Youth lift sides

Two teams on the verge of a Mininera and District league football finals place will meet this weekend.

Penshurst sits in sixth place as it prepares to host rivals Hawkesdale-macarthur, who is a game behind in eighth position.

Eagles co-coach Josh Reichman said he was expecting a good crowd for Saturday’s encounter against the rival Bombers.

Reichman said recent games had led to mixed results for his side, with ‘some tough games and some good wins’.

He said difficult games against top three teams Woorndoo-mortlake and Ararat Eagles were followed up with big wins against Moyston-willaura and Great Western.

He said Moyston-willaura was a particularly unique game because of the excitement surrounding Kane Cornes’ Carlton Draft appearance for the Pumas.

“To the boy’s credit, they stuck to the task,” Reichman said.

He said he was pleased the win was followed up against fifth-placed Great Western in round seven.

“I think the confidence coming from the week before helped. We got our ball movement right and played our style,” he said.

Reichman said his side’s focus going into Saturday would be on controlling the game against an inexperienced Bombers line-up.

He said 2023 recruits Hamish Gleeson and Alan Seabrook had been instrumental in Hawkesdale-macarthur’s season to-date.

Penshurst co-coach Jay Everall said his team’s charge up the table had been made possible through youth, with seven under-16s footballers playing seniors this year.

“We are aware of the fact we have a young side,” Everall said.

He said two juniors who debuted against Caramut last week, Adam Linke and Will Bester, held their own in the senior competition.

“We always expect a hard contest against Caramut. The close town rivalry is well and truly alive,” Everall said.

“Oscar Hausler is another one who has played three games and improved with each match.”

Everall said the success of the under16s team, winning last season’s premiership, had led to a balancing act in the seniors.

“We like to have a balance of youth and experience, if we can,” he said.

Everall said the age of his team meant it was unwise to think too far ahead.

“We’ve got to be realistic in terms of what the end of the season might bring,” he said.

“As the year rolls on, the younger bodies might start to feel it.”