COLLINGULLIE-Glenfield Park will welcome back some key personnel for Saturday's vital trip to Leeton-Whitton as the race for the last two finals spots continues.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Demons welcomed a chance to rest some tired bodies during last week's bye, which came after a dogged 3.9 (27) to 3.7 (25) victory over Turvey Park the week before.
They welcome back Blake Harper, Joe Schultz and Matthew Klemke for the Crows clash, but defender Daniel Frawley (hamstring, knee) remains a week-to-week proposition and wasn't named in the side on Friday.
The Demons are 2-3 and are outside the top five on percentage behind Turvey Park (2-3) and Wagga Tigers (2-3), with the Crows (1-5) desperately needing a result to stay in contention.
Although it came straight after a gutsy win, Demons coach Brett Somerville said the break arrived at the ideal time for the club to take stock.
A victory against the Crows is crucial given tough assignments against unbeaten Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes and Wagga Tigers are next on the agenda.
"We definitely needed it (break). The bodies we have and the young guys we've got have probably been taking some knocks, and now we've got some players coming back which is good," Somerville said.
"It's sometimes nice to keep that momentum going but we were hanging out for it. We're missing midfielders and Harper can run through there, if we can get him going that will help our drive forward."
Somerville said his young team took plenty of belief out of the gritty victory over Turvey Park, where they kept the Bulldogs goalless in the last quarter running into a stiff wind.
IN OTHER NEWS
"It was about that will to achieve, and providing that pressure for the best part of four quarters," he said.
"We had done it against good sides for maybe two-and-a-half quarters, but fallen away pretty dramatically after that. Responding to a week like Narrandera (57-point loss three weeks ago), we needed that big effort (against the Bulldogs), and we got it from all the blokes.
"They kicked a couple in the wind to put them very much in the driver's seat, and to put the clamps on late when we had no right to was great for such a young group.
"You don't want to have those games (Narrandera) but it's nice when there's a favourable response. It puts a bit of belief into the group."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
