INVERELL coach Hayden Chappel will be hoping his side has their radar switched on as they chase a ninth straight Tamworth AFL competition grand final berth against the Tamworth Kangaroos at No.1 Oval today.
The Saints were wasteful up front in their minor semi-final win over the Narrabri Eagles last week, kicking 22 behinds.
They can’t afford to miss that many chances against the Roos if they want the chance to play for the silverware and continue their grand final rivalry with the New England Nomads.
The two have played the last three.
“We’re champing at the bit to get another crack at them,” Chappel said.
They’re not resting on their 48-point win over the Eagles last week, recognising that things are going to get a lot tougher from here on in.
It’s the best opportunity for a couple of years the Roos have had to qualify for the grand final.
“They’re going to be hungrier than ever,” Chappel said. “We know we’re in for a hard slog.”
He said they play a similar brand to the Nomads.
They’ll be pretty quick along the field and in transit.
Inverell’s Cameron Turner gets the ball clear to Beau Coles on the run as Tamworth Kangaroos’ Daniel Johnson goes low and Chris Pollock comes in to assist during their meeting in Tamworth earlier in the year. The two will do battle for a spot in the grand final today. Photo: Barry Smith 300515BSD22
“Slowing them down will be the key,” he said.
“They’ve got (Matthew) Hodge and (Alex) Hudson in the back pocket.
“They give them a lot of drive.”
“Their run, like the Nomads, will be the key.”
They’ve got to limit that.
Chappel noted they are probably a bit taller up front.
They’ll be looking to exploit that, with an extra one or two midfielders under their feet.
The midfield has been a real strength for the Saints, with Chappel and Luke Selig providing some really good drive forward.
It’s not just Chappel and Selig though.
“We’ve got three or four other guys who can run through,” Chappel said.
“We can mix it up in the midfield.”
“We’ve got two or three ruckman who can each do something different.”
The Eagles gave them a good hit-out for today.
They came out strongly in the first 10-15 minutes of each quarter and put good pressure on the ball.
Source: Northern Daily Leader Friday 11th Septmber 2015