Top three present challenge for Pies
NORTH Geelong coach Karen Rowbottom knows her team’s fate will be determined in the next six weeks with games against the top three GDFL teams in the lead up to finals.
Sitting fourth, the Magpies could stake a claim for a double chance with some positive results, or completely go the other way if things start to turn.
With five consecutive wins, North Geelong is in stellar form going into the first of its crunch games, on Saturday against Bannockburn, and Rowbottom said stopping the Tigers’ shooters would be crucial to its chances.
“It’s going to be a very tough game, I’ve got a lot of respect for Bannockburn, and they’re a great little club,” she said.
“Justine (Radford, Bannockburn coach) has got them going well and their shooters are going to be the key.
“So we’ve just got to work around that and make sure we’re doing what we’re there for, but it’s going to be a tough game.
“We’ve got a pretty tough trot, and even East Geelong, who we have got next week, is going well. But we’ve just got to take it week by week and do our best.”
North Geelong is mostly made up of new players, although Rowbottom’s daughter, Shae, has been around for a while and has been in decent touch inside the circle for the Magpies.
Rowbottom said it had taken some time for the team to get to know each other’s quirks on court but 12 weeks into the season things were much more settled.
“We’re doing OK, the girls have really come together and we’ve made a few changes, and it seems to be working really well, the girls are jelling really well,” she said.
“This team is new and have never played together, although the two goalers in Shae Rowbottom and Chelsea Websdale know each other quite well.
“But our defensive team of Brittany Chapman and Sigrid Mills are doing really well, they’ve really come on, and Shayne Pitman in the centre court with Ashley Roach and Steph Hillman, it’s their first year, so it did take them a few weeks to come together but they’re doing really well.”
North Geelong will host Bannockburn from 2.30pm on Saturday at Keith Barclay Oval.