WAGGA Tigers captain-coach Shaun Campbell is prepared to swing the axe at selection on Thursday night in a bid to turn his team’s season around.
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The reigning premiers have dropped to fifth spot on the Riverina League ladder and face second-placed Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes at Mangoplah Sportsground on Saturday.
Tigers have not won since June 10, when proving too good for Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong at Ganmain Sportsground.
Since then they have had a draw with Turvey Park, followed by losses to Collingullie-Glenfield Park and Leeton-Whitton.
Campbell admitted the time might have come to make changes to Tigers’ personnel in a bid for greater consistency.
“We’re too up and down at the moment. Our best is a long way apart from our worst,” Campbell said.
“If you only kick one goal after quarter time you’re not going to win games of footy, I don’t care who you are.
“The thing I hold onto is that we haven’t been smashed.”
Tigers’ four losses have come by an average of three goals. The most they have been beaten by was 27 points, by undefeated ladder leaders Collingullie-Glenfield Park at Crossroads Oval.
Their troubles over the last fortnight has been kicking goals. They only kicked seven against the Demons, three of which came in the first quarter.
In wet conditions against the Crows last Saturday, they only managed five goals for the game, and four of those came in the opening term.
“We’re definitely capable of moving the ball pretty well, we’re just turning it over at the moment,” Campbell said.
“It’s an execution thing, we keep turning the footy over. It’s definitely going in there (to the forward line), we’re just not consolidating.
“We’re turning the footy over too much.”
Tigers will most certainly welcome back Jackson Kew, from injury, and Shaun Driscoll, from representative duties, on Saturday.
They lose young gun Jake Gaynor to the Giants’ reserve grade team in the North Eastern Australian Football League (NEAFL).
Tigers also have the likes of Jacob Osbeiston and Ben Farrell pushing for spots in the senior team.
While Campbell is ready to make changes, he is not looking too far into the future.
Campbell said Tigers have no specific goals, other than to make finals.
“I know it’s an old cliche but we’re just taking it one week at a time,” he said.
“We want to keep improving. If we could get a top three or four scalp it would be a good confidence boost for us.”
