Tigers’ quest for three-peat starts

South Bunbury’s quest for a SWFL women’s premiership three-peat began with a hard-fought 12-point win over a spirited Donnybrook at VC Mitchell Park on Saturday. It was a somewhat different Tigers line-up for the season opener with a number of premiership players from last season missing for a variety of reasons — including Maddy Obal, Karyn Beeson, Stephanie Jolly, Claudia Elward, Megan Bain, Harriet Wedderburn, Bryony Gell, Renee Scott and Tahlia Townsend. However, depth and talent are not an issue at Tigerland and Tigers skipper Bethany Bond was thrilled with how her side worked its way into the contest, after trailing by five points at quarter-time. “Not once did anyone drop their heads or stop fighting,” Bond said. “It was all positive. We knew we had more in the tank and I’m so proud of this new group and the effort they put in to get the job done.” For the Tigers, ruck Kate Fielding provided plenty of drive throug the corridor, while Kiarni Stevens — regarded as the competition’s best fullback — also appeared to relish her role further up the ground. Jessica Verbrugge tried hard for the home side, while seasoned campaigner Fleur Parker was also in the thick of things. Focus for the Tigers now shifts to a grand final rematch against Busselton at Hands Oval on Sunday, and Bond is hopeful Obal and Bain will be available for selection. “The game was exactly what you want from a first-round hit-out,” Bond said.