To pinpoint exactly when Oberon’s journey to the 2017 Group 10 premier league grand final began, you don’t have to venture back far at all.
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August 9, 2015, seems like a good place to start.
Rounding out a fairly terrible campaign, the Tigers got lapped 66-14 against Blayney in the penultimate round of that season.
The club didn’t win a game in 2015. They won just four the year before.
So after a stretch of close to 18 months without singing the team song – coupled with a Group 10 premiership drought that had just ticked over four decades - the old Tiges had had enough.
“We started seriously thinking about what we had to do to strengthen our local base, what we needed to put around them,” Tigers president Ian Christie-Johnston said looking back at the end of 2015.
“We went with a local coach then, and Zac (Rowlandson) did a pretty good job of bolstering the side and getting the young guys motivated to be involved.”
Ten wins and a spot in the top five was the result, thanks in part of the inclusion of the likes of Abel Lefaoseu and Rose brothers George, Trent and Matt.
But, still, no title.
“At the end of that season we recognised you’ve got to have a top quality captain-coach on the field,” Christie-Johnston continued.
“That’s why we went for Luke Branighan. And we’ve filled the gaps in around him.”
The interest from Branighan in the Tigers was mutual.
“He’d been following the Tigers and seen the good work we had put in throughout 2016 and how well we had improved,” the Tigers boss said.
“In 2014 and 2015 weren’t great years for us. We didn’t win a game for 18 months.”
And, yet, here the Tigers are one win away from a premiership that seemed an age away after being toweled up by 60 against the Bears two years ago.
The Tigers won through to the decider at Wade Park after knocking off an impressive Panthers side in front of a crowd that took a gate of $8500.
“It was big,” Christie-Johnston said, Group 10 officials estimating the figure to be close to 2000 people.
“It’s one of the biggest crowds since our return … probably the biggest in fact."
Given that, it’s little surprise the town of Oberon has been swept up in grand final fever this week.
“You walk down the street and everyone wants to ask how they’re going, who’s fit, who’s not fit and how the side’s coming together,” he added.
“And the boys get all that as well. The town will start getting some shop front windows going with Tigers colours.
“The local butcher will cook them up a feed, the local publican will make sure they stay off the grog.
“All that sort of stuff. That’s what it’s all about.”
The club’s last Group 10 top grade grand final win was in 1975, but the club has tasted premiership success between now and then.
The club won a mid west competition in 2003, beating Blackheath, while also hosted the mid west grand final in 2008, going down to Portland.