THEY carried underdog status before last year’s upset victory and Catholic College Bendigo is happy to do so in today’s Premier League football clash with Bendigo Senior Secondary College at the QEO.
Although the BSSC Lions have many Bendigo Pioneers in their squad, CCB captain Seb Greene is not daunted by today’s clash with their arch-rival.
When they met in last year’s SSV campaign, Catholic College Bendigo outplayed and outran the Lions at Weeroona Oval.
Although the line-ups have changed, Greene said he and schoolmates who played in that victory believed they could do so again when today’s match begins at 1pm at the View Street ground.
This year CCB is being coached by Bendigo Gold’s Aussie Jones, whose mantra is be prepared to take the “game on”.
Greene said midfield contests would be a key to CCB’s chances.
CCB will look to Tom Broadbent, who played his first senior game with Sandhurst at Gisborne last Saturday, to lead the way from the centre of the big ground.
Greene will team at the centre bounces with Broadbent, ruckman Harrison Crone and rover James Coghlan.
In attack, Billy Evans from the Bendigo Pioneers and Dooley Niemann are CCB’s key targets.
The versatile Blake O’Halloran plays a crucial role for the Lions.
O’Halloran was best afield as he played at centre half-back in BSSC’s first-round win against Lakeview College at Golden Square’s MyJet Oval.
“It was a hard-fought match,” O’Halloran said of the seven-point win by a team of which Bendigo Pioneers coach David Newett is in charge for a second year.
“To be a chance for the finals we have to win this match.
“Quite a few of us played in last year’s loss to CCB, and we don’t want that to happen again,” said O’Halloran.
“There’s a great rivalry between the colleges in all sports.”
Whether he’s in defence, attack or in the ruck, O’Halloran is likely to lock horns with a Pioneers team-mate, such as Evans, or with some like Greene who he played in an under-18 premiership with at Sandhurst last September.
The Lions have the same mindset as CCB in being prepared to take risks.
Catholic College Bendigo’s squad:
B: Ned Slater, Thomas Harrison, Lachlan Watson. Hb: Bailey Graham, Denny Gladman, Billy Hughes. C: Dylan Pierce, Tom Broadbent, John Harvey. Hf: Joseph Mayes, Billy Evans, Shamus Nash. F: Dylan Morris, Dooley Niemann, Jarrod Starr. Foll: Harrison Crone, Seb Greene, James Coghlan.
Inter (from): Samuel O’Connor, Jack Wakefield, Liam Jacques, Lachlan Furness, Ryan Twycross, Jasper Ibbeson-Coatsworth, Anthony Bigham, Jack Coghlan, Jayden Burke.
Coach: Aussie Jones.
Bendigo Senior Secondary College’s squad:
Caleb Argus, Ryley Barrack, Hugh Bruinier, Liam Byrne, Mitch Carlyon, Jacob Chisari, Ben Connelly, Mitch Edwards, Regan Harvey, Alex Hywood, Danny Jones, Jake Maher, Jordan Mangan, Wade Minter, Aaron Morrish, Nathan Newlan, Blake O’Halloran, Daniel Paterson, Fergus Payne, Blake Poyser, Carl Rohde, Tyler Romeril, Josh Ryan, Lachlan Ryan, Brandon Spurr, Kieran Strachan.
Emergencies: Zac Turnbull, Hugh Molenaar.
Coach: David Newett.
Last Modified on 08/05/2013 08:31
