Friday 13 August 2010
Labrador’s biggest hit-and-run mission of 2010 has the ultimate reward at the end of it.
If the Tigers can beat the NT Thunder in Darwin tomorrow afternoon, they will have one hand on the minor premiership – and bye during the first week of the finals – given they host the Lions in the final qualifying round.
The whole club is buzzing at the moment with the reserves winning last week despite playing with only 20 men to embed themselves in the top five, and the club’s Under 18s also staring down an elimination final berth.
“We should play finals in all grades and that was one of our internal goals at the start of the year,” said head coach Jarrod Field. “Good clubs do that.”
The challenge awaiting the seniors tomorrow is significant, despite the Thunder having lost their last two games to teams out of the top five.
NT have lost just once in Darwin in two years, and Labrador must catch an early morning bus to Brisbane, fly for five hours, then play in the heat and humidity with a 3.30pm start at the Gardens Oval.
“It’s a massive challenge and we are under no illusions, but we’re going to go up there and give it a go,” Field said.
“The ball hopefully won’t be as slippery as it gets up there at night, so that is one thing that will be to our advantage, given our marking strength.”
The Tigers have rugged half-forward Mark Vigus in good form after finally breaking the shackles of a tough 12 months with injury.
“He got front and square and did all the right things,” Field said of Vigus’ six-goal haul against Redland last weekend. “His last few weeks have been terrific.”
