FINALS FEVER EARLY
WERRIBEE Centrals coach Nick Smith is treating tomorrow’s bumper clash with Inverleigh as “the final before the finals”, with a double chance on the line.
The Centurions sit a game behind third-placed Inverleigh but boast a better percentage, meaning the winner will sit in third place at the end of Round 17.
“It’s a good opportunity for me to see how my young team responds under pressure before the actual finals come,” Smith said.
“There was a bit to play for (against East Geelong). That was the trap against the Bell Post Hill game, you were running out of things to play for.”
Chad Buck returns to the side after overcoming bone bruising in his knee, but Nick Bauld (overseas), Aadyn SleepDalton (punting in US), Jackson Smith (hand) and Brayden Smith (knee) will not be seen until probably week one of finals.
“If all of those guys are right, they’ll all come in for the finals,” Smith said.
“There’s probably five or six playing for two or three spots.”
The second-year coach said he could not be confident his side would bring its best against an experienced Inverleigh.
“If I knew that, I’d be much better at coaching, I reckon,” he said.
“It’s funny, I’ve tried all different things over my coaching lifespan.
“I’ve had times when I think we’re on and they don’t fire a shot, and then the opposite. My goal is to embed into them game plans and structures that hold up in any circumstance.”
But the Hawks have been far from convincing.
“They’re played some of their best footy and some of their worst footy in the last two weeks; I certainly know how that feels,” Smith said.
“We rate them highly because we think they’ve got some of the best players in the comp, guys like ‘ Buck’ (Adam Donohue) and ‘Besty’ (Michael Best), and Casey (Meehan), who I know is not playing, but I reckon those three would be close to the top five or six players in the comp.
“They were the three that came storming home and got them home against us last time. We’ll put a bit of work into them.”