Senior Competition enters second half of the season

Image courtesy Brad Greenshields, Green Shoots Marketing

 

The AFL North Coast Senior Competition has now moved past the halfway mark of the home and away season and all clubs are starting to turn one eye towards Finals.

The season to date has been extremely close so the risk is that by focusing on what might be in the future, a team could lose perspective on what’s right in front of them in round 7. Never has the old adage “one week at a time” been more relevant!

For the high flying Grafton Tigers the next challenge is posed by the reigning Premiers, Coffs Harbour Breakers.

These two sides met in round one where the Tigers claimed a hard fought victory on away territory. Since this time the Tigers have continued to build and are putting together an outstanding season. The only loss of 2020 was by one point which sees the team sitting on top of the ladder and drawing more former players back to the club.

The Breakers continue to struggle with injuries and availability and are yet to put their strongest team on the park in 2020. This week is expected to be no different and, as a result, the premiers are struggling to find any kind of rhythm or consistency. Having to face an in form Tigers outfit at their home ground is not the ideal scenario for Breakers.

The other match of the round sees a confident Sawtell Toormina Saints face off against a Port Macquarie Magpies outfit that needs to hit its straps quickly.

The Saints are buoyed after they claimed a second local derby on the trot and will be looking to further consolidate second spot on the ladder. After a tough year in 2019 the pieces of the puzzle are coming together for Sawtell and the team is looking like it has the makings of a playing group that can challenge for major honours.

Port had a tough day at the office last week, playing under manned against the top team. While the effort can’t be faulted the team desperately needs to get its strongest 22 players on the park together to start winning matches and exerting influence on the ladder. The Finals prospects aren’t dire yet, but another loss in this round would see the Pies with a mountain to climb.

The Women’s match of the round sees the clash of the top two teams – Coffs Harbour Breakers up against Northern Beaches Blues.

The Breakers have four wins from as many starts. Another win won’t yet seal the top spot, but it will put them within touching distance of having an unassailable lead.

The team has been playing with a steely resolve in 2020 that appears to have been forged in last season’s Finals disappointment.

The Northern Beaches Blues have been improving week on week and are growing in confidence that they can be a force in this year’s competition. There’s no better way to measure how a team is progressing than to go head to head with the leading team and this will be a challenge that the Blues will be relishing.

Women’s footy has a reputation for low scoring but both of these teams have thrown off the shackles in recent weeks and this is sure to be a free flowing encounter.

Being played at Ellem Oval, Grafton at 11:50am on Saturday, this is a great chance for women and girls of the Clarence to get along and have a look.

For full fixture details click here.