Game Report
2007 Nationals - Louisville, KY
13-14th November 2007


The USAFL National Championships weekend was a fantastic carnival filled with good footy action, food, and excitement. The NC Tigers hopes were high after coming off a long and competitive home-and-away season. This year's side many considered the fittest, strongest and most disciplined squad in Tigers history. Placed in Division II, the Tigers were a relative unknown in the field because the majority of teams were coming from other conferences from around the country. This posed a challenge to the Tigers coaching staff, because little was known about each of the Tigers opposition. After all players registered on the Friday evening, the team gathered back at the hotel for a team meeting. A lot of strategy was discussed, but the central message came from Head Coach Jason Heathcote and it was to hold every player accountable for their primary responsibilities, whether that be in defense, up forward, or in the air. Leadership was discussed and how the team needed 18 leaders on the field, not the usual two or three. There was an aura of excitement brewing for the first game which was only 12 hours away. The first game on the Saturday was against Atlanta. The Tigers use to play Atlanta regularly but this was the first time the two teams squared off in nearly two years. Every game is played in shortened halves at the Nationals, so scoring goals quickly is the key to success. The Tigers knew this so the team placed special emphasis on being 100% ready come game time. When the game began the Tigers withstood a quick goal from Atlanta to score the next two goals, one coming from Ben Wetzel and the other from Greg Williams. Ross Pleban and Will Harvey continued the scoring for the Tigers once the game settled to make sure the Tigers were dominate in the first half. At half time the Tigers lead 4.3.27 to 2.1.13. The second half was a different tale. Inaccurate kicking cost the Tigers dearly, when the game should have been wrapped up within the opening minutes of the half with set shots on goal. The Tigers kicked three behinds from set shot opportunities while Atlanta kicked four straight goals to take the lead by 2 points. With the clock expiring the Tigers had one final push into the forward line but only managed a behind. The quick half got the better of the Tigers when the siren sounded and Atlanta was victors by 1 point. Final score 5.6.36 to Atlanta 6.1.37. Heathcote noted after the game some lessons learned: "This was a great lesson to many of our rookies, that in these sorts of games you must take an extra second to concentrate and kick straight...also giving away even just one free kick or a 50 meter penalty can lose you the entire game." The game was played in good spirits and the win got Atlanta's quest off to a great start. The second game was a challenge for the Tigers because they came up against the larger and more experienced Minnesota Freeze club. The Tigers were looking to get a win after the disappointment in the morning. Some changes were made to team positions and the game started much like the first game. Minnesota took advantage of the Tigers normal slow start and kicked the first goal. The Tigers spirit was then awoken and the club controlled the ball for the next five minutes or so, only managing two behinds. Paul Duncan was performing very well in the Center, covering a lot of ground and picking up numerous possessions. Late in the first half Alex Fincham burst out of a pack of players and took a shot at goal, only to achieve a point. But 30 seconds later Duncan kicked truly to put the first goal on the board for the Tigers. At half time, the Tigers trailed the Freeze 3.2.20 to 1.5.11. The second half was a bad one for the Tigers. Jordan Lee was a shining light for the club playing in the Rover position with class and speed. Everyone continued to give 100% effort but the goals were not coming for the Tigers. The Freeze kicked another 4 goals and a few behinds while the Tigers could only manage 3 behinds for the entire half. The Freeze retained possession of the ball for the last few minutes to run out the clock and were awarded the winners. Final score Tigers 1.8.14 to Freeze 7.5.47. The Saturday was frustrating on field for the club. At very least, the Tigers should have been 1-1 going into the Sunday games. However, the traditional Saturday team dinner lifted spirits. It was held in a small Mexican place in downtown Louisville. The players enjoyed getting together in a non-football setting and relaxing after a long day of football. It would later become evident, but the tone and attitude of the evening ensured that the Tigers Nationals campaign was not over. The Tigers had an early game Sunday against the Nashville Kangaroos. The Tigers were geared up to play and were not going to let any team stop them from getting a victory. The game started and only a minute into the game Duncan kicked truly. Alex Fincham kicked the next goal from the forward pocket to build a lead. The Kangaroos then managed to kick their only goal of the entire game before Rob Beyersdorf (who incidentally was named to the USAFL Team of the Decade during the weekend festivities) took a strong mark and kicked a goal from the goal square before the siren to bring about the half time score of 3.1.19 to 1.2.8. At half time the Tigers were pumped up. A win was within sight and the club was not going to blow another lead. The players were still fresh and started the second half just like they began the game. The coaches utilized numerous interchanges to make sure the team dynamic was constantly fresh and new which worked to perfection. Club co-captain Wes McCallister kicked the first goal of the second half, followed by goals from Duncan, John Diano, Michael Jett, Duncan again, and Greg Williams on the final siren. Nashville was held goalless in the second half. Upon the final siren the team gathered in the middle to sing our song with great gusto. Final score was North Carolina 9.4.58 to Nashville 1.4.10. The rest of the day was spent watching other games on each of the four fields at the Nationals site and catching up with players from around the country. Traditional meat pies were for sale, as was Aussie beer. The team had a good time in the bleaches watching the games, with a constant flow of Coopers Ale assisting. Later in the afternoon each Divisions grand final was held, watched by hundreds of spectators. It was highly evident the overall skill and talent of clubs is rising dramatically. Across all Divisions, the grand finals were more skilled than they ever had been before. Apart from the increased number of clubs participating in the National Championships, the number of Americans who are now the key players at their respective clubs have increased. Gone are the days where a few good Aussies can lead a club to victory. This year was proof that the development of new players is crucial to every club if they want to seriously contend for a championship. The weekend was a great sign for the growth of Aussie Rules in the United States. Looking forward, all Tigers players and officials are already excited about next years Nationals held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.