Weekly Times | THE Hampden interleague squad received some expert advice from one the AFL’s great forwards before the match against the Murray league on Saturday.
Former Brisbane Lions captain and South Warrnambool junior Jonathan Brown swung by training on May 6, volunteering some tips.
Interleague coach Chris McLaren said his players hung on to Brown’s every word.
“He spent a lot of time with our key forwards working on positioning and leading, so hopefully they got a fair bit out of it,” McLaren said.
Hampden’s last interleague outing ended in a 125-point thumping by the Ovens and Murray league, but McLaren said his side would be more competitive this time.
“We’re lucky to have such a strong squad with guys like Travis Graham and Sam Cowling, from Warrnambool, and Luke Crane, from Portland, guys who can really make a difference,” he said.
McLaren said while injuries to former Adelaide and Warrnambool midfielder Tim McIntyre and Camperdown’s Phil Carse were unfortunate, he believed he had enough depth to cover their absence.
Murray was also hit with injuries, with star forward Paul Newman in doubt after pulling up with a tight hamstring.
Murray coach Peter White said he had not decided if Newman would play.