ABC TV will be airing a top four clash this Saturday when the Sandringham Zebras battle it out against the Casey Scorpions at Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
Sandringham currently sit in fourth place on the ladder, but enter the Round 13 contest after experiencing a confidence shattering 79 point loss to the Werribee Tigers last weekend.
The Zebras have shown signs of inconsistency throughout the season, but have maintained a top four position. Coach Simon McPhee has found it difficult to pinpoint why the team hasn’t put forward the coherent performances that he would expect.
“I guess we need to find a balance in both our playing group as well as how we approach the game with training sessions. In the end, it is up to the ability of the players to be strong enough in the mind to play out the whole game.”
McPhee was able to take a lot from their unanticipated result against Werribee on Sunday.
“At the end of every game we evaluate our performance on the ground and also what we did in the coaches’ box. Even more so when you have a significant loss like we did to Werribee.
“I think the boys were competitive most of the game, but I was disappointed that they let Werribee get away from them in the last quarter and pretty much stopped fighting.”
Despite that result, the Zebras have upheld their top four ranking for a reason and that is due to several very talented players.
“A few of our most consistent players other than last week’s performance would have to be Adam Cockie, Myke Cook, Michael Sikora, Hamish Shepheard and our Captain Beau Dowler.”
A win this weekend for Sandringham could shake up the top half of the competition, with Bendigo and Werribee going head to head as well.
“Casey has the best win loss ratio in the competition, which highlights exactly how tough they will be to compete against.
“I couldn’t tell you who was playing who in other games, my attention lies with our next opponent and how they have been performing,” McPhee said.
The Casey Scorpions enter this Round 13 contest after recording a win against Collingwood two weeks ago. Casey have recorded just a single loss for the season but have only played nine games in comparison to other teams with ten or eleven. Scorpions coach Brett Lovett has had to take a different approach to the last few rounds due to their scheduled fixture.
“We have had a very unusual month playing two games in five weeks because of bye’s and the State game. In regards to our training schedule, we have taken it on a individual basis, some guys have gone back and played for their local footy sides, others have been put through some really tough training sessions and a few have rested.”
Casey have been striding from strength to strength with each game that they encounter this season. It is apparent that the Clubs VFL and AFL lists have gelled into an imposing collective unit.
Lovett attributes this outcome to a similar mindset between the two Clubs.
“I wasn’t in this role last year but I think our lists have come together well in 2012 due to the game plans we run. Mark Neeld and I are on the same page as coaches which helps with Melbourne’s players having a run with Casey.
“We believe in basic footy fundamentals such as second and third efforts and a defensive form of football. We have also been lucky to have a stable six players consistently in our backline, providing structure to our side.”
The Scorpions sit second on the ladder and have accumulated 121 goals this season, however, they do not have a member of their side within the top ten goal kickers in the competition. This highlights depth of scoring options they have developed within their squad. Lovett believes they are fortunate not to be dependent upon certain players to perform on any given day.
“In modern footy I don’t think it is good to rely on one big forward, the finals have shown that if that one person can be shut down then teams struggle.
“We are happy to take goals from whoever wants to kick them. Lucas Cook and Tim Smith have been good targets for us and provided quite a few scores on the board.”
Lovett has found success in refining his team’s game before considering outside influences. However, this Saturday he will enter with a different insight having coached Sandringham in 2011.
“Leading into a match I spend 85 percent of my energy concentrating on my team’s game and getting it right and the other 15 percent on determining what our opposition play like. Sandringham has a strong midfield with Cockie, Cook and Ledger. On their own ground these players can be influential.
“I know the Sandy ground very well obviously and centre clearances are crucial due to the oval size. With one big kick you can set up your forward for an easy goal,” Lovett said.
The Casey Scorpions have a tough road ahead, playing the top five teams in the next four rounds.
The 2012 Peter Jackson VFL season has developed into a very even competition, making percentage a critical aspect of each game leading into the final rounds.
Tune into ABC TV
Sandringham Zebras vs Casey Scorpions
Saturday 23rd June – 1:00pm
Last Modified on 22/06/2012 16:17