Swans and Saints in battle for top four spot
Sawtell/Toormina's playing coach Brandt Lee gets a handball away against the Lismore Swans during the Festival of Footy. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
HAVING started the season in a blaze of glory, the Lismore Swans find themselves trying to avoid a third straight loss and slipping outside the top four.
The Swans return home this week to host Sawtell/Toormina who are also looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss last week.
The crucial encounter forms part of an appetising football backdrop to the Sir Doug Nicholls Round which is being played this week.
The round celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and contribution to Australian Football. Always a highlight on the AFL calendar, this year’s theme for the round is Our Legacy – This is Us.
Sir Doug Nicholls Round is celebrated from the elite level to grassroots and AFL North Coast is proud that clubs in the region are helping their players and communities engage across all levels.
The Swans will be playing in a special indigenous guernsey in the clash and club president Laura Cahill said the club intends to make the match a true celebration.
“There will be a welcome to country by a Widjabul Wia-Bal person who is a friend of some of the players and there will also be the Bundjalung dancers,” Cahill said.
“We had the dancers perform a couple of years ago and they were fantastic. The ceremony will be conducted between the women’s and senior matches as we’re hoping to maximise the size of the crowd that will be able to see it.”
Hayden Proctor fires out a handball during a 2020 match against Port Macquarie. The two sides meet again on Saturday as part of the Doug Nicholls Round. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
SITTING on top of the ladder undefeated, everything appears rosy for the Coffs Breakers.
But their coach Kevin Wilson said the wins the club has earned so far has been more through hard work than simple talent.
He expects his team will be forced to work hard again against Port Macquarie on Saturday if the Breakers, who will also be playing in a locally designed indigenous guernsey, are to collect another four points.
“Every game we’ve played so far has been a hard game and this is another hard game,” Wilson said.
“We’ve played Sawtell, Woopi, Lismore and Grafton and we’ve got to back up again. The blokes have been working really hard because every game has been hard and it’s been really good.
“Good for us and good for the competition and it lifts the standard a bit.”
Saturday’s match is being played at Fitzroy Oval, or as it’s otherwise known to the Gumbaynggir people – the Old Camp or Yaam Nguura Jalumgal.
Grafton may find themselves a step ahead of the opposition if returning players strengthen the line-up. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
HAD two close results at Ellem Oval this season resulted in two wins to Grafton rather than a draw and a four-point loss, the Tigers would be sitting comfortably in second position right now.
Facts can be unsympathetic though and the fact is Grafton currently sits just outside the top four and will be looking to post a victory at home on Saturday against Nambucca Valley.
The Lions have been buoyed by their first win last week and finally the appearance of their twin towers in front of goal in Aaron Clarke and playing coach Leif Stuart.
What Grafton possesses to possibly counteract the good mood the Lions will be bringing to the contest is the possibility of half a dozen players returning to the senior line-up this week.
But Tigers coach Adi Campbell said it’s no longer a case of senior players simply walking back into the team. Those players have pressure to fight for their spots thanks to the performances so far this season from Grafton’s younger brigade.
“Our kids coming through are just stepping up each week,” Campbell said.
“They’re getting better and better and most of them are playing two games. We’ve got six or seven playing under-17s then come up and represent the senior side as well so they’re going to get better, a lot better.”
Northern Beaches and Casino have already met once this year when they played each other during the Festival of Footy. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
DON’T tell Northern Beaches coach Rory Evans that Casino are winless and sitting on the bottom of the ladder. He doesn’t want to hear a word about picking up an easy four points.
Evans sees Saturday’s match at Queen Elizabeth Park as an opportunity for his team to try and play more quarters the way the Blues want to want to but he knows facing the Lions in their den is a task not to be treated lightly.
“It’s our first decent road trip and I think it will be a challenge,” Evans said.
“Obviously we played against them in the Festival of Footy but Casino has clearly improved since then.
“Speaking to people who’ve seen them and played against them it sounds like they have something that we need to be wary of.”
The Casino Lions nearly grabbed their first win last week, getting to within eight points of Nambucca Valley early in the last quarter.
Club president and one of the Lions’ stronger on-field performers Ben Hunt said the team is still trying to improve each week as they eye off that first win.
“We’ve still got a lot to reflect on. We didn’t follow our processes at times last week and that proved costly,” Hunt said.
“So we’ve still got a lot to work on ahead of our game against Woolgoolga (Northern Beaches).”
ROUND 6 FIXTURE – SATURDAY, MAY 29: SIR DOUG NICHOLLS ROUND 2021
COFFS BREAKERS vs PORT MACQUARIE at Fitzroy Oval – the Old Camp Yaam Nguura Jalumgal, Coffs Harbour
(U/17s vs Sawtell/Toormina – 9.50am; Women – 11.40am; Reserves – 1.30pm; Seniors – 3pm)
LISMORE SWANS vs SAWTELL/TOORMINA at Oakes Oval, Lismore
(Women – 12.20pm; Seniors – 1.50pm)
CASINO LIONS vs NORTHERN BEACHES at Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino
(Seniors – 2.50pm)
GRAFTON vs NAMBUCCA VALLEY at Ellem Oval, Grafton
(U/17s vs Glen Innes – 11am; Reserves vs Northern Beaches – 1.30pm; Seniors – 2.50pm)
