Gippsland Times |
ROSEDALE and Heyfield will headline round 10 of North Gippsland football tomorrow.
In round one, the Blues were the only side to defeat the reigning premiers this season.
Blues coach Nick Leechino said Heyfield was a different prospect now for his second-placed line-up.
"Heyfield have found their straps since we last met them in round one, and I would be confident in saying that it will be a different side that we come up against on Saturday," Leechino said.
Sitting two wins behind the ladder leaders, the Blues boast a win-loss ledger many opposition coaches would be happy to take, however, Leechino was still looking for further improvement, aware the coming month may define his side's end of season ambitions.
"There were a few games that we should have won, I was hoping that we would finish the first half of the season at seven and two," he said.
"We have been making a regular three-to-four changes each week, how that affects the side is a bit hit and miss. With a new side coming together you expect that it would take five to six rounds to gel together, however, it has taken us a bit longer due to not having the same side each week.
"The pressure is on to keep winning, the next month is going to be tough, each game we drop the tougher it will be to get to finals if the sides below us keep winning."
SALE City will take some confidence into its home game against Glengarry, having defeated the Magpies in round one.
Entering the match with three successive wins, the Magpies will aim to avenge that earlier loss to the Bulldogs tomorrow.
Coach Ryan Potter said the Magpies' return to the winners' list over past weeks would continue to help boost his charges' confidence.
"We spoke ahead of the week off about trying to break into the top five and obviously Saturday's game against Boisdale was important in us achieving that," he said.
The Magpies are eager to level their win-loss ledger at 5-5 with victory against the Bulldogs.
"We have started to click as a side, sticking to our structures and continuing to manage the injuries we have had," Potter said.
"The last few weeks has seen as have a few good wins against Rosedale and Woodside, in those matches we started to put more pressure on the opposition and move the ball better into our forwards."
With a number of areas for improvement the side has been working hard to address, Potter was aware that a win against one of last year's finalists could act as a barometer for the Magpies' run towards the finals.
DROPPING from second to fourth, Traralgon-Tyers United will need to refocus for its clash against Gormandale at home.
AFTER playing in the first draw of the season, Cowwarr will host Churchill, who faded away in patches against Heyfield.
ON Sunday, a rampaging Woodside will look to tame Boisdale-Briagolong, who comes into the match on the back of a solid performance in round nine.
For more read Friday's Gippsland Times.
