But first-year keeper Mitchell ‘Tinny’ Tinnock emerged from Pascoe Cup preliminary rounds with the lowest goals-against tally and a record of stunning displays.

Now he’ll play in goals at the grand final on Sunday.

The Lake Albert Sharks faithful and former midfielder had written-off 2016 as a year to recover, due to a knee injury in 2015. He changed his mind in a heart-beat when he saw the list of players who had signed-on.

“It looked so good, I said, ‘I have to be a part of this,’” Tinnock said.

“We didn’t have a keeper, so I was like, ‘righto I’ll have a crack at keeper, I’ll do my best.’

“The first two games of the season were a bit rough, I think I let in six goals, still trying to work out what to do, but eventually it started clicking.”

Sharks’ back-line players were a great help.

“We have a super back-line, that kept me protected,” he said.

Coach Michael Babic did his best to teach Tinnock.

“He said he’d done a tiny bit of keeping when he was a junior, so not great experience, but he had a few tips, he knew what he was talking about,” Tinnock said.

“Definitely got some experience at training, look at some of these boys, they shoot pretty hard.

“First off, we started with low saves, working up to crosses and the whole lot.

“Quickly I learnt to get the body behind the ball or you’re going to see a goal.”

He has fond memories of one of his worst results; a 5-3 win to Cootamundra.

“I made an absolute meal of two of those goals, I’m not going to lie.

“It was my fourth game ever as keeper.

“The boys just kept encouraging me, no matter what I did, I knew they had my back.”

The feedback has been heart-felt according to Sharks’ captain Ben Angel.

“Tinny, he looks like a keeper,” he said.

“He hasn’t looked out of place all year. 

“It’s like having an extra midfielder sweeping around.

“We’re confident to play it back to him, he has good foot-skills.”

Tinnock cut his teeth in goals during social futsal games over summer.

Unlike some of Wagga’s best keepers, such as Young Matilda Jada Whyman, who played Aussie Rules first, requiring attuned hand-eye co-ordination skills, the world game’s the only game for him.

“He’s always been a soccer boy,” Angel said.

“I think he’s benefited from being an outfielder.”