The Terry Anderson Shield decider is on a knife edge this week with the Bulldogs soundly beating the Cougars in round 1 by 79 points, but the resurgent Cougars turned the tables in round 4 with a 32 point dominating performance. Why is Saturday’s game so important to these two proud clubs? Steve Langridge looks at the history of the Tezza.
During the 2000’s the University Cougars were one of the dominant teams winning many Premierships and were a popular club to play for. Tezza would help out at trainings, help with funding applications and helped the club get into shape to take on the powerhouse Eastern Blues. The Cougars became so popular in fact they could field two teams. Well almost, The Bulldogs were a ragtag bunch of cast offs that got soundly beaten by all comers from 2006 to 2008.
When the Bulldogs were mere pups, Tezza would help out at trainings, help with funding applications, gave the Dogs their first set of Jersey’s (the Old Jet ones) and helped the club get into shape to at least be competitive, but whenever they played their older brother the Cougars they were soundly beaten until one game in 2008. The Mid-Canterbury Eagles were half based in Ashburton then and CAFL would play one game a year at the Ashburton Domain. The Cougars and the Dogs decided to share the cost of a hire-bus. At the back of the bus some of the Cougars were working off the previous nights excesses and some decided to keep hydrating to see them through the long day. They were in good spirits and started singing their club song before the game. Meanwhile at the front of the bus the young Bulldogs were talking matchups, tactics and gameplans. They felt they had a chance of an upset here.
Terry Anderson was the umpire.
Well it was a warm Nor-Wester Spring day and their was a 10 goal breeze straight down the field. The Bulldogs decided to use the wind to good effect and opened the quarter with 2 goals to 0. The Cougars had their chance and kicked three goals. It was impossible to score into the wind as it was so strong. In the Premiership quarter the Dogs scored 3 goals and one was a 70m torpedo which the gale force wind just kept floating it way past the goals but straight through the sticks. The Cougars had the wind but their earlier excesses had started to catch up with them and they were running out of puff. They managed a one goal but the Dogs were able to run the ball into the wind and kicked 1 goal. Thus the great upset was complete.
On the way back in the bus the Bulldogs sat in the back of the bus singing and the Cougars sat in the front holding their heads. In the middle of the singing and the celebrations Lachlan Keating came up with the idea that a shield like the Ranfurly should be played for each year. The Dogs and Cougars held an impromptu meeting in the middle of the bus and after a few suggestions from both sides of what it should be called – The Terry Anderson Shield was spirited into life in 2009.
Over the next few days we will recount some of the epic matches between these 2 clubs as we build up to the Terry Anderson Shield decider on Saturday at 1230.
Have a look back to the last game of 2008 in match Reports – the next time the Cougars and Bulldogs meet after the shock loss in Ashburton.
Last Modified on 02/10/2022 21:13