Reigning Premiers Port Melbourne are set to battle the Sandringham Zebras in this Saturday’s ABC TV Match of the Round.
Port Melbourne holds the wood over the Zebras, who have not beaten the ‘Borough’ since Round 11 in 2007. Sandringham will have a considerable challenge on their hands when attempting to break this eight game losing streak against the current ladder leading side.
Port enters this Round 14 clash after an inspiring 22 point victory over interstaters the South Adelaide Panthers in the Foxtel Cup. The side that took to the field last weekend was a distinctly different looking Port Melbourne outfit. Although the team walked away with a respectable win, coach Gary Ayres will most likely resort back to his usual VFL line-up.
“We will have to wait and see what we find out about Sandringham and with seven of our best players returning from being rested, available positions will be tight and the performances of individuals were perhaps somewhat quieter than Darwin and an example was of the 7 goals Sam O’Sullivan kicked that day. So our team will be based on a number of selection criteria.”
This season has again highlighted the overwhelming talent that Sam Dwyer brings to the Port Melbourne side and his influence upon their success.
“Sam is an outstanding player in his own right. His creativity with both the ball and decision making puts him at an elite level. The courage that he plays with considering he is not the biggest player on our list is a credit to him and a lesson to any player that you do not have to be 190cm and 90kg to play our game. Also the fact that Sam was voted into our leadership group this year also says what his peers think of him. He is a wonderful ambassador for the Port Melbourne football Club.”
Coach Gary Ayres maintains his focus on their current challenge but has the knowledge and years of experience to understand the importance of this game in the bigger picture.
“We will be very focused on our own game and are really looking towards this weeks game as Sandringham has improved from last year. Our thinking is we control what we can control and not concern ourselves with what is going on around us. Our aim as it is every year is to win enough games to make the final eight and then look to entrench ourselves in the top four for the coveted ‘double’ chance,” Ayres said.
The Sandringham Zebras approach this contest after a loss to second placed side, the Casey Scorpions. The team did not obtain the desired 4 points in Round 13; nevertheless they put forward an impressive performance, having the lead slip between their fingers in the final moments of the game.
Sandringham had many stand-out performers on the day, but the return of Marcus Marigliani created one of the most uplifting stories for the side. Marigliani’s prior knee injury was not evident as his work on the football field was first class, amassing 22 disposals and providing his side with additional strength in defence.
The 26 year old VFL veteran will present Sandringham with a depth of experience, which is necessary to ensure that they put forward consistent performances week in week out.
The Zebras will have their work cut out for them in slaying a full-strength Port Melbourne side. However, with a new coach and significantly different list of players this year, anything is possible in the unpredictable game on football.
Last Modified on 29/06/2012 13:39