Rothnie getting a kick out of 2015: grand final would be the sweetener

FOR Orange Tigers vice-captain Michael Rothnie, winning a third straight Central West AFL premiership would cap off the best year of his life to date.

It started with him being named vice-captain for the second straight season and finished in a minor premiership, and the chance to help his side make history by becoming the first Tigers team to win three straight titles.

But most importantly, he welcomed his first-born into the world - Saxon - smack bang in the middle of the season, on the morning of Saturday, May 12.

He kicked nine goals that afternoon, against Dubbo Demons, to boot.

“It’d be the best year so far, it really would,” Rothnie smiled.

“Saxon being born made it one of the best days of my life anyway, but being able to kick nine that day really put the icing on it.

“Obviously it helped being across the road from [Country Club Oval] and after I knew he and his mum were okay, I went out and played.

“Being able to win the premiership on top of that would really make it my best year yet.”

The 21-year-old said the chance to lead the side alongside good mate Tim Barry - the side’s skipper - makes it all the more enjoyable.

“It makes it extra special to lead these guys with Baz [Barry] and I being good mates, and hopefully to lead them to three in a row,” Rothnie said.

“It’s pretty special to us, we’ll give it a real crack. Hopefully we’ll get the chocolates.”

Barry agreed, saying it would be a huge achievement personally to lead the side to a third straight title, as much for the club’s alumni as the current group.

“We certainly try to set the example, and the example I try to set here is that we’re here to win footy and we don’t want to lose,” Barry explained.

“I always refer back to the old guys like Nathan Pearce and Paul McDonald ... anything we can do to give them some pride, and satisfaction is something we want to do.

“I think for Michael and I leading the boys to three in a row would definitely help us go a long way to doing that.”

Saturday’s CWAFL grand final, where Orange takes on the Bathurst Bushrangers, starts at 2.30pm at Country Club Oval.