Lauderdale ready to Rock and roll
IT’S a huge advantage when your midfield is built on a solid foundation. Just ask Lauderdale enforcer Phil “Rock” Bellchambers, who brings up his 100th game for the Bombers in their TSL qualifying final blockbuster with arch-nemesis Clarence at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.
LAUDERDALE boasts arguably the strongest midfield in the TSL, and the man in the middle of that dominant dozen is appropriately called the “Rock”.
Phil Bellchambers is as hard as a rail spike and when the Bombers take on archenemy Clarence in a blockbuster qualifying final at Blundstone Arena on Saturday, “Rock” will bring up his 100th senior game, possibly the fastest century by a TSL player.
Now 21, Bellchambers debuted against the Demons in 2012 at 16. The fact he has missed hardly any games — a handful to injury, some to suspension — has seen him hit the milestone at full speed. His 100th is the one he is looking forward to most.
“I came through juniors at Clarence and one of my best friend’s dad [Justin Westbury] moved to Lauderdale for a coaching job and I followed him,” Bellchambers said. “I’ve never looked back.
“The blokes I’ve met there over the journey are now some of my best mates — lifelong friends. “It has been a really good choice for me.” Bellchambers thrives on the rivalry that has built between the two Eastern Shore clubs. “I like it. It gives you a little bit more to play for during the season,” he said.
Bellchambers is modest about the physical firepower of Lauderdale’s formidable onball brigade, which includes Thor Boscott, Bryce Walsh, Robbie McManus, Nat Franklin and Rhys Sutton.
“We’ve got a lot of inside ball-winners who can get a lot of touches and we work well together,” he said. “There’s about 12 blokes who can go through the midfield at any stage of the game, which is good.”
Is it the toughest? “I don’t think so,” he said. Is it the strongest? “No.”
Clarence defeated Lauderdale by a point when they met at Blundstone two weeks ago. The Bombers had the bye in the final round last weekend, giving them time to assess what went wrong.
“We like to play a bit quicker. Last time we were a bit slow and got sucked into the contest a bit more. We like to play more on the outside,” Bellchambers said. “We will play more to our terms this week.”