The Courier |
SATURDAY’S clash between North Ballarat City and Redan may be a battle of the Ballarat Football League top two, but both clubs’ coaches are certainly wary of the opposition that sit a little further down the ladder.
Redan coach Eammon Gill and North Ballarat City coach Rob Waters prepare for their teams’ clash at Eureka Stadium. PICTURE: ADAM TRAFFORD
Lions coach Eammon Gill said the competition was an even one, with four or five sides still in the hunt.
“Going back 12 months ago, there was probably only two or three sides, but have a look at Darley, who is flying at the minute, and even Sunbury – they are still very much in the mix,” Gill said.
Gill’s charges will take on North City looking to reverse a 76-point thumping from the teams’ round one encounter, with Saturday’s clash the only Ballarat-based game of the round.
He said Ryan Waight was the key inclusion from a one-week spell with a calf injury, however there could be more changes to the team that got home over Sunbury by 21 points last weekend, including Joel Mathews for his first senior game of the year.
North City coach Rob Waters also knows the dangers posed by an in-form Darley and a Sunbury team which inflicted his
side’s first defeat of the season earlier this month.
With Jarrod Edwards out through suspension, Waters will make at least one change to the outfit that beat Ballarat by 33 points on Sunday, with Brendan Howard and Joshua Bromley-Lynch among those to come in from injury.
“Any blokes who aren’t 95 per cent onwards won’t play,” Waters said.
“We have to be mindful. We want to be very strong against Redan, but we don’t want to jeopardise our finals series or leading into our finals series with a break seven days away.”
Saturday’s clash is at Eureka Stadium, kicking off from 2.15pm.