ANY hopes the Bendigo Pioneers have of ending their TAC Cup finals drought go on the line on Saturday against the Oakleigh Chargers.
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The Pioneers (3-10) are 10th on the ladder – two games behind the eighth-placed Chargers (5-8).
The two teams have met once this season, with Oakleigh winning by 15 points at the QEO in round four.
“We’ve had a few chances to open our season up this year, but haven’t taken them, and this is probably the last chance we’ll get to do so,” Pioneers coach Brett Henderson said on Friday.
“We think we’ve got a fairly reasonable run home, but if we don’t take the opportunity this week then finals are going to become really hard for us. It’s really important we tick this game off and then work hard to try to string a few wins together.”
The Pioneers have included GWS Academy player Jarrod Brander, Vic Country representative Lochie O’Brien, Paddy Dow and Under-18 All-Australian Kobe Mutch in their side.
Playing his first TAC Cup game for the Pioneers will be Jye Caldwell, who earlier this month was named Victoria Country’s MVP at the under-16 national championships.
Out of the team is captain Joe Atley, who will play for Geelong’s VFL team against Essendon at Simonds Stadium on Sunday, while Isaac Miller and Jamieson Sheahan will line up for Werribee’s development team against the Box Hill Hawks.
The Pioneers have lost their past five games, which includes the last three by margins of four goals or less.
The Pioneers take on the Chargers at Oakleigh’s Warrawee Park from 1.30pm Saturday, where Bendigo will not only be striving to keep its season alive, but win its first game in metropolitan Melbourne since round 1, 2013.
