Kyneton’s Bryce Hinneberg hasn’t kicked many goals in his football career.
Better known as a back pocket player, Hinneberg entered Saturday’s Bendigo Football League game against Sandhurst without even having a shot on goal this year.
So when it was left to him to have a kick after the siren to win the match, Tigers coach Luke Beattie had every reason to be nervous.
“I was as confident as you can be with him having his first shot of the season,” Beattie said.
“He’s a nice kick but he’s normally in the back pocket and doesn’t get many options up forward.
“I don’t even know how he made it into the forward line. I think he went forward when they dropped a couple of players behind the ball and we told our players to man them up.”
But Beattie had no reason for concern and Hinneberg lived every player’s dream of kicking a goal after the siren to win the match, 14.10 (94)-13.14 (92).
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The Tigers started the better of the two sides and opened up a 31-point lead by the main break.
Beattie said they expected the Dragons to respond, which they did in the third quarter.
“They have had a similar side for the last four or five years, so we knew they would come at us,” Beattie said.
“We have struggled in third quarters this season and we were able to wrestle back the ascendency and still lead by 11 points at three quarter-time.”
The Dragons continued to attack in the last quarter and hit the front, before Hinneberg’s mark and kick gave the Tigers the win.
Mitchell Scholard kicked six goals for the Tigers while Nick Higginson was their best on ground.
The win sees the Tigers sit fifth on the ladder with four wins, only percentage behind third and fourth place.
Beattie said the win against Sandhurst was vital after dropping a game they should have won against Castlemaine.
“I’d have liked to be one more win higher than we are, but we’ve struggled with injuries,” he said. “It will really help when we get our best list back and on the park.”
Beattie said he expected to get Rhys Magin and Ryan Caraffa back in the next week or two, while Jonno Nash would return not long after that.
In their absence, Beattie said the likes of Hinneberg, Max Sullivan and Daniel Davie had taken their opportunities.
“There will be some selections questions asked when they do return,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gisborne remains winless after losing 16.15 (111)-7.7 (49) to Strathfieldsaye.
