The Standard | TERANG Mortlake co-captain Damian O’Connor says competition for spots will propel the Bloods to greater heights in 2015.
The veteran onballer expects the Bloods’ increased depth to encourage players to improve as the club strives for back-to-back Hampden league finals campaigns.
O’Connor, who will run out alongside fellow skipper Chris Baxter in Terang Mortlake’s season-opener on Saturday, said expectations to perform were high.
“We have recruited pretty well so we should have a bit more depth to choose from,” he said.
“Senior team spots will feel pressure from the reserves which is always good.
“If you are not in form, you won’t get a game.”
Stephen Staunton and Chris Bant spearheaded a potent Terang Mortlake forward line in 2014.
O’Connor said off-season recruitment focused on adding to the Bloods’ midfield rotations to ensure it got the best out of their tall timber in attack.
“We’ve picked up Nathan Jones and Lachie Barr from Caramut and Jordan Payne has walked straight into the midfield,” he said.
Payne played in a premiership with Central Highlands league club Bungaree last season.
O’Connor said the Bloods were rapt to have him back.
“He accumulates the footy and is a good user,” he said.
O’Connor said he was humbled to be named captain alongside one of the club’s most promising players in Baxter.
“Chris is pretty vocal and I am pretty vocal as well and Chris does a lot of organisation off the field,” O’Connor said.
“Last year he organised Tuesday night teas after training.”
Baxter, 23, has committed full-time to the Bloods this season after spending a year on VFL club North Ballarat Roosters’ list.
The Ellerslie farmer played one game for the Roosters and still harbours ambitions of playing at that level in the future, work permitting.
“We’re milking an extra 150 cows now. We have to milk 480 this year and we have a beef farm as well,” Baxter said.
The key defender, who is capable of playing midfield, said he relished his time at North Ballarat under Hampden league export Gerard FitzGerald.
“It was amazing. It would be a lot easier to be up there among them and training Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and doing gym Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he said.
“I trained two nights a week in pre-season (in 2014) and Wednesday nights during the season.”
Baxter said Terang Mortlake was well poised to better its semi-final finish of last season.
He believes forward duo Dylan Jones and Jarryd Hay and utility Jake Meade are ready to take the next step, praising the latter’s efforts in the 2014 finals series.
Terang Mortlake plays semi-final conqueror North Warrnambool Eagles on Saturday.
The two sides played three times last season with each game decided by under a goal.
Utility Tom McKenzie (plantar fasciitis) and teenage forward Josh Carlin (collarbone) are sidelined with injury but the Bloods will have an otherwise healthy list to pick from.
