From the Shepp News
Two-time Shepparton United premiership captain Tyson Sidebottom makes his return to Deakin Reserve tomorrow, but the Demons are unlikely to roll out the welcome mat.
The gun on-baller will be wearing the red and white of Goulburn Valley Football League rival Shepparton Swans and his former Demons mentor said he could expect to face a hostile reception.
‘‘Everyone knows what he was at our club,’’ United coach Marc Quarrell said.
‘‘He was a two-time premiership captain, he played under me for three years and I certainly wouldn’t have thought Tyson would be expecting a welcome mat or anything like that.
‘‘He’ll be under no illusion it will be a rough day out there and knowing Tyson very well I don’t expect he would have it any other way.’’
Sidebottom left United at the end of the 2011 premiership-winning season to join his junior club Congupna in Murray Football League.
However, after just one season at The Road, Sidebottom signed for the Swans in November, much to the shock and disappointment of the United faithful.
Part of his challenge will be facing notoriously rigorous tagger Joey Perkovic, who is available for selection, fresh from serving a three-match suspension.
When asked whether Perkovic would be coming into the side and would line up on Sidebottom, Quarrell’s response was a simple ‘‘affirmative’’ on both counts.
Swans coach Brett Warburton said he expected his star recruit to deal with the challenge ‘‘like he’s dealt with it from day one’’.
‘‘It won’t faze him, Tyson’s a ball player and a pure ball player, and we’ve got very good umpires in this competition that will handle anything that needs to be dealt with,’’ Warburton said.
‘‘I reckon Tyson stands up pretty well, he’s not worried about it, he’s focused on his role and how we want him to play and he’ll go out there and do it and do it well.’’
While the Sidebottom-Perkovic match-up — should it eventuate — looms as a key battle, Quarrell said his players would not let the chance to get one back on their former skipper cause them to take their eyes off the ball.
‘‘There’s more than Tyson Sidebottom in their side, so we certainly won’t be distracted by that tact,’’ he said.
