Port Melbourne are one step away from a Grand Final berth in the 2012 Foxtel Cup Competition. The Borough take on the Claremont Tigers this Saturday in a Semi Final knock out clash that will see the top teams in two state competitions go head to head.
Claremont competes in the WAFL and are currently sitting in first position, leading the ladder by percentage.
The Tigers have made it to this stage of the Foxtel Cup by disposing of opponents West Adelaide by 101 points and Mt Gravatt by 88 points. They enter this Semi Final with experience, having competed in the 2011 competition and travelled all the way through to the Grand Final.
Port Melbourne approaches this contest having encountered a wakeup call at the hands of the Casey Scorpions in the Peter Jackson VFL. The Scorpions defeated the reigning premiers by 9 points in a thrilling exhibition of football.
However, the Foxtel Cup is a very different competition and Port Melbourne Coach Gary Ayres will continue his tactics by playing an altered team.
“This side will be very much our development players because of the need to reward those guys that have predominately played in the Foxtel Cup. The travel comes into it because some of our guys do not travel that well considering it is an 8 hour return trip and I will always say that it would be nice to win the Foxtel Cup but our eyes are firmly fixed on potentially a bigger prize.
“Our main players will have training programs but we will freshen them up as well both physically and mentally for the challenges ahead. “
The Semi Final will take place in Perth at Paterson’s Stadium, one of the largest grounds in the country. Ayres has only praise for the opportunity to travel with his side.
“It will be great to travel as I believe it has come at a very good time of the year. We really enjoyed our time away in Darwin earlier in the year and we are looking forward to playing on one of the best surfaces and in one of the best stadiums in Australia.”
If Port Melbourne are successful in this weekend’s contest, they will meet state rivals the Werribee Tigers in the Grand Final of the Foxtel Cup.
“It certainly would be great to have an all Victorian Grand Final and it would reiterate how strong the VFL competition is and why we are so proud of what we put out on the field every week,” Ayres said.
Click HERE for the Port Melbourne side
Claremont Tigers (WAFL) v Port Melbourne Borough (VFL)
DATE: Saturday 14th July 2012
TIME: 3:05pm local time (AWST), 5:05pm AEST
VENUE: Patersons Stadium, Perth
BROADCAST: 5:00pm FOX SPORT 1
Last Modified on 13/07/2012 15:33