The Tigers ability to seamlessly move the ball from end-to-end allowed for 28 goals and 19 behinds to be slotted home, and captain Andrew Swan lauded his side’s running game as an integral aspect of the victory.

“We took the game on and broke it open through the middle with our running,” he said.

“And that’s where we hurt them most of the time.”

In the midst of a rebuild, Eastlake has struggled for much of the season, going down by large margins to Ainslie and Belconnen, while losing to Queanbeyan by 153 points in their previous encounter. But Swan doesn’t believe they should be written off just yet.

“I think with Eastlake having the team above them in the NEAFL [Canberra Demons], they’re still struggling to find their feet,” Swan said.

“They have a lot of younger players who are showing potential but like when we came back from out of the NEAFL, they’re still rebuilding.

“They have come a long way from the start of the season and there are good signs but they still have a little way to go.”  

The Tigers campaign for a third straight premiership seems to be hitting stride, with the defeat of Eastlake coming directly off the back of their victory against the previously-undefeated, ladder-leading Ainslie.

“With us having a great win the week before against Ainslie, we can’t really slow down,” Swan said.

“We still need to keep our structures going and follow up, because we don’t want to lapse mid-season.

“We’re finally seeing some of the structures and things we have been trying to put into place start to happen, and the boys have been working a full-effort for the full game, so it’s definitely been some four quarter games.”

Best on ground for Queanbeyan included Swan, Josh Bryce, Paul Slater, Jason Taylor, Dean Ross, and Nathan Edwards.

AT A GLANCE

QUEANBEYAN TIGERS 187 (N. Edwards 5, P. Williams 5, B. Fruend 3, M. Grocott 2, D. Ross 2, P. Slater 2, D. Simpson 2, A. Swan 2, A. Page, J. Bryce, J. Carroll-Tape, J. Taylor, R. Quade) bt EASTLAKE DEMONS 45 (J. Dowse 2, A. Moloney 2, N. Anderson, D. Ryall)