Return of three players to boost Bundy
Friday, 01 May 2009
After producing an inspired performance to reclaim respect despite again losing against North Queensland Razorbacks last weekend, Bundaberg Spirit coach Richard Mitchell would have liked to give the same 14 players the chance to go one step further when they host the other force of the north tomorrow night, FNQ Bulls.
That won’t happen because four of their young guns are unavailable for different reasons – Mitchell Broom, Arian Dubroy, Jack Hambrecht and Jason Loft – but Mitchell is still delighted with the cards that he has been dealt.
On the other side of the coin, not only will three of their rock-solid senior players return to the side from suspension or injury – Jason De Papi, Shane Youngberry and Matt Doolan – but they will also be bolstered by the midweek signing of lethal striker Elliott Causer from Across The Waves and the possible inclusion of tough as teak former Bundy Waves XXXX Premier League star Peter Bock.
Mitchell said Causer, who won the Golden Boot in the Bundaberg Premier League last season, would “probably’’ slot straight into the starting side up front, partnering Youngberry, and that the club is also “trying to get a clearance’’ for Bock to play via the bench after he has returned from a two-year lay-off with Brothers-Aston Villa this season.
“It would have been nice to play the same side and reward the players who did so well against the Razorbacks (in a 2-1 loss) and is disappointing to have players out, but it is a chance for the other boys to prove that they should be there and make it hard for the players coming back,’’ Mitchell said.
“(Assistant coach) Brett (Hambrecht) and I are still chewing over the composition of the side, but we will probably play Elliott and ‘Johnny Dragback’ (Youngberry) up front with Matt Timbrell wide on the right.
“We also hope that Bocky will be able to help us out – he eased into the side on Tuesday but he made a big improvement (last) night and proved he’s up to the pace.’’
Despite giving promise that a win is near at hand last week, Mitchell knows that it will again be difficult against the Bulls, who are coming off a 5-1 blitz of Whitsunday Miners, a side which thrashed Bundaberg 6-1 three weeks earlier, and he admits that unless they play with the same intensity and commitment as they did against the Razorbacks and improve, they may slump back into the mire.
But Mitchell and Hambrecht are both confident they will go all the way this time and break their long drought.
“Brett (Hambrecht) took Tuesday’s session and it was lively, as was (last) night’s session, and the morale is still high and they are working hard, but they have got to get past that mentality that we are a battling side, and if we have the ball a wee bit, we will get a result out of the game.
“The players know they are good enough and they should be more confident in themselves after last week - even though we made a couple of silly mistakes, we played very well.’’
Apart from their big win last Saturday, the Bulls had won only one other match, and while they will be desperate to improve on their seventh placing on the table, Mitchell said his players should not be over-awed by them.
“It’s a 50-50 game – they’ve got 11 and we’ve got 11, and it’s the same park and the same weather for everyone, and it might come down to who wants it more, and I know we want it a lot, and I just hope the Bundy crowd gets behind their side and gives them the lift that they deserve,’’ he said.
Vince Habermann
On the other side of the coin, not only will three of their rock-solid senior players return to the side from suspension or injury – Jason De Papi, Shane Youngberry and Matt Doolan – but they will also be bolstered by the midweek signing of lethal striker Elliott Causer from Across The Waves and the possible inclusion of tough as teak former Bundy Waves XXXX Premier League star Peter Bock.
Mitchell said Causer, who won the Golden Boot in the Bundaberg Premier League last season, would “probably’’ slot straight into the starting side up front, partnering Youngberry, and that the club is also “trying to get a clearance’’ for Bock to play via the bench after he has returned from a two-year lay-off with Brothers-Aston Villa this season.
“It would have been nice to play the same side and reward the players who did so well against the Razorbacks (in a 2-1 loss) and is disappointing to have players out, but it is a chance for the other boys to prove that they should be there and make it hard for the players coming back,’’ Mitchell said.
“(Assistant coach) Brett (Hambrecht) and I are still chewing over the composition of the side, but we will probably play Elliott and ‘Johnny Dragback’ (Youngberry) up front with Matt Timbrell wide on the right.
“We also hope that Bocky will be able to help us out – he eased into the side on Tuesday but he made a big improvement (last) night and proved he’s up to the pace.’’
Despite giving promise that a win is near at hand last week, Mitchell knows that it will again be difficult against the Bulls, who are coming off a 5-1 blitz of Whitsunday Miners, a side which thrashed Bundaberg 6-1 three weeks earlier, and he admits that unless they play with the same intensity and commitment as they did against the Razorbacks and improve, they may slump back into the mire.
But Mitchell and Hambrecht are both confident they will go all the way this time and break their long drought.
“Brett (Hambrecht) took Tuesday’s session and it was lively, as was (last) night’s session, and the morale is still high and they are working hard, but they have got to get past that mentality that we are a battling side, and if we have the ball a wee bit, we will get a result out of the game.
“The players know they are good enough and they should be more confident in themselves after last week - even though we made a couple of silly mistakes, we played very well.’’
Apart from their big win last Saturday, the Bulls had won only one other match, and while they will be desperate to improve on their seventh placing on the table, Mitchell said his players should not be over-awed by them.
“It’s a 50-50 game – they’ve got 11 and we’ve got 11, and it’s the same park and the same weather for everyone, and it might come down to who wants it more, and I know we want it a lot, and I just hope the Bundy crowd gets behind their side and gives them the lift that they deserve,’’ he said.
Vince Habermann
