Saints seek change of luck

But skipper says club is not chasing revenge for 2017 loss GFL GRAND FINAL

ST MARY’S captain Jacob Welsh believes his team is far better prepared this year for a tilt at a premiership after consecutive failed attempts in the past two seasons.

The Saints fell to Leopold by 36 points in 2016, two weeks after defeating it by 11 points in the second semi-final, while last year they lost by 83 points to St Joseph’s a fortnight after downing them by 40 points in the second semi-final.

On Saturday they face Joeys again, this time three weeks after claiming their scalp in a qualifying final, but Welsh dismissed the suggestion revenge was on players’ minds at Anthony Costa Oval.

Instead, he says the focus will be on treating the game as a new contest and provided it can play the match on its merits, there is a chance it could be third time lucky.

“I’m praying it is third time lucky, there is a better feeling about it this year, I think, we are more prepared, so fingers crossed it is third time lucky,” Welsh said.

“They touched us up last year, big time. I don’t know about revenge, we have got a pretty good rivalry going, so every time we play them we want to win but I try not to think about the last couple of years.

“We just play it on its merits by starting at nil-all and take it from there.”

There is a different look to St Mary’s than in previous seasons, with Josh Cowan, Max Augerinos, Harry Benson, Isaac Miller and Aiden Grace among the faces added to the side from 2017.

Changes were also made off the field at the Saints, including bringing in former North Shore premiership heroes Glenn Keast and Travis Robertson as co-coaches, replacing Troy Mitchell and Bryce Vincent.

Welsh said the duo had brought a fresh approach and added that he expected the wide expanses of GMHBA Stadium to suit St Mary’s on Saturday.

“In the previous years, Troy and ‘Bruiser’ and our assistants helped us a lot with our offensive game and encouraged us to run and take the game on, which we still do,” he said.

“But the new coaches have a big emphasis on controlling the game at different times.

“If there is a momentum shift, (we) try to control it as much as we can, but still go in when we can.

“The last few years in finals it (the bigger ground) has helped, apart from the grand final. But this year it seems to have helped.

“We like getting out in space, we have got a lot of speed and hopefully we can do the same on the weekend.”