Weekly Times |
IT MAY have taken a while, but Newborough coach Glenn Michie now believes he has his side primed for finals success.
Newborough has lost the last two Mid Gippsland league grand finals by seven and four points respectively, but Michie said the top-of-the-ladder Bulldogs’ preparation had been spot-on ahead of their second semi-final clash with Mirboo North on Saturday.
“(Finishing on top) is a bit of an old wives’ tale; it doesn’t really mean much when you reach finals,” Michie said.
“We spent the week off focusing on freshening up and rehashing all the things that have got us this far, and then we had a look at the (Mirboo North and Yinnar) game on Saturday to see what we could learn from that.”
Having a thorough preparation is nothing new to Michie, who in his first year in charge of Newborough brings with him a wealth of experience stemming from coaching stints at Mornington Peninsula league clubs Frankston YCW and Hastings.
Michie admitted to altering his coaching style this year to suit the Bulldogs’ playing group, but said he was pleased with their response as the season had worn on.
“I’ve had to taper off a bit in terms of how I go about things this year; I’ve come from coaching an environment at Hastings that is beyond the semi-professional level,” Michie said.
“The values I have been pushing may have been a bit of an information overload for the group at the start of the year, but to their credit they have embraced our setups and rotations as the season has gone on.”
Michie said he had no concerns with his side’s ability to bounce back after back-to-back grand final losses.
“Hopefully, it makes them more determined,” he said.
