The Kangaroos started their season with a thrilling 1 point win over the Nomads in Armidale and thus began their journey to Premiership glory.
In Round 2 the Kangaroos hit top gear with a thumping 107 point win over the Bulldogs. This was the game that signalled to the rest of the TAFL that they should be taken seriously in 2008. The really impressive part of this game was the 12 goal last quarter the Kangaroos put on.
Round 3 was the long awaited 2007 Grand Final rematch with the Saints. This Friday Night ANZAC day game was a first for the TAFL and both teams are to be commended for the effort. Unfortunately for the Kangaroos it was their first defeat of 2008, but they would only feel that misery one more time.
From about round five the Kangaroos’ new recruit, Tim Cotter, started his run of consistent games that saw him awarded the 2008 Tony Gillies Medal as the league’s Best and Fairest. First year player Hamish Day was also prominent in the Tony Gillies Medal count, polling 10 votes to be second on the Roos’ Club leader board for 2008.
Andrew Hawkins also had a big year finishing second in the Gerry Griffiths Medal for the leading goal kicker. Hawkins also set a new club record when he kicked 10goals in Round 5. He followed that up with another bag of 10 goals in Round 8 and then broke his own record again in Round 12 with a bag of 11 goals.
The Kangaroos finished the home and away season in second spot due to the Saints having a better percentage. Of the four games that these two teams lost over the home and away season, three of them were against each other. This set the scene for the Kangaroos to travel to Inverell to take on the Saints in the major semi final. To their credit the Kangaroos put what was a horror ground behind them. They hadn’t won at Varley Oval since early 2006, and handed the Saints their biggest loss in two years to give them a home grand final for the first time since 2002.
And then there was the Grand Final - and what a Grand Final it was. The Kangaroos were determined from the start of game and, when the Saints got in front in the last quarter, they didn’t drop their bundle but fought it out to claim a courageous win. Hamish Day again shone on this day to receive the Graham Nuttall Pewter as Best On Ground in the Grand Final.
So, overall, the Kangaroos finished the year as the best team in the TAFL in 2008 and deservedly so. If they can keep their team together over the next couple of years then more Premierships are within their grasp. Notably though, they will be without their Captain, Geordie Akeroyd, and Coach, Tony Bishop. Both have announced their retirement from playing. However, it will be interesting to see if Bishop can give up coaching with such a good group at his finger tips.
Last Modified on 04/03/2009 20:51