Following his first kick in his first intra-club practice match with the Tigers, Steve Cornish screamed out in such pain that, for a moment or two, those around him were wondering what he had done to himself.

Perhaps he had ripped the hamstring off the bone or dislocated a knee. But, seconds later, he was happily trotting back upfield, without a care in the world.

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His team-mates and the rest of the club soon learned that sort of reaction was not at all unusual – that was just the sort of competitive, enthusiastic, and demonstrative player ‘Cowpat’ was.

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A few weeks earlier, in February 1989, Steve had arrived at training on his pushbike, introduced himself to ‘the bloke who looked least like a player, so must be an official’ - Chook Fowlie, and said he was interested in a game of football.

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Steve and his wife, Michelle, had moved to Queanbeyan from Adelaide (because the rent was cheaper than Canberra) as Steve had taken up a school teaching position at St Edmond’s college. Although he had a fellow teacher at ‘Eddies’ who played for Manuka/Weston and was encouraging him to join the Bullants, a combination of factors, including that he had played under 19s and Reserves for the Tigers (Glenelg version) in Adelaide, convinced him to try out the local team first. Once he met the players – ‘a good bunch of blokes’ - he was convinced that he and the Tigers were the ‘right fit’.

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From that seemingly innocuous beginning, Steve Cornish would go on to play four rather spectacular and successful seasons with the Queanbeyan club. He played in Grand Finals each year, for two Premierships in 1989 and 1991, regularly represented the ACT, and in 1990 kicked 105 goals (rarely, if ever, playing at full-forward – that was another goal kicking star in Allan Mapleson) and won the Mulrooney Medal and was Runner-up in the Tigers’ 1st Grade Best and Fairest.

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During training it was evident that he had solid skills and knew his way around a football, but he didn’t seem to get out of second gear – until there was a possible shot at goal on offer. In that situation, he seemed to move quicker, jump higher and kick longer. He was a deceptively strong mark, hard to tackle and a long and accurate kick.

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As mentioned, Steve was a passionate and very vocal player, be that encouraging his team-mates, disparaging opponents, criticising his own play, or showing his great potential as an umpire’s advisor. In fact, so promising was he in that advisor role that after Steve was awarded his Mulrooney Medal, it was rumoured the ACT Umpire’s hierarchy ordered a thorough investigation !!!!!.

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In the 1990 Preliminary final, Steve kicked 11 goals to bring up his 100 for the season. ‘We were well in front, and the boys were looking after me a bit’, he remembered.

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‘It was a joy to play with such a great bunch of guys who were also good footy players. We also had a great coach in Quadey (the legendary coach, Brian Quade) and all the officials, wonderful volunteers and supporters such as the Bright family and Annie Moore, were at the top of their game’.

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Steve took on the role of the Tigers’ Junior Development co-ordinator for a few years, as well as coaching the Under 17s at St Edmunds. In that team, he coached a couple of talented lads in Troy Gray and Robbie Neill. Steve would soon play with Troy in the Tigers 1991 Premiership team, Troy also winning the Jesaulenko Medal, and play against Robbie (Southern Districts) in that same Grand Final. Steve is quite proud that both these youngsters would go on to play AFL – indeed they both played with the Sydney Swans and then St Kilda.

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As much fun as it was on the field, Steve noted that he and Michelle found the social side of the football club even more enjoyable. Having relocated from out of town, the footy club was the basis for their social life. “The club made Michelle and I feel so welcome, and we were well looked after”.

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“Everyone helped to make it such a great environment. I never met a group like it before or since. There were some wonderful characters, and we made some really good friends”, Steve said.

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Steve fondly recalled the Monday night training sessions, where the injured players were on duty to buy some ‘medicinal’ beers for after training and is also pretty sure he still has some ‘damning evidence for many people’ on a VHS video tape of the 1990 players’ review.

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In 1990, Steve’s good friend and prior teammate from Glenelg and the Brighton Bombers, Doug Trappett and partner Robbie Batton, also moved to the Canberra region for work. The two couples ended up sharing a house for a time and Doug, another key forward type, was soon playing in the Tigers’ colours and finals teams. Now Secretary for the football club committee, Doug has been a true Ambassador – both for the nation and the game of football.

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Doug happened to mention that Steve’s nickname at the Bombers was ‘Cowpat’, which was apparently bestowed for a WWE type wrestling night at Brighton. Purely out of respect and admiration, the new moniker was swiftly and joyfully adopted by the Tigers fraternity.

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However, this combination of South Australians has also provided a lasted legacy on a different front. Borrowing heavily from the Brighton Bombers, they instigated a ‘newsletter’ which included game results and statistics but also some purported ‘articles’ on the life of club members that were really fictional stories, extremely loosely based on someone from the club.

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Several of the club’s more colourful characters were recruited to author these creative narratives, with the articles entitled Cooking with the Stars, by Ian ‘Irate’ Anderson, becoming compulsive game-day reading. You were often left shaking your head that an otherwise civilised, intelligent and educated human being could imagine some of the bizarre, offensive but never-the-less extremely humourous scenes depicted on the page.

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This was the original, paper version of the Tigers Growler newsletter, which survives in a less flamboyant electronic form today, but also lent its name to the now respectable and popular ‘Growlers Shed’.

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Another side note to the contribution made by both Steve Cornish and Doug Trappett to the Club is the Tigers Growler Membership base which was instigated by these two South Aussies – plus the idea of the now well-established Growlers Deck.

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While he now enjoys golf, fishing and travelling, Steve ‘Cowpat’ Cornish has certainly woven his thread into the rich tapestry of the life and times of the Tigers club.