NEWTOWN & Chilwell coach Jacob Spolding has revealed he will miss up to a month of football with a hamstring injury.
As former Carlton, St Kilda and Port Adelaide ruckman Cain Ackland was named to make his debut with the Eagles, Spolding admitted he will miss today's crunch game with Lara as well as matches after the bye against South Barwon and possibly St Joseph's.
Spolding injured his hamstring five minutes into the third quarter of the surprise loss to Colac but he made no excuses for the defeat, instead praising the young Tigers.
"Colac are a bloody good side, mate," he said.
"They've shown form. They ran South Barwon to four goals the week before and they're a good side at home.
"They've got some good footballers who have come back into the fold and they're a good side and it wouldn't surprise me if they finished in the top five.
"We went down there expecting a tough game and we certainly got that."
The Eagles now face third-placed Lara in a clash that will shape the make-up of the top five.
"Every game is big in the context of the season," Spolding said. "They're all really important and we'll go in with the same focus that we've taken into every game this year and hopefully play well.
"They've recruited really well and they're in a season year under a new coach. They've bedded down their game plan and become more familiar with each other and there's obviously a big improvement there, which a lot of us expected.
"They will obviously be very tough to beat at home."
Spolding understand the Eagles have a golden opportunity to create a gap on a cluster of teams who are poised to strike from outside the top-five.
"A win will hopefully allow us to have a bit more breathing space on the sides outside the top five, so it's important that we do win," he said.
Cats assistant coach Peter Street admitted the clash was crucial.
"We've got Newtown this week and then we've got them again in Round 18, so we really need to win at least one to be any chance to hold top three," he said.
"Obviously they're a pretty good team and they've got a lot of great individual players. I respect them as a great team."
Last Modified on 23/01/2014 18:45