COLBINABBIN coach Nick Knight has demanded a more aggressive mindset from his players ahead of Saturday’s Heathcote District league showdown against fellow unbeaten side Huntly.
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The Grasshoppers battled to get over the line against Mount Pleasant last week in a performance Knight labelled as “flat, lethargic and reactive”.
Knight is well aware that such an attitude again on Saturday against the Hawks will spell trouble for his side.
“Huntly has shown they are probably the best side in the competition at the moment, so it’s a really big challenge,” Knight said on Friday.
“There’s no doubt we’ll have to be at our best to compete with them. We showed last week that when we didn’t go into the game with the right mindset we nearly got rolled by Mounts, so we’ll have to be a lot better on Saturday.
“We learned last week that on any given week against any side we need to be playing our brand and executing the plans we put in place.
“Hopefully, tomorrow the plans we put in place will get the job done.”
One of those plans for the Grasshoppers had been shutting down Huntly forward Josh Evans, who had kicked 10 goals the previous two weeks.
However, Huntly coach Denis Grinton confirmed on Friday that Evans – recruited from Numurkah – had departed the Hawks.
“Josh has finished up with the club. He’s heading back closer to home, which is a bit disappointing, but it has happened so we need to move on,” Grinton said.
While Evans is no longer at Huntly, the Hawks regain prime mover Doug Thomas to add to their already potent midfield brigade.
“I reckon it’s going to come down to a battle of the midfields. Both are very strong, so we’ll be trying to make sure we give our forwards more opportunities with some decent ball-use going in,” Grinton said.
The 4-0 Grasshoppers regain ruckman Hadleigh Sirett and former skipper Pat O’Brien for the match at Colbinabbin.
If Saturday’s game is anything like their two home and away clashes last year, spectators will be in for a tight contest.
Both their home and away matches were decided by six points last year, with each side winning one apiece, before the Hawks later ended the Grasshoppers’ season with a 16-point win in the first semi-final.
• Saturday’s games – Elmore v LBU, Leitchville-Gunbower v Mount Pleasant, Colbinabbin v Huntly, Heathcote v White Hills. North Bendigo bye.
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT LEAGUE – ROUND 6
COLBINABBIN v. HUNTLY
Colbinabbin
B: D. Price, M. McEvoy, T. O'Dwyer
HB: D. Hill, D. Carmody, N. Nixon
C: W. Morrow, M. Bright, A. Van Ruiswyk
HF: C. Ford, S. Hill, L. Ezard
F: R. Hon, E. Bowen, C. Horsley
R: M. McEvoy, S. Vale, P. O'Brien
Int: H. Sirett, X. Walsh, W. Lowe, N. Knight
In: H. Sirett, P. O'Brien
Out: G. McMurtrie, L. Hill
Huntly
B: S. Kairn, M. Jeffries, J. Harris
HB: S. Fiske, J. Dickerson, J. Cordy
C: P. Ryan, R. Semmel, M. Whittle
HF: S. Collis, L. Mann, L. Semmel
F: J. Greenwood, C. Gleeson, H. Whittle
R: R. Sutton, D. Thomas, J. Daley
Int: B. Dickens, R. Culvenor, J. Galea, J. Gladman
Emg: L. Brook
In: J. Gladman, L. Brook, D. Thomas
Out: H. Campbell , J. Evans
HEATHCOTE v. WHITE HILLS
Heathcote
B: A. Williamson, R. Carmichael, N. Bake
HB: , D. Russell, M. Millard, J. Kelly
C: D. McLean, K. Seidel, L. Piccolo
HF: J. Formosa, B. Connelly, T. Pain
F: B. Klemke, A. McIvor, J. Paisley
R: D. King, J. Condon, A. Romagnano
Int: B. Morgan, D. Hardy, J. Formosa, J. Brooks
In: B. Klemke, M. Millard
Out: G. Delany, T. Bourke
White Hills
B: J. Avery, A. Bigham, O. Geary
HB: G. Bowles, D. Wright, R. Irwin
C: K. Gellatly, M. Den Houting, D. Nihill
HF: J. Allport, K. Bedford, B. Johnson
F: J. Maher, J. Waldron, D. Fulton
R: M. Wright, J. Ibbeson-Coatsworth, B. Parnell
Int: D. Bowles, B. Hogan, D. Trull, D. Brennan
ELMORE v. LOCKINGTON BAMAWM UNITED
Elmore
B: K. Cornell, Z. Laffy, T. Oliver
HB: B. Makepeace, J. Harney, N. Brewster
C: J. Trewick, B. Boyack, H. Hayes
HF: H. Grogan, J. Harney, L. Price
F: N. Page, D. Brewster, N. Kellow
R: J. Hayes, A. Munro, M. Gilmour
Int: G. Hay, A. Cuthbert, J. Grogan, B. Poole
In: B. Poole, A. Munro
Out: M. Thomson, M. Cricelli
Lockington Bamawm United
B: J. Wolfe, J. Gibbs, F. Monahan
HB: X. Kelly, T. Leech, J. Mundie
C: J. Brown, Z. Johnston, J. Felmingham
HF: J. Bacon, N. Dyson, J. Howlett
F: C. Hinks, T. Phillips, R. Walsh
R: L. Main, J. Medina, M. Angove
Int: S. Newton, S. Wolfe, D. Kelly, G. Broad
In: J. Brown, J. Medina, J. Howlett, S. Newton
Out: B. Phillips, L. Collins, W. Pressnell, M. Candy
LEITCHVILLE GUNBOWER v. MOUNT PLEASANT
Leitchville Gunbower
B: J. Donehue, L. Prout, T. Lincoln
HB: B. Ladson, R. Prendergast, B. Hore
C: M. Bruns, M. Pollock, B. Cooke
HF: M. Perri, R. De Groot, J. Hawken
F: J. Vandongen, B. Walsh, D. Coates
R: , M. Ladson, S. Turvey
Int: L. Guinan, L. Pollock, S. Hay, M. McEwen, J. Gleeson
Mount Pleasant
B: H. Steinfort, D. Young, C. Moore
HB: M. Fitzgerald, A. Hand, F. Cole
C: N. Edwards, J. Bickley, N. Butler
HF: K. Clifford, B. Weightman, E. Ratcliffe
F: M. Bennett, J. Hancock, S. Spijkerman
R: J. Connelly, C. Trotman, L. Marchesi
Int: C. Smith, M. Keuken, C. Black, J. Philbrick
In: L. Marchesi, J. Bickley
Out: J. Quirk, T. Pontell
