Tigers tune-up with trio of exAFL stars for title challenge
LABRADOR won’t have to wait long to exorcise the demons of its straight-sets QAFL finals exit of last year, with post-season conquerors Maroochydore and Broadbeach ready and waiting to run it back in the opening fortnight of season 2022.
Under the guidance of master coach Nick Malceski the Tigers went from one-win wonders in 2020 to minor premiers the following season. But the wheels fell off when the whips were cracking.
A narrow loss to Broadbeach in the first final, followed by a heartbreaking defeat to Maroochydore after leading by five goals in the fourth term, punctuated a deflating end to a breakout season.
Bryce Retzlaff was tempted out of retirement by Malceski to help the Tigers chase another flag and after the disappointment of last season the skipper still has the fire in his eyes.
Another off-season of sweeping changes hit CookeMurphy Oval with the likes of Cooper Anderson, Pearce Hanley, Andy Hollis and Dylan Fyfe all departing.
But the Tigers have more than filled the void, adding a trio of EX-AFL stars in Lachie Henderson, Cam Ellis-yolmen and Andrew Boston to the fold.
Gold Coaster Boston, who last year captained Southport in its maiden VFL campaign, will co-captain alongside Retzlaff and the big man might just be the happiest key forward in the competition right now.
“We have a really good relationship straight away, being friends prior (to Boston joining Labrador),” Retzlaff said.
“He’s a great communicator and selfless player in how he goes about it.”
Boston and Ellis-yolman will bolster an already potent Labrador midfield, with Henderson now the general down back creating arguably the best spine in the competition with Retzlaff and Jake Goldsmith up forward.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed with them (the EX-AFL players) is it’s not about them at all. They couldn’t be more bought-in to the team environment,” Retzlaff said.
“When you come back to this level of footy it becomes quite enjoyable. At the top it can start to feel more like a job, so for these lads now they’ve come back and rekindled their love of footy a little bit.”
But for all the big-name ins Retzlaff remains steadfast that the club’s most important signing of the past two seasons is the man moving the magnets.
“(Malceski) steers the ship, has really strong standards and makes sure we operate between the lines,” Retzlaff said.
“(Last season) in the moment was devastating because you didn’t make it through, but once you remove yourself from it and look back, you realise we went from one win the year before to finishing on top (of the ladder).”