Returning Tigers add roar ahead of Breakers clash
Grafton and the Coffs Breakers meet in an important encounter at Ellem Oval on Saturday. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
GRAFTON faces the undefeated Coffs Breakers at Ellem Oval on Saturday with a pep in its step.
Not only did the Tigers get a morale boost last week from their first win in Port Macquarie in a decade, but this week Grafton will add strength to its line-up.
Grafton coach Adi Campbell revealed during the week the reigning premiers can probably expect to have “four or five players coming back in”which should help”.
“We’re slowly building. Over the past four weeks we’ve had anywhere between seven and eleven blokes out at a time which has made it fairly hard,” Campbell said.
The coach admits this week’s match against the Breakers looms as “our toughest one yet” as the Coffs team showed it could well be the team to beat after comfortably overcoming the Lismore Swans last week.
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Northern Beaches coach Rory Evans. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
WITH a win under its belt, Northern Beaches is attacking Saturday’s clash against the Lismore Swans with renewed vigour.
The Blues welcomed back Evan Duryea last week and it paid immediate results.
Northern Beaches coach said the line-up is on the verge of getting stronger but said his team has to respect what the Swans have achieved so far this season.
“They (Lismore) were very, very strong in their first couple of matches and from what I hear they structure up very well,” Evans said.
“What we need to concentrate on is being able to reproduce what we did last week. That’s really the focus for us.”
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Nambucca Valley is aiming to grab the Lions Cup when they play against Casino. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
THE first piece of silverware is up for grabs at Casino this Saturday and it has nothing to do with the annual Beef Week celebrations in town.
Nambucca Valley is travelling north to Casino in a clash of the Lions and the two teams are playing for the inaugural Lions Cup.
The Cup has some extra incentive as well as both sides are still searching for their first wins of the year.
Nambucca Valley coach Leif Stuart, who is still a couple of weeks away from playing his first match of 2021, said his Lions are looking forward to the match and what’s coming after it.
“We’ll take a strong team up there and we’re making a weekend of it too,” Stuart said.
“We’re playing for the Lions Cup which will be interesting and we’re looking forward to it. We’ll try and give them a good quality game and we’ll see what happens.
“We’re trying to build a good relationship with Casino so we’ll spend a lot of time with them after the game and it should be a lot of fun.”
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Sawtell/Toormina won all three matches it played against Port Macquarie last year. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
PORT Macquarie has the opportunity to announce what sort of team it is.
Sitting on two wins and two losses, the Magpies can tell the AFL North Coast community that it’s a genuine finals contender if it can secure the four premiership points on Saturday against Sawtell/Toormina.
Port Macquarie hasn’t beaten the Saints since the 2019 Preliminary Final but coach Matt Clarke said the way toward beating that short-term hoodoo depends on them playing their own style of football.
“We already know the match is going to be hard because Sawtell play a physical style of football. We’ve got a young team so our plan is always to try and run the other teams off their legs,” Clarke said.
As far as becoming a finals threat Clarke said it’s a possibility but there’s a bigger goal in mind at Wayne Richards Park.
“We’re on the verge of being successful but we’re also on a rebuild path at the moment,” he said.
“Last week we had four 16 year-olds and four 17 year-olds playing in the seniors. With that sort of development this is the year where we steer the club towards where we want to be in five years time.
“As far as finals are concerned, I think that’s an external focus while what we focus on is very internal. We see it internally as trying to reach our KPI’s that we’ve set. Now if we reach those, as a by-product we’re going to be the team to beat. But we just need to focus on what we’re we’re trying to do first.”
The Saints will be itching for the first bounce on Saturday as it will be their first match for three weeks. A fortnight ago Sawtell/Toormina’s match against Northern Beaches was postponed due to Centennial Oval being closed then last week the Saints earned the four points but didn’t play after Casino was unable to field a team against them.
ROUND 5 FIXTURES
NORTHERN BEACHES vs LISMORE SWANS at Centennial Oval, Woolgoolga
(1.20pm – Women; 2.50pm – Seniors)
GRAFTON vs COFFS BREAKERS at Ellem Oval, Grafton
(10am – Under-17s; 11.50am – Women; 1.20pm – Reserves; 2.50pm – Seniors)
CASINO LIONS vs NAMBUCCA VALLEY at Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino
(2.50pm – Seniors)
PORT MACQUARIE vs SAWTELL/TOORMINA
(11.50am – Women; 1.20pm – Reserves; 2.50pm – Seniors)
Note: Sawtell/Toormina’s under-17s are playing at Tamworth at 11am.
