Just one more game and the job is done

These are the men who plan to end Lauderdale’s dream in the TSL grand final at UTas Stadium on Saturday. North Launceston coach Tom Couch (right) and key player Brad Cox-Goodyer tell ADAM SMITH how they will do it.

TWO weekends of rest during the finals will not hamper North Launceston’s tilt for a third TSL premiership in four years, coach Tom Couch has declared.

A fresh northern Bombers will start hot favourites against Lauderdale on Saturday at UTAS Stadium after dismantling their southern counterparts a fortnight ago by 94 points.

And despite having earned the first week of finals off as minor premiers and then last weekend for booking direct entry to the decider, Couch insists his men will be ready to fire from the opening bounce courtesy of a solid training block.

Lauderdale in comparison has reached its first State League grand final having come through a hard-fought victory against Launceston.

“We put a strong emphasis on the start. You have to start well. You are fresh, you have to back in your training,” Couch said. “We are lucky we have a squad of 30 who have been training once the [Mercury Cup side] lost in the second week of the finals.

“We have been pushing ourselves, we haven’t been holding back.

“If you get an injury or two then so be it, that’s footy.

“We have been getting stuck into it . . . the boys have trained well, we have a full list to choose from, that is always handy as you need a bit of luck.”

North Launceston will make one change from the second semi-final, with firstchoice ruckman Alex Lee (hamstring strain) to slot back in, with a decision on the unlucky player to be dropped to be made after training tonight.

Having replaced Zane Littlejohn at the helm this year, Couch hailed his leadership group for creating the successful culture at the club, which has assisted him in making a smooth transition into the job and keeping the Bombers as the dominant force in the league.

“I always said it may affect the club with me coming in the first half of the year not knowing the competition, not knowing any of the players,” he said.

“The assistant coaches have been great to me.

“I thought the first half of the year I was really learning and I had to step up as quickly as I could.

“Taylor [Whitford] is the best captain I’ve seen in football — that’s AFL, SANFL, VFL — and I’ve said that from the start.

“He drives the show and ‘Coxy’ [Brad Cox-Goodyer] as well as vice-captain, Jack Avent, it’s the whole leadership group.”