General News
12 July, 2024
Loddon Derby: Pies want to brush off bye slump
BOORT coach Dale Cameron is hoping his side can banish the post-bye blues when they face local rivals Wedderburn in the North Central league on Saturday. It is a critical clash for both teams as they aim to play finals footy. Wedderburn are fourth...
BOORT coach Dale Cameron is hoping his side can banish the post-bye blues when they face local rivals Wedderburn in the North Central league on Saturday.
It is a critical clash for both teams as they aim to play finals footy.
Wedderburn are fourth on the ladder, a game and a decent chunk of percentage ahead of Boort, who sit in seventh spot, but have already had their two byes for the season.
The unknown factor, according to Cameron, is how the Magpies perform after their bye.
“The last couple of times after the bye we haven’t played well. It’s probably the disruption to momentum, but the players switch off a bit as well,” he said.
While many sides struggle after a bye, Camreron lamented that the impact “seems to be worse for us unfortunately”.
Redbacks coach Tom Metherell didn’t want to single out this match for special status, taking a business-as-usual approach. “Every game from here on in is crucial,” he said.
Wedderburn is coming off an 87-point thumping of Charlton, in what Metherell said was the team’s best four-quarter performance for the season.
“Our structures stayed intact for the whole game,” he said. “Previously we have had a little lapse here and there, which is disappointing. With a new game style and a new coach, it will take a bit of time.”
Charlton is something of a measuring stick for this clash. Boort played the winless Navy Blues before the bye, winning by 51 points on a wet and miserable day. “It was a slog in the second half, and we missed to chance to improve our percentage,” Cameron said.
“Our performances after a bye are something we definitely identified as an issue,” Cameron said. “We got some good running sessions in. We’re fit enough, so it’s just a matter of playing four good quarters of footy.”