Harper not only threat to Demons

MIDFIELD magnet Jobi Harper might be the form player in the TSL but North Hobart won’t be caught focusing all its attention on the Launceston star this weekend.

Having toppled threetime grand finalists Lauderdale prior to their bye, the Demons face another stern test coming out of the week off when the unbeaten Blues head south.

Leading the charge for the early season pacesetters has been Harper, who tops the media-voted player of the year award after the first four rounds.

However, as tempted as he might be to enlist a runwith or shutdown role on Harper, Demons coach Richard Robinson knows the firepower Launceston is armed which means he can’t put all his eggs in one basket.

“You have got to stop the opposition players that are going well, obviously he’s been the form midfielder in the comp, he is leading the award at the moment,” Robinson said.

“But if we only focus on Jobi then [Jay] Blackberry gets off the chain, [Fletcher] Seymour hasn’t played the last couple of weeks so he can come back in as well.

“If we fully focus on one player, someone else gets off the chain, I just ask for full accountability from my mids.

“Obviously they haven’t lost, they have got good players on every line and I know ‘Thorpy’ [coach Mitch Thorp] talks them down as being inexperienced but they have a Tassie medallist, premiership players in there, blokes who have played in the SANFL.

“They are a very good side and are obviously the team to beat and everyone is trying to catch them at the moment.”

Robinson labelled the victory against Lauderdale as the best of his 2 ½ year tenure, but is confident the playing group has parked the performance and is fully focused on the Blues.

The side could also receive a boost with Sean Willis and Hugh Williams Jnr pushing for recalls.

“They have to get through this week, if they don’t come up we’ll just ask for 22 contributors again, which we got last week,” Robinson said.

“I’m excited when [Willis] gets going, he will add some more speed and goal kicking prowess to our forward line.

“I think his body is just getting used to playing footy again. He has been in the state cricket program for 12 months, it is a different type of training.”