Few wins, but still trying

NEWCOMB coach Rory Nicol says his side has prepared no differently going into today’s bottom-of-the-table BFL clash with Portarlington.

Relegation looms for the loser, but Nicol has not used the ramifications to spur his players heading into the crunch match.

“The build-up is no different to any other week. We feel we’re a chance every week so this one is no different,” Nicol said.

“We feel we’re the underdogs tomorrow, that’s for sure, with a few injuries and playing away from home. I’ve coached against Portarlington four times and the score’s 3-1.

“I don’t put pressure on the group and say it’s a must-win game or anything like that. We prepare as if we’re a chance every week and this one is no different.”

Captain Kane Parish (broken hand) and centre-half forward Aaron McKinnis (knee) will both miss the clash, while former VFL footballer Meyrick Buchanan — who signed with the Power during the week — won’t play until he recovers from injuries of his own.

“He played 13 games at Footscray a three years ago; I coached against him when I was at Werribee,” Nicol said.

“He was at Werribee the year before I was there.”

Nicol said his side had been able to reduce its losing margins from last year.

“We’ve been OK for three quarters at times, but we’re getting blown out of the water at times I guess,” he said.

“We feel we can mix it with anyone but we’re just not doing it for long enough.

“I think we go missing for a quarter or a half, but when we’d go missing, we were horrible and we’d get flogged by 80 points, 90 points.”