Senior club profile: Grafton Tigers

Image courtesy Brad Greenshields (Green Shoots Marketing)

As we head towards the highly anticipated 2021 season, we’ll be profiling two Senior clubs per week to give you an idea of how each club is tracking.

In this first edition we look at the reigning Senior Grade Premiers – the mighty Grafton Tigers.

Last year the Tigers achieved a phenomenal form reversal, from having won just three matches across the preceding five years to taking out the club’s third Premiership in the top grade. Can they go back to back in 2021?

The Tigers have had a very successful Youth Girls program across the last four years and will add a Women’s team for the first time.

HOW IS 2021 SHAPING UP? (James Hourigan, President)

It’s an exciting year for AFL North Coast with the competition doubling in size from last year. There’s a lot of unknown and it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds. Coming off a Senior Premiership win in what can only be described as a difficult year probably puts a bit of a target on our back and I think it’s going to be up to us to rise to the occasion. 2020 was a big year for the Tigers across the board and we’ll be looking to make 2021 even bigger.

MEN’S TEAM PROFILE

Coaches: Adi Campbell (Head Coach), Tim Churchin (Assistant)

Leadership group: Lee Anderson, Ryan Sheather, Kade Bagnall, Tim Churchin

Who are you expecting big things from?:

Mikey Luxton had a break out year in 2020 where he really stepped up, and we’ll be very interested to see how he goes in 2021 as he’s given more responsibility. Noah Swarski has benefitted from playing in a competitive top grade side last season, is currently training the house down, and is slippery through the middle of the ground.

Big ins:

• Tim Churchin (Hastings FNC in the Mornington Peninsula League)
• Jarrod Meade (last played with the Tigers in 2013)
• Dan Zacek (last played with the Tigers in 2014)

Big outs:

• Josh Green
• Evan Whitty (Burleigh)
• Joel Ashby (Burleigh)
• Tom Granleese
• The one and only Luke ‘Mr Footy’ Stanford (if he can retire on that last kick …)

WOMEN’S TEAM PROFILE

Coach: Warren Bagnall

Leadership group: t.b.a.

Who are you expecting big things from?:

Mackenzie Bagnall will be stepping up from Youth Girls and has been front and centre at every training session. Maddy Anderson returns to footy after playing for the Blue Tigers joint venture in 2019 and is chomping at the bit. Emily Goodall returns to the club and is stronger for having a season of Women’s footy with the Northern Beaches Blues under her belt.

Big ins:

• Mackenzie Bagnall, Rani Anderson, Lilly Harris, Mia Trevillian, and Emily Crisp (all moving up from Youth Girls)
• Maddy Anderson (last played with the Blue Tigers in 2019)
• Emily Goodall (last played with the Northern Beaches Blues in 2020)

Big outs:

• New team, so nil outs