COOLAMON co-coach Mark Carroll is confident his partnership with Jake Barrett will blossom their second year in charge as the nervous wait to see if they'll play finals continues.
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Carroll joined the Hoppers this year while Barrett, who won this season's Riverina League player of the year, juggled playing with coaching for the first time.
Coolamon finished fourth after some up and down form through the campaign, with injuries to key personnel making life difficult at times.
Should finals be played they will take on Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong in a local derby semi, with the winner to book a grand final spot.
"It's just knowing he lay of the land, where to play people in their best positions and everyone adapting to the game plan," he said.
"Hopefully we can get a better start to the season, but the second year should be easier for us. You're just feeling your way when you go to a new club like myself, and Jake's coaching for the first time."
The Hoppers and Lions were scheduled to meet in a Sunday clash in the penultimate round, but it was the only match of the round cancelled after the regional lockdown began the day before.
Coolamon also had a bye the week before which means should the lockdown end on Friday, clearing the way for semi finals to be played on September 18 and 19, it will be seven weeks since they last played.
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"We've got no control in what's going on, we can only control being as ready as we can be," Carroll said.
"We're communicating with the players all the time, we're making a lot of phone calls with players and keeping everyone engaged with their training.
"We get an extra player on the bench for finals, which will help. It will definitely affect everyone with their touch and hardness at the footy but everyone's in the same boat.
"I think we've got a pretty good season in, other leagues to the south of us only got a few games and have been called off already.
I feel we're pretty lucky. As sportspeople we can get pretty selfish but there's other people in the community, you have to take in the big picture."
The Rovers announced this week Jeremy Sykes and Jeremy Maslin has recommitted to the club for next season, joining the likes of Cooper McKelvie, Zach Oliver and Matt McGowan.
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