Tamborine Mountain Eagles Division Two Men’s coach Chris Simpson believes his side’s resilience and strong club culture have been key to an outstanding season as the team prepares for the finals.
The Eagles currently sit second on the Football Queensland Division Two Men ladder after losing just one match all season and are set to enter the finals in strong form.
Simpson said the club’s growth had exceeded expectations after expanding from one men’s side last season to two senior teams this year.
“This season, when we advertised for players, we just got a massive response,” he said.
“Now we’ve got a Div Two team and a Div Five team. We’ve got more than two full teams this year, which is amazing.”
The influx of players has not disrupted the squad’s chemistry, with Simpson saying the group had quickly developed a close bond.
“A lot of them went to school together across different years,” he said.
“They’ve gelled well, and they play for each other.”
Simpson said the team’s resilience had stood out most throughout the season, pointing to a recent victory despite having no substitutes available.
“We won against a team when we only had 11 players,” he said.
“They couldn’t sub off or anything like that. They just stayed on the field and played their guts out.”
With finals all but secured, the Eagles will face ladder leaders Palm Beach in a match that will provide a valuable test before the post-season.
Palm Beach handed Tamborine Mountain its only defeat of the year in the opening round.
“They’re definitely the benchmark,” Simpson said.
“They’re the best team I’ve ever seen play, and I’ve been coaching a long time.
“It was our first game of the season and they pumped us. We hadn’t played a trial match or anything like that.”
Simpson said coaching the group had been an enjoyable experience.
“It’s a pleasure looking after the team and definitely not a chore week in, week out,” he said.
“They know what they’re doing and they know what they have to do. It’s an easy job for me.”
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