Coach upbeat despite huge defeat
IT was a 143-point loss but Palm Beach Currumbin senior coach Chad Owens says the Lions thrashing at the hands of the Gold Coast Suns NEAFL side is the perfect start to the year for the QAFL premiers.
Owens said being exposed to 16-listed AFL players in their practice game at Bond University on Saturday was the tune-up his team needed as they prepare to chase a second straight premiership in 2018.
AFL players including Michael Barlow, Tom Nicholls, Jesse Lonergan and Will Brodie were part of Gold Coast’s 21.17 (143) to 2.1 (13) win.
“It was just so great for our boys to be exposed to that sort of pressure so early in the year before our season starts,”
Owens said.
“It just switches their mind on and realigns them with where we need to get to.
“We were really happy with our pressure, particularly early and late in the game.
“We are talking about blokes who train five days a week here versus two. It was a big difference.
“We gave a few young kids a go and a few of them put their hand up.
“We got out of it what we needed to get out of it which was a really good fitness run.
“Most times we had the ball we were under pretty heavy pressure so it increased our decision making under those circumstances.”
Palm Beach Currumbin – who have a bye in Round 1 of the regular season – will play two more preseason games against the Western Magpies (April 7) and Morningside (April 14) before starting their premiership campaign against Labrador at Salk Oval on April 28.