The Courier |
SUNBURY coach Rick Horwood is more than aware of Brendan Fevola’s ability to tear a match apart.
Although the Lions will arguably go into today’s clash against Bacchus Marsh as almost unbackable favourites, Horwood does not quite see it that way.
Sunbury will head into the match with nine premiership players from last year out of the side, especially and most notably a number of key defenders.
Allan O’Connor would have been a walk-up start against ‘Fev’, but is out for the season.
His spot would have been easily filled by Jack Sullivan or even Simon Clarke – but both are on the sidelines.
Adam Short, another key defender, has been named but could be a late withdrawal.
Either way, it is hard to imagine Short is at full fitness.
That means the task of manning the potent spearhead will most likely go towards Niall McGovern or Brett Chambers, one of the BFL’s best defenders.
With Bacchus Marsh likely to almost evacuate the forward line to give Fevola as much opportunity as possible to work his magic, Horwood admitted he would likely look at dropping a few extra numbers behind the ball.
“We might need to drop four blokes back on him,” he joked.
Not only does the Fevola appearance give people a chance to see one of the AFL’s best full-forwards from the past 15 years running around, but it adds extra spice to a match that could realistically have seemed rather dull.
If everything followed the path that had already been set this year, as well as in previous years, Sunbury would run out a convincing winner.
But Fevola’s presence alone has the potential to produce some unexpected results.
“It really adds a lot more to the typical Bacchus Marsh versus Sunbury game,” Horwood said.
“It’s not always easy to get the boys up and about every week, especially when we haven’t played one of the top sides for a month.
“I’m sure Bacchus Marsh will come out firing but I think it makes it easier for our boys to get motivated as well.”
The match, at Maddingley Park, gets under way at 2.15pm.
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