Spectres back defence

They’re up against some red-hot Chargers, but coach confident

NUNAWADING Spectres are backing their own game to overcome the offence power of the Hobart Chargers in their SEABL grand final in Melbourne on Saturday.

Spectres coach Dave Biwer is confident his team can stop Hobart’s attacking game.

The Chargers have two of the top five average point scorers for the season, in Tre Nichols and Craig Moller, compared with Nunawading, which doesn’t have a player in the top 10. Nichols and Moller also sit first and second in the league for total points scored, but Biwer said if his side can play its normal game it will come out on top.

“Realistically we will try to do what we do,” Biwer said.

“There will be defensive plays set for different individuals but we will mostly just back how we play.”

The two sides are 1-1 this season with Nunawading beating Hobart by four points at Nunawading Stadium, before the result was reversed by the same margin a few weeks later at the DEC.

“If the grand final doesn’t create enough of a rivalry then the close games in the season do,” Biwer said. “We’ve had some good games this year.

“Also it’s always a bit of a rivalry when you play Anthony Stewart, because he loves to play mind games and get in your head. “It’s a fun rivalry though.” It took a fighting effort for Nunawading to make the grand final, coming back from 23 points down in the second quarter in last weekend’s preliminary final against Kilsyth.

Simon Conn was huge for Nunawading in the second half, finishing with 29 points and 10 defensive rebounds, helping his side to an eightpoint win.

“I’m not sure how it was for the Chargers, but having the week off was good for us to get over some injuries, but we were probably a bit flat early,” Biwer said. “Not a lot changed in that second half tactically, it was mostly our energy.”

Biwer was pleased that Conn will be entering the final in hot form, but said his side won’t depend on him.

“We have five or six guys who can score 20-plus points for us,” he said.

“Someone has always stepped up for us this season and it hasn’t always been reliant on Simon.

“It will be interesting who will step up for us this game.”