It’s been a long road back to the grand final for South Bunbury.
In 2012, the Tigers looked as if they were going to occupy the bottom of the table for a long period of time, finishing ninth on the ladder with just three wins for the season.
It was a sour taste for the Tigers who had played in a grand final just a year before in 2011.
But it all changed in the 2012 off-season when South Bunbury pulled off a coup that saw Alan Crane land the head coaching job formerly occupied by Mick Grasso.
The plot was eerily similar to that which saw Ross Lyon take the coaching job at the Fremantle Dockers leaving former coach Mark Harvey to look elsewhere.
Many followers shunned the idea at first, but no doubt they’re eating their words now.
Since Crane started as coach South Bunbury has played in consecutive finals series and is now playing as hot favourites in a grand final.
Although the Tigers exited the 2013 finals a bit earlier than they would have liked, going down to Collie in a preliminary final, the turnaround from the previous season was astounding.
Now, in 2014, the Tigers have been the best side all season.
They took out the minor premiership with a 16-1-1 record finishing with 66 premiership points out of a possible 72.
They began the year with five straight wins coming against Carey Park, Harvey, Busselton, Collie and Donnybrook before falling to Bunbury in a round six WA Day Derby clash.
It was a tough fortnight for the Tigers with a game against the Eaton Boomers shortly following.
That clash would end in a draw with a terrific last quarter from South Bunbury, and it would prove to be the turning point in the Tigers’ 2014 season.
Since that game the Tigers haven’t looked back, winning every game to march into a grand final in terrific form.
For seven consecutive games, from round eight to 14, South Bunbury’s lowest winning margin was 55 points.
Their recruitment of Adam Hunter at the beginning of July bolstered their ranks and took them to being a step above other premiership contenders Bunbury and Eaton.
From then on, their midfield has clicked, their forward line has scored and their backline has dominated in every game.
South Bunbury’s turn around since 2012 has been phenomenal and the addition of a premiership flag to the clubrooms would be the ultimate way to cap it off.