Bester calls on Demons to respond to Glenorchy threat
North Hobart coach Adam Bester will be looking for an immediate response from his side against Glenorchy on Saturday with the second-year coach flagging skill execution as an area of improvement this week.
The Demons went down to reigning premiers Kingborough in round 1, with the 59-point loss coming largely off the back of the Tigers making Bester’s side pay on the turnover game. North coughed up the footy on 93 occasions on Good Friday with the Tigers scoring 85 of their 103 total points off the Demons’ turnovers.
While Bester was full of praise for Kingborough, he highlighted the statistic as a key area of improvement for his side heading into the clash against the Magpies at North Hobart Oval this weekend.
“The second quarter really hurt us. We just continually kept turning the ball over and I think across the course of the day we gave up 85 points from turnovers and skill errors which really hurt and that was the big difference in the game,” he said.
“It’s a bit of both (poor skill execution and Kingborough’s pressure). They are a really good side and their confidence coming off winning a flag was electric. They moved the ball extremely well and every opportunity we gave them they took full advantage of it.
“The big difference was that they were able to take marks inside 50 and we really struggled so that’s something we will look at improving this week.
“We have to not let the turnover game cost us and maintain possession (against Glenorchy).”
Despite the heavy round 1 defeat, Bester was confident his side could match it with the competition’s best but stopped short of declaring it was finals or bust this season.
“Obviously we’d love to be there (finals) but we just have to get our processes right,” he said.
“That synergy has to be right and we need to play four consistent quarters of North Hobart (footy) and I think if we do that we can beat anyone and match it with the top teams.
“I think we showed that for periods on the weekend against the Tigers. The possession count was very even, it wasn’t that we didn’t have the footy it was more their class made us pay.”
The Demons have made four changes to Saturday’s line-up with experienced pair Ryan Edmondson and Matthew Yates coming in while Callum Kilpatrick will miss.