The Examiner’s Rob Shaw, Brian Allen and Ben Hann unpack and discuss the sports news across Northern Tasmania.
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00:07 Welcome to episode 22 of the Pressbox, the Examiner's weekly sportscast.
00:11 As you'd expect in mid-September, it's dominated by football.
00:14 It's another huge weekend that we've just had and another big one coming up.
00:18 Josh Partridge is on the interchange bench this week.
00:21 He's been busy catching up with Sam Siggins,
00:23 the newly crowned Alistair Lynch medallist.
00:26 So Josh is absent this week.
00:27 So we'll be looking back at the NTFA and
00:30 then looking ahead to the State League Grand Finals in both.
00:33 And Ben, you've got a bit of a spat to start us off with.
00:35 >> Yes, it was a massive weekend of sport, as we all well know.
00:39 I could have gone, for my moment of the week, with OLS and
00:44 their fourth time of asking, getting the grand final that they really wanted.
00:48 I could have gone with Big Ang Posta Coglu, the Tottenham Hotspur manager,
00:54 getting his team to the latest ever winning Premier League
00:58 comeback goals in the 98th and 100th minutes, Brian.
01:02 It was absolute scenes at my house late on Sunday night.
01:07 But what I'm gonna go with here is Brian Allen, my colleague over here,
01:10 on Friday, put his neck on the line and did his tip for
01:15 what would happen in the Hillwood versus Rochelle Grand Final.
01:19 And as you can probably see down the bottom there,
01:22 he has tipped Rochelle by ten points.
01:24 Now, Brian, what was the score on the weekend in the Hillwood versus Rochelle
01:29 Grand Final?
01:29 >> It was 63 to 53.
01:32 >> Was that Rochelle's way?
01:33 >> Rochelle's way.
01:34 >> So not only has he tipped it right, team,
01:37 on the dot with the points in the margin as well.
01:40 So all kudos goes to Brian with his tip there,
01:44 cuz that's an amazing achievement.
01:47 >> Thanks, mate.
01:48 It's pretty ironic because I'm actually last in the AFL tips in the extended
01:53 gammon, like I'm Jedset 11th out of 11, and I think I'm three tips behind tenth.
01:58 So- >> [LAUGH]
02:00 >> And a couple of weeks ago,
02:01 I didn't ask you to put your house on who you thought was gonna win, and they didn't.
02:05 >> Yeah.
02:06 >> [LAUGH]
02:07 >> Yeah, it's very funny.
02:10 >> But talk us through what it was like.
02:12 >> Yeah, yeah.
02:13 I guess just with that tip thing, obviously,
02:16 I've been taking more notice of the NTFA than the AFL.
02:19 So I sort of wrote for
02:21 Lee by 10, just sort of popped in my head last Monday after the pre-lim.
02:26 I just sort of thought the fact that they'd played three finals in a row and
02:30 built up all that form, as opposed to Hillwood having breaks in between,
02:35 was in their favor.
02:36 So yeah, it sort of just stayed in my head for the week.
02:39 And then, yeah, I went with it.
02:42 Like I gave myself a chance to change my mind, but
02:45 ended up just going with it publicly in the analysis article.
02:49 And it's fair to say I was fairly nervous at quarter time when Hillwood was up by
02:54 five goals, and I thought, I've got no credibility at all.
02:58 Like, I've clearly misread this.
03:00 And yeah, I suppose it's just lucky that it sort of panned out the way it did in
03:04 terms of the tip.
03:07 But yeah, it probably, it made me a little bit nervous going into the game,
03:12 because I've put my neck on the line publicly with a tip, and
03:16 also said that there should be hopefully 10,000 people there,
03:21 which would 4,000 more than last year.
03:23 So I guess I definitely went into the day a bit nervous,
03:28 just in terms of, like I do those things, try and create a bit of interest.
03:32 And but you never know how people react to that sort of thing.
03:36 So the game, just on the game itself,
03:39 I'll just sort of go to the three key points of where I thought it was won.
03:46 So Roach Valley's down by five goals at quarter time, and
03:50 I went out to the Roach Valley huddle, and Josh Ponting was actually relatively calm,
03:54 and focused, and said basically that the wind was a huge factor in the game, and
03:59 that they could get back into it.
04:00 So I think rather than sort of stressing out,
04:03 it was five goals is a lot to be down by in any game.
04:06 >> Good to have an experienced player like that there.
04:08 >> So I thought that was big.
04:10 Then Josh Houghton kicked the 1,000th career goal in the third quarter.
04:16 And that just, everything changed after that.
04:20 I think he had really good accuracy on a day that was hard to kick goals.
04:26 So and then I think it just sort of lifted them.
04:30 Like you tick that off and then it's pretty exciting.
04:34 So and then I just, it was interesting post game, and
04:37 this is sort of the interesting part of our job is like just talking to like
04:41 Ponting and cousins, they sort of talked about how,
04:44 they'd heard that Hillwood really felt there was gonna be one in the third quarter.
04:48 And Ponting talked about Hillwood felt,
04:51 they heard Hillwood felt they had the fitness edge in the third quarter.
04:54 And then that was sort of backed up by Jake Pearson.
04:58 He's the Hillwood coach.
05:00 His post game comments that they sort of felt that they could get it done.
05:05 In that sort of third term, and as it happened in the game,
05:09 Hillwood had the breeze in the third quarter.
05:11 So it really did come down to that.
05:12 And I think, I can't remember who,
05:14 what the exact sort of scores were in the third quarter.
05:16 But Roach and Lee basically didn't let the game get away from them.
05:22 And I think they trailed by ten points at three quarter time and
05:25 then they came home with it.
05:26 So I'm just basically saying, I think Roach and Lee were pretty motivated that
05:30 they sort of heard that the third quarter was perhaps where it was felt they'd fall
05:35 down and they stood up, so yeah.
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06:25 >> And obviously it was a big day, it was four grand finals.
06:29 That grand final didn't start till four o'clock.
06:31 How do you sort of see all that sort of dynamic to it?
06:34 >> Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna be a bit critical of that.
06:37 But I'm gonna offer a solution as well, so it's not just a whack or anything.
06:42 I really feel that the day was too long and
06:49 there was sort of too much alcohol involved by four o'clock and beyond.
06:55 And yeah, in the third quarter of the grand final, it sort of blew over in
07:00 the crowd and the police and the security were involved.
07:03 Which is actually a pretty similar thing to what happened last year.
07:07 I can't remember exactly which grand final day or whatever, but
07:11 I remember at Utah's it sort of blew over in the crowd late in the day.
07:15 So my solution with this is that I just don't feel like you can have
07:19 a senior grand final at four o'clock.
07:23 And that instead, we should have like an Australian Open style sort of ground pass.
07:28 And you get one ticket that gets you into Invermay Park and
07:33 Utah's and it's two games that are played at Utah's and
07:38 two that are played at Invermay.
07:39 The seniors will be, men's will be played at Utah's at like 2 or
07:43 2.30, which is just the normal time that was the whole season.
07:47 And then Invermay, I've said this a lot since I got here,
07:51 it's probably the best country footy ground surface in Australia.
07:56 The teams are so
07:58 lucky to be playing on there throughout the season just because of how well it's kept.
08:02 So, yes, the key reasons are, I understand the importance of the alcohol in
08:10 terms of sales and that sort of stuff, but we've got to make it more family friendly.
08:15 And yeah, I think the NTFA has a bit to think about during the off season.
08:20 >> Yeah.
08:21 Ben, just to wrap us up, the NTFA women's as well.
08:24 >> Yes, as previously I just touched on right at the start there,
08:28 OLs have pulled off an almighty upset against British North.
08:32 British North were, I think everyone would agree, the best team all year during
08:35 the season, they won their 16 previous games going into that match,
08:40 including four times, I believe, against OLs.
08:44 So, I don't think anyone would have tipped Old Launcestonians going into the game,
08:49 and yet it was just such a fast start.
08:52 They were clearly really motivated.
08:53 They'd been there before three times having lost the game, the big grand final.
08:58 So, you could see there was a bit of extra motivation, perhaps for
09:01 them over a British North team, it was their first time in the grand final.
09:06 And yeah, pretty much, I think Coach Abby Green said this the other day,
09:10 she could feel it as soon as she walked in the room.
09:12 So, they were way more relaxed than they had been last year, and
09:15 you could just see they were really motivated.
09:18 And Bobby made a good comment as well, British North coach Bobby Beams said,
09:22 look, in women's football, in these sorts of conditions,
09:24 when a team gets a three goal lead to start the match, it's really hard to sort
09:28 of pin that down, especially on a massive ground like Utah's is.
09:31 So yeah, the Blues got the job done, and yeah, it's a surprise result, but
09:36 it was great to see the reaction at full time from the Blues players.
09:40 >> And you boys spent all of Saturday at York Park, at Utah's.
09:44 What did you think of the whole occasion of all the finals together, and
09:48 what about Brian's points?
09:49 >> Yeah, I think it was obviously quite a unique aspect of it being
09:52 eight different teams.
09:53 So there was probably a lot of people coming in and out over the day, but
09:56 there was always a good atmosphere.
09:58 There was never any sort of lull, every game had its own unique vibrancy.
10:01 But the Aideens grand final was amazing to watch.
10:04 It was a bit of a slow start scoring wise, but
10:05 it was really close, some really cool moments.
10:08 Old Scottish game, third flag for the season, which is quite something.
10:13 And yeah, it was just, those sorts of days,
10:17 you sort of coming from Victoria, where you don't have this sort of thing
10:21 of playing at a ground like Utah's stadium,
10:24 I think that's a really cool aspect to it.
10:26 That I think people in Monsess should really know,
10:29 that's really cool that they get to do that for a grand final.
10:31 >> Yeah, absolutely true.
10:32 >> And probably should know, what was the crowd number that you've been given?
10:37 >> It was, I think we heard the last count was just a bit over 8,000 people.
10:43 So still a lot of people throughout the whole course of the day.
10:47 >> Yeah, and I think that they said last year was a record, so
10:49 this is 2,000 extra.
10:52 And yeah, that should not be forgotten within everything that I've said,
10:55 is that it was an awesome day and there were so many people there.
11:00 And I just want to make it even better.
11:01 >> Yeah, I like the idea of the Australian Open ground pass.
11:05 >> Yeah, well, it's gonna be easy enough, isn't it?
11:09 You just, there's obviously a walkway- >> It's just a gate.
11:10 >> There's a walkway between the two grounds, so yeah.
11:13 >> In the absence of Josh, I'll just wrap up what happened.
11:15 So that was all on Saturday in the NTFA.
11:17 This Sunday then, the state lead took center stage.
11:20 North Launceston's last chance to keep their season alive against Clarence.
11:24 Clarence led at each break, but not at the final siren.
11:29 North Launceston stormed home to win by 20 points.
11:31 North Launceston have made nine of the last state league grand finals,
11:35 last ten, sorry.
11:36 Nine of the last ten, that's a very impressive record.
11:40 And they only missed finals once, that being last year.
11:42 So in that time, I read Josh's wonderful wrap up of the whole game.
11:46 They've had 54 premiership players in that time.
11:49 That's, you think how many players play their whole career without winning
11:52 a premiership, and North have absolutely dominated.
11:54 So they're playing Kingborough in the grand final.
11:56 It's at North Hobart Oval this weekend.
11:59 What do we think's gonna happen in that?
12:01 >> I think Kingborough are gonna be pretty tough to beat down in Hobart.
12:04 I do have to put it back to the Southern team.
12:07 I do think North have that experience, though.
12:09 They should count for a fair bit.
12:11 But I think Kingborough are probably going to be the game's favorites.
12:14 >> What do you reckon, Brian?
12:15 Who are you pinning your house on today?
12:17 >> So, I'm, yes.
12:20 This is probably in that AFL category where I'm not going to tip very well.
12:23 Look, so Kingborough, yes, they made the grand final last year and
12:30 they sort of were beaten quite convincingly by Launceston in the wet.
12:34 So they've obviously backed up with consistency.
12:37 And then North Launceston has had this magical season where they've
12:42 dramatically improved and I think won 13 in a row.
12:45 So, look, I haven't seen these two teams play this year.
12:48 I'm just gonna go with the Northern bias that the Bombers get up.
12:52 >> Yeah, I think back to when North Launceston and
12:55 Glenorchy were the two benchmark sides in the competition.
12:59 And in consecutive grand finals, they played each other.
13:02 North Launceston won the game down south.
13:03 Glenorchy won the game up here.
13:05 So I'm not discounting, Kingborough clearly been the best side all season.
13:09 But I can remember I went to the game at
13:12 Bealreeve when North Launceston won against the odds.
13:15 Josh Holland kicked that amazing goal that decided the game.
13:18 And I remember leaving the ground about an hour and
13:20 a half after the end of the game.
13:22 And there was Thane Brady sitting on the steps, just sitting there.
13:26 I think he had a beer in his hand.
13:27 I've never seen a man look so content.
13:30 And that's my endearing memory of the last grand final down south.
13:34 So you can't discount North, they're in with a chance.
13:38 Just wrapping up soccer, we had the playoff finals at the weekend.
13:45 So they had their semi-finals last weekend.
13:47 Launceston City are carrying Northern Hopes into the statewide competition.
13:51 They're still in the under 21s and in the Northern Championship.
13:54 Riverside are in the women's final and Northern Rangers are in the men's final.
13:58 I wrote a piece this week interviewing quite a few of the different coaches
14:02 about the end of season playoff finals.
14:05 Fair to say there's not universal support for them, but they're going okay.
14:10 And the two games I watched at the weekend were good games.
14:12 And it's just a lot of players saw the end of the line and
14:16 players have gone off on holidays and they're unavailable.
14:19 There's ground unavailability as well.
14:21 There's been three forfeits.
14:23 So it's not been overwhelmingly successful, but
14:26 it's good that our Football Tasmania are trying something different and
14:29 we'll see how it goes.
14:32 So that's it.
14:32 Thanks for tuning in.
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