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GISBORNE coach Rod Sharp believes a beefed up midfield brigade holds one of the keys to his side turning around its three losses to Sandhurst in Saturday night’s Bendigo Football League preliminary final at the QEO.
The Bulldogs have lost their three encounters with the Dragons this season by 73, 69 and 42 points in the qualifying final two weeks ago.
However, Sharp says the Bulldogs are the best equipped they have been all season to take on the Dragons, particularly through the midfield, where he believes the game will be won and lost.
“We’ve been beaten in the midfield against them whenever we’ve played them and I’ve got no doubt on Saturday night that’s where the contest will be won,” Sharp said on Friday.
“This is the first time we’re going to have Scott Walsh, Casey Summerfield, Tom May, Ollie Messaoudi and Shannon Greetham all fit and healthy and in the one team together against them.
“Hopefully, they can apply the pressure we’ll need to get the result because we haven’t had it all year against them.
“We’ve got a good enough side to kick goals, and so do they. They’ve got a good defence, but so do we, so that’s why the game will come down to what happens in the midfield.”
The Bulldogs will also have the experience of star ruckman Tom Waters to take on the Dragons’ Tim Martin in a crucial match-up.
Waters missed the qualifying final through suspension, which left Andre Headberry to shoulder the ruck load against Martin, whose influence on the contest continued to grow the longer the game wore on.
“We think Headberry did alright a couple of weeks ago against Martin, but this time he’s probably only got to go up against him 10 times to help out Tommy,” Sharp said.
“We’re confident Tommy will be able to give us a really good contest for four quarters against Martin.”
Gisborne has made two changes to the team that came from 16 points down in the final quarter last week to defeat Golden Square by four points in the first semi-final.
Captain Casey Summerfield returns from a corked thigh that sidelined him last week, while Patrick Trotta has earned a call-up.
Trotta will be one of six players still eligible for the under-18s in the Bulldogs’ team on Saturday night.
“We might change a few things structurally this time to mix it up a bit, but we won’t go away from our habits of all year,” Sharp said.
GISBORNE TEAM:
B: Josh Govan, Heath Simpson, Cameron Medica
Hb: Shaun Comerford, Tim Walsh, Hamish Govan
C: Isaac Trickey, Tom May, Riley Patterson
Hf: Scott Walsh, Ben Sonogan, Jarrad Lynch
F: Ethan Minns, Rod Sharp, Pat McKenna
Foll: Tom Waters, Shannon Greetham, Casey Summerfield
Inter: Andre Headberry, Ollie Messaoudi, Patrick Trotta, Trent Crosbie
In: Casey Summerfield, Patrick Trotta
Out: Lachlan O'Gorman, Kane Grbac