The Rushworth fairytale keeps rolling.

Tigers’ coach Mark Wheatley and many of the faithful in attendance shed a tear following the senior’s unbelievable one-point win over Nagambie in the Kyabram District League semi-final at Stanhope Reserve, staging a comeback from two goals down at three-quarter-time.

The resulting rendition of We’re from Tigerland shook the foundations of the Tigers’ rooms as they confirmed one of country football’s more remarkable turnarounds.

Rushworth’s senior football side, after experiencing a year in recess in 2023, has now woven its way to a preliminary final in its second season back, scheduled to face Lancaster in the clubs’ first trip to the penultimate game of the season since 2011.

Over on the netball courts, Rushworth’s A-grade side was also busy writing its own remarkable chapter.

The Tigers defeated Tallygaroopna 36-22 to place them only one win away from an A-grade grand final, a year after going through the 2024 campaign winless.

Add to that both the 15-and-under and 17-and-under teams are still in the hunt, there’s set to be a wave of yellow and black at Central Park.

And even if results don’t go their way, the semi-final at Stanhope will live long in the memory.

“It was a great weekend for the club,” Rushworth president Regan Hanson said.

“Around 5pm Sunday, I think there were a lot of tears shed, and it's just vindication of hard work.

“Heaps of work has gone in, spread across a lot of people, and it means a lot to everyone who's done it.

“When you have the community behind you, it just a real special feeling.”

Hanson said a focus on long-term sustainability and fostering enjoyment not just within the club ranks, but community wide, had guided the efforts of those involved in the committee and volunteering ranks.

And the township of around 1400 people are buying in.

Several organisations, including Rushworth Kindergarten, have adorned their windows with the Tigers’ colours and messages of encouragement ahead of this weekend’s finals in Shepparton.

“It’s just the best thing you could possibly see,” Hanson said.

“You must be doing something right if the community and the towns behind you, so that's the most important thing for us as a committee, seeing that.

“It means the world to me and everyone else.

“It’s not about a one-year hit - the goal is to have the stability from the juniors right up, and success to us is having all sides and people participating.

“As long as people are participating and having fun, we gauge that as our biggest success.”

The Tigers face a Lancaster side coming off an after-the-siren defeat to Murchison-Toolamba, with Aaron Miller sinking the game-winning kick to seal a three-point win and book the Hoppers’ spot in the grand final.

“I actually think prelims are the hardest games to win,” Rushworth coach Mark Wheatley said.

“A lot of the time, sides use up all their energy in the prelim to win and get in the grand final and sort of fall in a heap.

“Lancaster is a powerhouse club, so they’ll be a challenge, but I’ve described our side like a new prizefighter coming up through the ranks.

“You beat Shepparton East who is a 26-0 professional fighter, then Nagambie as a 30-0, and now you come up against the world heavyweight champions in Lancaster with Murchison-Toolamba on the same level.

“What do we do to beat them? How many punches do we have to land? We are still working that out, but we’ll train well, freshen up and hopefully land the knockout blow.”

Meanwhile, the Tigers will need to defeat Girgarre for the right to face Shepparton East in the A-grade decider next week.

Saturday’s One FM broadcast game is the Kyabram District League preliminary final between Lancaster and Rushworth, live from 2pm, followed by Sunday’s Goulburn Valley League semi final between Echuca and Rochester.

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Monday, 20th February 2023

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