CASTLEMAINE coach Shane Robertson expects his Magpies to be mentally tougher on Saturday when they host Sandhurst in round 15 of the Bendigo Football League season.
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The Magpies – who for the first time in a decade still have their finals chances alive this late into a season – have copped a pair of hidings from Eaglehawk (92 points) and Strathfieldsaye (80) their past two games.
It won’t get any easier for the Magpies against another of the “big four” in the Dragons at Camp Reserve.
“Last week in particular against Eaglehawk, our boys were really beaten in the mental side of the game… after getting so close to them last time (lost by one point) they thought it was just going to roll on and happen again,” Robertson said on Friday.
“We’ve been fairly hard on them during the week in response to what happened and I’ll certainly be expecting a better attitude on Saturday.
“It all comes down to attitude and effort and I’m sure you will see a more determined Castlemaine side than what it has been in the past two weeks.”
Such is the gap between the top four and the rest, the Magpies are still right in the hunt for their first finals berth since 2005, despite winning just five of their 14 games so far.
“It’s a bit ridiculous really when you get to this stage of the year, you’ve only won five games and you’re still right in the finals mix,” Robertson said.
“We’re going to need to get seven or eight wins to finish in that fifth position, so we’ve still got to do the right things over the next four games to give ourselves a chance.
“If you want to play finals, you need to be more competitive against the top sides… you don’t want to get to the finals and embarrass yourself.”
