Win the scraps, win the game, says Pie
GLENORCHY coach Paul Kennedy expects the opening round of the TSL in Hobart, Lauderdale and Launceston today will be exactly like postcoronavirus AFL games — a “scrap”.
Heading into their first game of the delayed and compacted TSL season against premiership contender Launceston at KGV Oval, the Magpies’ coach said teams that adapted the best would be the most successful.
“Usually we go into Round 1 on the back of four months of training, three or four intra-clubs, two practice games, everyone is perfect fitness-wise, you’ve had a really good preparation with your game plan, and you roll in with everyone on a high,” Kennedy said.
“This is different.
“We all go in on the back of a few intra-clubs and about six weeks of training, so the teams that embrace the scraps the best will win.
“That’s who has won AFL games and I don’t think it’s going to be any different in the TSL.
“We will get some perfect moments and some nice moments, but the real difference-maker is how we deal with the ugly moments and the scrap.”
The Pies will be boosted by the return of gamechanger Mitch Rainbird both in attack and on the ball. Launceston picked up eight players in the offseason and four of them will play today.
Onballer Jake Hinds returns from Southport and key defender Jameson House is back from Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL.
Utility Stuart Williams returned from overseas and slips into defence, and former South Launceston midfielder Bowen Pearce is on the bench, while champion onballer Tim Bristow was named as an emergency.