“THE game’s almost taken a back seat to all of the other things that will be going on.”
That’s the pre-match assessment of Port Macquarie’s playing coach Scott Abercrombie as he sets the Magpies’ sights on Saturday’s grand final replay against Sawtell/Toormina.
It’s an understandable conclusion to jump to as well considering Port Macquarie’s seniors and under-18s will be presented with their premiership flags in honour of last year’s success.
On top of that Port Macquarie-Hastings Mayor Peter Besseling, a staunch rugby union man with 26 caps for the NSW Waratahs to his name, will be pulling on a Magpies jumper in the reserves for his first match of Aussie Rules.
Cr Besseling will then present a plaque to the club in honour of former Magpies’ president, the late Paul Sheldon, to adorn the changerooms at Wayne Richards Park, to recognise the contribution Sheldon made to the club and the greater North Coast football community.
Once all that’s done, it’s time for a game of football – and a big one at that.
“You can’t tell them (the players) to ignore everything that will be going on but you just need them to get the balance right so they’re not too caught up in it,” Abercrombie said.
When the grand final replay commences, the clash promises to be a cracker.
An 11-goal last quarter a week ago has given Sawtell/Toormina it can turn the tables on the Magpies after the 20 point loss it suffered in last year’s grand final.
Port will again be without the services of captain Jesse Schmidt but the Magpies believe they will still have the tools on hand to record a win.
“A game against Sawtell at this stage of the season will give us a good indication on whether we’re on track with what we were planning over the summer,” the coach said.
Test of how much the Swans have improved
ONE win down and the Coffs Swans hope there’s more to come, starting with a difficult road trip to Grafton on Saturday.
For the Swans’ playing-coach Jay Guthrie, strangely one of the keys to succeeding this week is to forget about the joy of winning last week.
“We need to focus on what we can control and not ourselves get carried away with last week’s result,” Guthrie said.
“It was great to get a win and we took time out to congratulate everyone for it but then we have to get on with the job again the next week.”
Both Grafton and the Swans had a good spread of goalkickers last week in big wins but Guthrie believes this weekend will provide a better indication of where each team sits in the competition pecking order.
“Every side can get a false sense of where they’re at with an early win and this will give us a good test of how we’re travelling at the moment,” he said.
“Obviously it’s the same for Grafton who find themselves in the same boat because Port was a weakened team last week.
“Just like us they’ll be trying out where they’re at as well.”
Chance to record an early win
HAVING recorded big losses in the opening round, both Camden Haven and North Coffs see Saturday’s clash at Laurieton Oval as a chance to record a morale boosting win.
Playing at home, the Bombers will be keen to record their first-ever win in senior ranks and see North Coffs as a team they’re capable of toppling.
Likewise North Coffs who feel a competitive first half last week against Sawtell/Toormina is something the squad can build upon.
Kangaroos’ captain-coach Darren Funston admits knowing very little about the opposition is a challenge but at this stage of the year he thinks it’s one all coaches are facing.
“Nobody will know exactly where they stand until after round five, once everyone plays each other,” Funston said.
“Then we’ll know where everyone sits in the pecking order.”
For Funston a new opponent doesn’t mean a change in approach.
“We’ll just take our blokes down, have a crack and see if we can get a win up,” he said.
Last Modified on 11/04/2014 15:19