Tweed Tigers of old and new
THE Tweed Tigers Under-16 junior girls' team was made to feel even more part of an exceedingly inclusive club earlier this week as the side was invited to train with the senior women's team at Seabreeze Oval.
Under-16 coach Jason Clarke and women's coach Shane Art integrated their teams' Tuesday training sessions to lay out the road map to senior footy for the junior girls.
"There is a gap between Under-16 footy to seniors footy,” coach Clarke said.
"For the younger girls to be able to come out and train with the seniors and know that it's not scary or daunting, that the club culture from the juniors all the way up encourages everyone and helps each other along the way, that has been fantastic.
"It's been such a success that we'd love to continue these trainings perhaps once every six weeks or so.”
As Tweed's junior players thrived off of the opportunity to make an impression on, and build relationships with, their senior counterparts, Clarke said his junior side is tracking nicely in 2018.
His sights are set high for the team: a grand final birth and the prized scalp of the unassailable Murwillumbah Vulcans, who haven't lost a game in more than two years.
All that will be a lot more difficult without the help of arguably the Northern Rivers' most outstanding junior, Inka Shilling, who has been sidelined with a knee injury.
But the Tigers are not lacking in depth. Skipper Ella Cornelius, who has kicked 18 goals so far in the first four matches of the year, is another star who will have plenty to say against the Vulcans come finals time.
According to Cornelius, learning how to be strong and bold from their more seasoned clubmates will undoubtedly help the cause.
"I think getting taught by the experienced players is a great experience,” Cornelius said.
"It shows us how to use our voice a lot more and encourage each other because that's what the senior girls do.
"They've taken us under their wing and I think all the girls feel comfortable now.
"Most of the girls will be looking up to them right now thinking 'I want to play seniors footy'.”