The Queanbeyan Tigers capped off a tumultuous 2014 on Saturday by claiming the AFL Canberra division one premiership with a 10.7.67 to 7.7.49 victory over Ainslie at Gungahlin Town Centre Oval.
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Tigers players gathered and chanted a loud their song "Tigerland" numerous times on the sideline after the match in a symbol of how much the win meant to them, and their club.
The club opted to drop out of the NEAFL competition earlier this year after their top level side won just three games in that competition, and with associated costs building too much for the community-based club.
With results going astray in the NEAFL and the club ending its tenure in it, they were forced to deal with some negative press, however, the win for their AFL Canberra side tonight should go a long way to restoring the positive atmosphere the club is so well known for.
But for coach Paul Campbell's men, the win came as no surprise.
They had won their last 12 games in a row heading into the grand final, losing just four matches and finishing as minor premiers, before dispatching Ainslie in the major semi-final a fortnight ago.
Retiring veteran Neil Irwin was the star of the show, bagging five goals in his grand final effort to go out on a huge positive.
Matthew Liddle also chipped in with three goals, while Sam Adams and Cody Kickett also scored majors to round out what was a low scoring affair.
In rare circumstances for Australian Rules football, it took eight minutes for the first score to occur, before Ainslie kicked two behinds to take a mere two-point lead until the 12th minute, when Liddle finally opened up the goal-scoring.
The Tigers took a meagre 13-8 lead into quarter time, and the slow pace of the match did not pick up in the second term, with Adams' goal the only for the Tigers as Ainslie crept into the lead, but lost it again, for a 23-20 lead to Queanbeyan.
It was anyone's game at that stage, but a four goals to one third term in favour of the Tigers was ultimately enough to seal them the match, before each side kicked three goals each in the fourth quarter to seal the final score.
The victorious Tigers side continued their celebrations throughout the Rising Stars grand final, featuring their own juniors who also played against Ainslie.