‘Do-or-die’ for Tigers against ladder leaders

Grafton's chances of reaching the finals depend first and foremost on causing an upset over the Coffs Breakers. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing

REIGNING premier Grafton simply has to win on Saturday if the Tigers are going to be any chance of reaching the finals.

Tigers coach Adi Campbell summed the situation Grafton finds itself in as simply “do or die”.

The Tigers have been battling a long injury list for most of the season and Campbell admits Grafton will travel to Fitzroy Oval on Saturday with somewhere between five to eight of the team’s best 22 missing from the line-up.

The coach is still looking at the positive that has come from the scenario – the kids.

“We’ve had about seven to nine of our under-17s playing. That was the case last week, the week before that and it will probably be the same again this week,” Campbell said.

“We’ve got some good young talent through and I couldn’t be happier with how they’ve been going.”

An issue for Grafton is that either fourth or fifth are almost guaranteed to get four points on Saturday when Port Macquarie travels to meet the Saints at Richardson Park. A draw would be the best result for Grafton but neither the Saints or Magpies are willing to settle for anything less than the full four points.

Port Macquarie coach Matt Clarke isn’t taking a lot from the meeting earlier in the year against Sawtell/Toormina  when the Saints lost by 119 points.

“We’re looking forward to it. Last time we played them they had a lot of players backing up from the reserves so we were playing against a team that was already depleted on their energy levels,” Clarke said.

“It will be interesting to see what happens this weekend.”

Northern Beaches can all but sew up a double chance come finals time if the Blues can travel to Lismore and overcome the Swans. On the other hand, a loss would see the Swans almost draw level and open up the fight for a top-two berth again.

Playing against a fellow top-four team is hard enough but Northern Beaches coach Rory Evans believes there’s an increased degree of difficulty the Blues will be facing.

“I think the importance will be the opportunity to go on the road against what is a pretty good team,” Evans said.

“Our only big trip to date has been up to Casino, so no offence to them but to be on the road and challenged, we’ve got to get used to that because we go to Port a couple of weeks later as well so that will be the challenge.”

While on Casino, they travel to Nambucca Heads for the second meeting of the two Lions outfits.

For Nambucca this clash is their last home match of the season. Lions coach Leif Stuart is planning to grab another win this week and perhaps one or two more before the season ends.

“Hopefully a win there and we’re still hopeful of a couple more wins for the rest of the season,” Stuart said.

“We were pretty unlucky for two weeks really, coming within a few points of Sawtell and against Coffs it was just the last quarter that let us down. With our full squad we’re right, we can go with anyone in the league.”

ROUND 12 – Saturday, July 17

LISMORE SWANS vs NORTHERN BEACHES at Oakes Oval, Lismore
(1.20pm – Women; 2.50pm – Seniors)
SAWTELL/TOORMINA vs PORT MACQUARIE at Richardson Park, Sawtell
(11.50am – Women; 1.20pm – Reserves; 2.50pm – Seniors)
COFFS BREAKERS vs GRAFTON at Fitzroy Oval/Old Camp, Coffs Harbour
(10am – Under-17s; 11.50am – Women; 1.20pm – Reserves; 2.50pm – Seniors)
NAMBUCCA VALLEY vs CASINO LIONS at EJ Biffin Oval, Nambucca Heads
(2.50pm – Seniors)

SENIOR LADDER

	P	W	D	L	WIN %	FOR	AGST	%
Coffs Breakers	11	10	0	1	90.91	1075	579	185.66
Northern Beaches	10	7	1	2	75.00	771	499	154.51
Lismore Swans	11	7	0	4	63.64	1214	545	222.75
Port Macquarie	10	6	0	4	60.00	912	702	129.91
Sawtell/Toormina	10	6	0	4	60.00	826	674	122.55
Grafton	11	4	1	6	40.91	1034	798	129.57
Nambucca Valley	11	1	0	10	9.09	414	1017	40.71
Casino Lions	10	0	0	10	0.00	274	1706	16.06