WITH a top-two position all sewn up, Sawtell/Toormina is looking at ensuring it has its best 22 players ready for the team’s first final.
Having lost the past two grand finals after being in winning positions in both matches, Saints coach Jim Angel wants to ensure his team is in peak condition when the business end of the season comes around.
“We’ve got a couple having a rest with some little niggles this week but we’ll start to emphasise the need to be in good nick at training next week,” Angel said.
“Once all of the players are back, we’ll be right from there with a couple of good hitouts against the Swans and Grafton to come to finish the season.”
One problem Angel doesn’t have is form.
The Saints blew Port Macquarie off the park early last week, which had the coach wondering at one stage what he was going to say to his players during the breaks.
In an impressive display, Sawtell/Toormina kicked seven unanswered goals in the opening term last week.
Angel said he would like more of the same in coming matches.
“The first quarter down there at Port was the best that we’ve played all year,” he said.
“I walked off at quarter-time and thought, ‘We’re not going to top that. That was absolutely brilliant’.”
Without having a defeatist attitude, if Camden Haven did lose today, it would want to ensure minimal damage is done on the scoreboard because percentages could decide who finishes inside and outside the final four.
Photo courtesy Rob Wright/Coffs Coast Advocate
Magpies in a mood to slay Swans
OVERCOMING the top-of-the-ladder Coffs Swans would be the perfect way for Port Macquarie to show it’s well and truly got the season back on track after a disastrous start.
Magpies' playing coach Scott Abercrombie knows it will be a hard task but said he was confident if his side approached the game with the right mindset, they had a good chance of coming away with a win.
Taylor Stone and Mark Harris return to the Port line-up, boosting their ranks, and Abercrombie said Adam Eckermann was better for his run last week.
Another factor which will motivate the Magpies in their late season charge is the fact this afternoon will be Ladies Day at Paul Sheldon Oval, where all the help from the women behind the scenes is put on show and appreciated.
Abercrombie said it was a good way of saying thank you.
“It’s a way of showing our appreciation to all the wives, girlfriends, partners and mothers for giving their partners to us on a long-term basis,” he said.
“It will be a big day with all three grades playing and everyone from all grades including 18s to join in.
“There will be marquees set up for them to sit in comfort and watch the footy with nibbles and refreshments.”
Talking about beating the Coffs Swans and actually doing it are two different things though.
The Swans are trying to break a 15-year premiership drought and won’t want to flirt with form ahead of next week’s big clash against Sawtell/Toormina, which will more than likely decide the minor premiership.
Confidence boost to help Kangaroos
TWO clubs which have battled with player numbers in recent times go head to head.
The fact Grafton is playing on home soil and North Coffs are still yet to win a game in 2014 points to a much-needed victory for the Tigers this afternoon but the North Coffs camp isn’t willing to accept today’s result is a fait accompli.
Kangaroos captain-coach Darren Funston said morale among the group was at a season high after pushing Camden Haven all the way a week ago.
“We were three or four goals up at one stage against the Bombers so we probably should’ve won it,” Funston said.
“The boys were fairly disappointed at the end of the game that we didn’t get the four points.
“Still we’ve taken a lot of confidence from the way we played and we’ll try and continue that on this week.”
Although comfortably beaten by the ladder-leading Coffs Swans last week, Grafton has also taken some confidence from its performance.
While the match was over as a contest by half time, Grafton showed plenty of spirit after the main break to keep matters fairly even in the second half.
Ronald Davis is again in form for the Tigers and his midfield drive has proven a thorn in the North Coffs side over the past couple of years.
Considering the Tigers can boast a forward line consisting of Dan Zacek, Shawn Purton, Lee Anderson and Mark Blundell, it’s a midfield drive which could prove vital not only today but into the finals as well.
The Tigers simply must win to keep their spot in the top four on the ladder.
Last Modified on 11/07/2014 15:17