whole squad, which shows we have a bright future,” Ockenden said.
“We’ll see how they go with another year because someone like Henry is young and did well for us, but he’s going to be getting a lot better quickly also.”
The Australian selectors are expected to announce their 2020 Olympic and national development squads following the final, with Tasmania likely to be well represented.