COLBINABBIN coach Nick Knight says some early-season “home truths” have been one of the catalysts for the Grasshoppers’ past three wins in the Heathcote District Football League season.
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The Grasshoppers have comfortably beaten Elmore (58 points), Heathcote (73) and Leitchville-Gunbower (41) the past three weeks ahead of a keenly-anticipated clash against reigning premier North Bendigo at home on Saturday.
Those three wins came on the back of a round one loss to Huntly when the Grasshoppers conceded the last six goals of the match to be beaten by 19 points.
“Huntly was really good in that first game and we were a bit off where some of the things we tried didn’t quite work,” Knight said on Friday.
“But after that game we also sat down as a group and a few home truths were told of where we were at and where do we want to go and to the boys’ credit, over the past three weeks they have worked really hard and the results are starting to show.”
While pleased with how his side has responded from its round one loss, Knight says there’s no better chance to gauge where the Grasshoppers are at than taking on reigning premier North Bendigo – the team that knocked Colbinabbin out of the flag race in the preliminary final last year.
The Bulldogs started their premiership defence with three wins on the trot before having the bye last week.
“It’s going to be a great chance to see where we’re at as a club against the benchmark in the competition… we’re looking forward to Saturday, that’s for sure,” said Knight, who leads the HDFL goalkicking with 21.
“Consistency has been a big thing for us over the past three weeks and we’ve slowly been getting there, but we know that we have to be right on for four quarters this weekend against a quality side like North Bendigo.”
The combined talent across the Grasshoppers and Bulldogs sides was evident during the week when the two clubs combined for 16 players in the HDFL inter-league training squad of 57 that was unveiled.
As well as Knight in red-hot form, the Grasshoppers have also had Tom Hill, who has moved up to a wing, and Sam Vale make impressive starts to the season, while forward recruit Ryan Hon has also had an early impact with 16 goals in his first four games.
Saturday’s clash between the Grasshoppers and Bulldogs at Colbinabbin’s M.J. Morgan Oval begins at 2.15pm.
Saturday’s games: LBU v Elmore, Colbinabbin v North Bendigo, White Hills v Heathcote, Mount Pleasant v Leitchville-Gunbower. Huntly bye.
