THE Rock-Yerong Creek premiership coach Mick Mazzocchi has been called into the Magpies team for Saturday’s top-of-the-table showdown with East Wagga-Kooringal.
Mazzocchi will come in for his second senior game of the year as TRYC look to add some height to their backline for the clash at Victoria Park.
Defender Ted Fellows will miss the game with a groin injury so Magpies captain-coach David Pieper has called upon Mazzocchi to line-up at centre-half-back.
Mazzocchi played his first senior game of the year against Temora a fortnight ago and will return for the job on fellow veteran, Hawks forward Chris Jackson.
“Zoc gives us a bit of height,” Pieper said.
“Teddy Fellows is out so he’ll come in and be the match up for Jacko.”
Pieper has not ruled out Mazzocchi staying in the team for TRYC’s premiership charge.
“It’s definitely not just a one-off,” he said.
“He adds some experience down back and the backline has been the best part of our game this year, they’ve played really well.
“It’s a big test for them on Saturday up against the best forward line in the competition.”
EWK prevailed by 17 points at Gumly Oval earlier in the year in what was somewhat of a shootout, with Marc Geppert kicking seven goals for the Hawks and Andy Carey bagging eight for the Magpies.
Both teams were missing players, including their two key defenders.
Casey Hillary will start on Geppert on Saturday, while in-form TRYC defender Charlie White will go to Christian Kelly.
With finals only a month away, Pieper is looking forward to testing themselves against EWK.
“It’s a massive test,” he said.
“Everyone looks forward to playing the best side.
“There was nothing in it last time but we both had a few out injured and they’ve also added four or five to their list since then.
“As to what we’ll get out of it, we’re looking to improve each week.
“We had a setback against Temora but we got back to playing our best last week against North Wagga.”
There was several promising signs for TRYC in the win over the Saints.
“They’re a young running, fast team and for us to run away with it in the last quarter on a boggy ground was pretty impressive,” Pieper said.
It is TRYC’s final home game of the regular season on Saturday and they are looking to remain undefeated at Victoria Park this year.
Josh Meiselbach remains out for the Magpies indefinitely.
