"If they want me I will," was the instant response when Alex Gaetani was asked if he would continue coaching Riverside Olympic next season.
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Returning to statewide competition after two decades away, the Windsor Park outfit took a while to find their feet before ending the campaign in a healthier trot.
"We've made real progress over the season," added Gaetani, whose team has picked up 14 points and will finish eighth, ahead of Clarence.
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"It was always going to be a learning curve and we were not sure what it was going to be like but in the second half of the season we showed we belong here and that's all I really wanted."
A combination of three influential imports with some of the best emerging teenagers in the competition proved a successful formula in the back-end of the campaign.
Spaniard Nil Sanz has hit three goals in seven games from midfield and combined tidily with English striker Chris Wademan's eight in 10 while Argentinean holding midfielder Luca Vigilante also claimed his second of the campaign at Devonport.
Olympic look set to become Zebras' last guests at KGV ahead of their proposed merger and move to Clarence.
"We played well against them last time and it's one more chance to cause an upset and cap off what has been a really successful season," Gaetani added.
Unless they can also cause an upset at second-placed Olympia, Launceston City appear destined to finish one place above Riverside having amassed seven wins and 25 points from their 23 fixtures to date.
Coach Lino Sciulli remains optimistic of securing a sizeable scalp but admitted it had been a frustrating campaign for one of last season's early pace-setters.
"We finish up against Olympia and we'll see if we can get something there," he said in the wake of Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Zebras.
"We'd really like to come away from that sort of opposition with a good result.
"We thought we had the better of the second half against Zebras but the quality was not there for long enough periods and the lapses cost us.
"I think we're starting to get a little bit tired."
Round 27
Saturday
2pm South Hobart v Devonport, Darcy Street
2.15pm Hobart Zebras v Riverside, KGV
2.15pm Kingborough v Glenorchy, Lightwood Park
2.15pm Olympia v Launceston City, Warrior Park
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Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
