Numbers were low for Domestic six. Several players were still recovering from injuries picked up at the recent Indochina Cup and perhaps Holly’s farewell party on Friday evening also took its toll. The Cubs were up for it though. Skinny had enough kids available to organise a scratch match with the Cubs girls and they had an absolute blast, screeching and laughing and laying playful tackles all round the paddock. For the record, Skinny was best on ground in that game, Alex and Benji battled hard in the ruck and Coyote umpired with aplomb.

The Cubs boys team were also there in great numbers so coaches Mani and Mark took the opportunity to big up the upcoming National Tournament in Vietnam later this year. Perhaps that sowed the seed which blossomed into the performance that was to come. 

The Tigers leadership team made an historic decision. Why not abandon the O-Leang vs Gek Huey’s match, combine the Cubs into one squad, give them a talismanic Skipper and see how they go against the senior team? It was the first time in the history of AFL in Thailand that a team of Thai nationals played as a squad. Nobody knew what to expect but there were smiles all round during J-Mac’s pre-match briefing. Everyone knew it was special, but nobody could have predicted what was to come. The Cubs, led by Mani, played an outstanding match and came oh so close to pulling off an upset that would rival the Tigers recent draw against Vietnam.

The Tigers were without many key players. J-Mac’s finger was still wonky, Nate and Sammo were still out and big names such as Rutty, Hasto, Drew and Khengy were unavailable for the Tigers. But the Tigers still fielded a strong and experienced side with a clear size advantage over the Cubs. It was to be a battle of size and experience versus fitness and speed. What a battle it ended up being.

The Tigers played with the breeze in the first quarter but it was the Cubs who had all the run. Mani battled hard in the ruck against the much taller Watto in what was a tightly fought ruck contest. But Watto had no chance of staying with Mani in open play and it was the Skipper who had the honour of kicking the first goal for the Cubs. The ball fell near Skinny in the centre square and as he scooped it up he saw Big Jayden running from the backline in support. But the handpass went astray, the Cubs gained possession and somehow Mani was in space up forward. He took possession, ran it on and slotted it through.

The Tigers kicked just two with the wind. Pez snapped his goal from in front about thirty metres out. Goal magnet Benji kicked the other. The Tiger’s were paid a free kick just outside the square, the ball fell to Benji who played on and somehow sneaked it through a crowded forward line for a goal. Big brother Lleyton did all he could to deny Benji. He wanted to bring it back for the free kick and only the insistence of J-Mac who was holding the whistle at the other end convinced him to award the advantage goal. 

So the Tigers went into the sheds with a four point lead but it was the Cubs who were up. They had proven to themselves they could compete and in the next quarter they would have the breeze at their backs.

The Cubs kicked two goals with the wind, another to Mani and one to First and they only allowed the Tigers to kick a point. The Cubs went into the half-time break with an eight point lead.

So into the premiership quarter they went, the Cubs could sniff victory and the Tigers knew they had a lot of work to do. The Cubs kept up the intensity. Mani scored another to extend the lead and they really needed that goal. With the wind at their backs the Tigers had the Cubs pinned into their half but the goals just weren’t coming. Jazza was having a storming game up forward but the relentless energy of the Cubs kept shutting the door on the Tiger’s forwards. Finally Welby took a grab out wide and kicked a fantastic set shot from a tight angle to keep the Tigers in it. 

The final quarter was thrilling. The Cubs had a nine point lead and the wind at their backs and in that final quarter they came out firing. Mani kicked two more and Pond another and the Cubs could now taste victory, not just smell it. Jazza finally got his well-deserved goal to keep the Tiger’s hopes alive but it seemed the match was lost. Then, with less than 8 minutes left things got even worse for the Tigers. The ball was kicked low into the Tigers forward line and Welby showed great commitment to slide forward and take a difficult grab. But he doing so he collided with Jame. Both players were in distress, Welby thought he had broken ribs but he got up anyway. Both players left the field but it was the Tigers who came off worst. Three goals down, the game almost over and they had just lost their best goal kicker. But that seemed to spur them on. The Tigers surged forward from the next ruck, Jazza found Skinny just outside the goal square and he sent the set shot through the middle. Jayden scored next and suddenly the game was on a knife’s edge. The Tigers were surging, the Cubs on the backfoot. Welby had snuck back on, broken ribs forgotten and he had the chance to be a hero when the ball went out on the full. With just seconds on the clock, grimacing in pain, Welby had a difficult shot from wide out. He had to rush it, there wasn’t much time, and he missed. But the pressure swung back to the Cubs. The kick out was poor, it fell to Pez -who else? With ice in his veins he snapped the winner again. The hooter blew and the Tigers had snatched a comeback victory twice in two matches. 

It was a brilliant game, made special by an outstanding performance by the Cubs. To play their first senior match together and come so close to beating their mentors was an outstanding achievement. They all should feel proud, especially Captain Mani who led from the front and showed again his quality as a player and a leader.

The Cubs have been Tigers for a long time but have never been a team. On Saturday they became one. They stood up and showed their worth. There are now two proud teams in Bangkok. The mighty Thailand Tigers, made up of players from all around the world, and a group of young, Thailand Tigers. They are Thai nationals all, and they represent their country, and the Thailand Tigers with pride.

What a season this has become!

Match Summary

The Thailand Tigers 7-7-49 defeated the Thailand Tigers Cubs 7-4-46
Goals Thailand Tigers Pez: 2 Benji: 1 Welby: 1 Jazza: 1 Skinny: 1 Jayden: 1	Goals Cubs Mani: 5 First: 1 Pond: 1