Tiger time for Torquay’s Reserves

TORQUAY and Drysdale were fated to meet in the Bellarine Football League’s Reserves Grand Final just under two weeks ago, as both sides finished the season five and three games ahead of the pack respectively.

But similarly to the two teams’ first two encounters in Round 5 and 14, it was Stuart Hill’s Torquay outfit that came away with the goods when it mattered most on Grand Final Day, defeating the Hawks 8.4.52 to 5.2.32.

“Every time we’ve faced Drysdale it has been an arm-wrestle; they’re a top club from its seniors right through,” Hill said post-game.

“It was always going to be that way on the day, it was two points the difference at three-quarter-time, we sort of expected that coming in.

“But to break away the way we did in the fourth and get the game in our favour was a huge credit it to our guys.”

Torquay and Drysdale were close to deadlocked through three quarters of play, with the Tigers leading by only two points.

Led by Lachlan Bonney’s four goals on the day, the Tigers broke the stalemate in the fourth, kicking three goals to the Hawks’ none and securing the seconds premiership by 20 points.

Hill said the main challenge was playing the game on his side’s terms, reiterating the team’s mantra of “do what we do”.

“With everyone sticking to their roles it was a full a 23-person effort that got the job done on the day,” Hill said. “It’s a feeling of both relief and excitement, I did genuinely believe we were the best side all year, but we still needed to perform on the day. “It was a just reward.”

Torquay’s Thomas Hooper was named best-on-ground on the day despite being in a leg brace a week before the Grand Final.