Bendigo Advertiser | JUST one word sums up the response Gisborne coach Rod Sharp expects from his side after last week’s 10-goal belting from South Bendigo - effort.
So disappointed was Sharp in the performance of his side against the Bloods, the preparations for Saturday’s game against Eaglehawk at Gardiner Reserve began with a 6am training session last Sunday.
“You just want effort over four quarters,” Sharp said on Friday.
“We’ve trained well during the week and regardless of the opponent, you’d be at your wits end on Saturday night if the effort hasn’t gone up 125 per cent on last week over four quarters.
“The biggest thing out of last week that gutted me as a coach and hopefully, the players as well, was we just got outworked.
“South Bendigo increased its work-rate throughout the contest and we failed to go with them, which was disappointing because we spoke about that before the game.
“We’ve tried to simplify it this week and they’ll have targets to reach when we have the footy and when we don’t have the footy... simple as that.
“We’ll look to start well, get into the game and build some momentum and have a real appetite for the contest.”
The Bulldogs, now at 1-4, have swung seven changes from last week’s team.
Among the ins is last year’s joint best and fairest Tom May for his first game of the season after recovering from a tendon tear in his upper leg.
“Tommy will be underdone, but he will play through the midfield and give us a five-minute rotation a couple of times each quarter,” Sharp said.
“His presence out there will give us a real lift.”
Also back in the side is last year’s best and fairest runner-up Isaac Trickey, while the Bulldogs will unveil two first-gamers in Ryan Baker, who is on the Calder Cannons’ list, and Kieran O’Gorman.
Eaglehawk - which struggled past Castlemaine by one point last week - sits third on the ladder with a 4-1 record and is expecting to be confronted by a fierce Bulldogs unit.
“It’s Gisborne at Gisborne... we’re under no illusion as to how tough it’s going to be,” Eaglehawk coach Luke Monaghan said.
The Hawks - who haven’t won at Gisborne since 2012 - are missing seven of their best 22, but such is the depth at the club this year, boasts a well-balanced side across every line for this clash.
