Bulldogs refine attack
THE University Hawks have the opportunity to reaffirm their benchmark status when they host the Thuringowa Bulldogs this afternoon.
University took further strides towards the Townsville AFL finals after thumping Curra Swans by 111 points last weekend, while Thuringowa suffered their second loss of the year at the hands of perennial grand final opponents Hermit Park.
The Bulldogs have been the yardstick outfit in recent years but that mantle is currently held by University, who inflicted a 10.6 ( 66) to 5.7 ( 37) defeat on Thuringowa at Harold Phillips Oval last month.
The Garbutt venue will again be the scene of today’s game, which Bulldogs coach Chris Butcher is confident will be a much tougher affair.
“That last game was more about us working out our teams,” Butcher said.
“But we’ve played a few games now and we’ve had an opportunity to see where blokes fit in.
“I think it will be a very different game this time.”
Butcher’s team might be coming off a loss but it was the way Thuringowa finished their game against Hermit Park last weekend that has given him optimism.
The Bulldogs trailed by 36 points at halftime but outscored the Tigers five goals to one in the following two terms.
“Five more minutes and I think we would have won that game,” Butcher said.
“We kept them to one goal after halftime and probably take some out of that.
“But to win close games is something we need to work on.”
The third- placed Bulldogs sit two wins behind top- of- thetable University, and one win behind Hermit Park.
The Tigers have the chance to further the distance between them and Thuringowa when we can positives they host Northern Beaches Suns at Muldoon Oval in today’s other game.
Northern Beaches have scored one win from four games and went down to Hermit Park by 62 points in the season opener, but not before starting with a close first quarter.
Townsville AFL draw for Round 7, today: 3pm University Hawks v Thuringowa Bulldogs, Harold Phillips Oval; 3.30pm Hermit Park Tigers v Northern Beaches Suns, Neil French Oval.