ROUND nine shapes as the State League’s most intriguing of the season to date.
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Traditional rivals North Launceston and Clarence will fight it out for supremacy down South on Saturday, while out-of-sorts Glenorchy will travel North to face Launceston at Windsor Park.
Just percentage separates the Magpies and Blues in third and fourth positions respectively, but the reigning premiers are coming off an uncharacteristic run of three straight losses.
Launceston coach Sam Lonergan said the encounter is a great opportunity for his emerging side.
“To play against last year’s premiership team, who over the last couple of weeks haven’t been to where their expectations probably are, I’m sure they’re going to come out firing,” he said.
“We want to get every team at their best so that we can improve and learn how to compete with the best sides out there.”
Meanwhile, Tom Couch’s undefeated Northern Bombers are four points clear of the Kangaroos ahead of their battle for top spot at Bellerive Oval.
Couch said his group was excited for the challenge having added to their gameplan in the past few weeks and that there was not too much focus on the two clubs’ well known animosity.
“We are still a work in progress, there’s still things we’re trying to implement and this week has been about building on them,” he said.
“There is some rivalry but they’re all good fellas, but I guess when you cross that line it’s gonna be on.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with Jez (Clarence coach Jeromey Webberley)… they like to control the footy by boot and have a bit of a press setup when the opposition’s got the ball.”
North have made five changes with Tyran Mansell, Lewis Hollmer, Rhyan Mansell and Brighton Denman coming in for Haydn Goss, Kailem Baker, Dylan Clayton, Jacob Singline and Kacey Curtis.
Couch said his charges needed to display the same pressure and effort they have to start the season.
He said the club’s leaders were mature enough to guide his young stars in avoiding complacency.
“We’ve had 14 players make their debut for the club this year, which is exciting and there is probably a few more on the horizon that we’re keen to have a look at,” Couch said.
“It starts with the leadership group… they lead from the front and they know there is more to footy than being on top of the ladder in the middle of May, so they’re pretty keen to keep it going and a lid on things.”
Clarence will regain Tyson Hanslow from the Mariners and Keren Howlett but lose Matt Ling and Shane Bradford due to injury.
Webberley said a number of factors would determine the level of the Roos’ success against the league’s benchmark.
“From watching the tape they’re extremely dominant at clearances, which is something we haven’t been extremely strong at in sort of the past month, six weeks,” he said.
“They have an extremely versatile forward line and they’ve got some talls as well in (Zach) Burt and Bart McCulloch kicking goals.
“We need to make sure we nullify the contested ball and clearance numbers and try and put as much pressure on the ball carrier as we can.”
The Kangaroos are 6-1 and are returning from the long haul to West Park with Webberley confident they can back it up.
He pointed out an in-form Couch as a Northern Bomber his players would be keeping a close eye on in the midfield or up front and that a win would give his players “good belief”.
“We need to play four good quarters of football, play our way and see where we’re at,” Webberley said.
Casey Brown, Ryan Tyrrell, Hamish Leedham, Brendan Taylor and James Gillow all return for Launceston with Jordan Harris, Cameron Dowie, Jack Donnellan, Miller Hodge and MacKenzie Blazely making way.
Glenorchy have made four changes with Zac Webster, Harrison Pearce, Harrison Gunther and Tyler Bowden named to play.
LAUDERDALE takes on Burnie at home, while Tigers welcome back their Mariners contingent for the match-up with Devonport.
The Magpies will head in unchanged.