Teen tigers impress skipper in huge win
of They bring a lot energy, they didn’t look a step out of place — jeez if anything they were w teaching us a fe lessons. Jason Di Betta
HERMIT Park skipper Jason Di Betta put on an attacking masterclass, however it was a pair of young guns making their debuts who he believes will be the key to another Townsville flag.
The Tigers forward finished with eight goals in the black and gold’s 26.12 (168) to 1.3 (9) demolition job on University Hawks, with a team haul of 53 unanswered points in the opening quarter effectively ending the contest early on.
However despite Di Betta’s emphatic performance in front of goal, the Hermit Park stalwart believes emerging teenage sensations
Xavier Cameron and Samuel Brooks hold the X-factor needed to return them to the top of the podium.
The pair have been heavily involved in the Gold Coast Suns’ North Queensland Academy, and both scored two goals in what was their maiden senior football appearance.
Packed with plenty of speed, energy and surprising aggression up against men, Di Betta could not fault their performance as they eradicated any age gap that may have hindered them.
“They bring a lot of energy, they didn’t look a step out of place — jeez if anything they were teaching us a few lessons,” Di Betta said.
“We’re really excited to see what they can bring for us, this was their first game and they didn’t look out of place, (it was) boys against men but it didn’t seem like that at all.
“We’ve been really lucky to have a really good junior development program here. It’s kept us in good stead.
“For the last decade we’ve been able to compete healthy for a flag.
“It was excellent, we’ve got a whole bunch of young fellas who have just come along and brought a whole stack of energy. The vibe’s great, the energy is great and we’re just ready to rip in this year.”
Coming off an opening round bye, the Tigers came out to make a statement and
were physical from the get go.
At times the game descended into push and shove as frustrations boiled over, but it showcased what Hermit Park want to announce in 2021 — they are frontrunners for the title.
Di Betta was joined by Troy Ferrier as a major member of the scorers’ sheet, finishing with five goals, demonstrating the host of attacking threats Hermit Park will field this season.
Next week for the Anzac Day round they will get the truest test of their premiership credentials, when they take on reigning champions Curra Swans fresh off another win against the Thuringowa Bulldogs.
Perhaps most pleasing for Di Betta was the nature in which the Tigers hunted the Hawks.
At times they appeared to outnumber their rivals, never allowing a teammate to be isolated with the ball.
Di Betta said they would need to embody that same mentality against an outfit that has not lost since 2019.
“We just want to run in numbers, our energy and effort was great. We stuck to our team values and rules and it felt like we had that run all day,” he said.
“It’s always a good game that Anzac game, as long as we bring that energy and effort I’m sure the scoreboard will take care of itself.”