After a tough loss against one of the NAB League's best, the Tasmania Devils are out to get back on the winners' list against the NT Thunder.
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With his side going down to the Sandringham Dragons by 12 goals, Devils co-captain Sam Banks-Smith felt like they lacked a trademark attribute.
"In the review, we looked at what fell in our game and it was our physicality which really let us down," he said.
"We pride ourselves on our physicality and we just didn't show it enough on the weekend and we're hoping to bring it back this week against the NT.
"We talked about it this week a lot ... if we were training pretty poorly they'd say 'would the Dragons be training like this?' We really look up to those better teams and strive to be as professional as they are."
While the Dragons clash marked their first loss of the season, several Northern players stood up in the win, with Launceston's Liam Jones named the side's best.
However, it was North Launceston's Lachlan Cowan, who was recruited from Devonport this season, who caught Banks-Smith's eye.
"He's just got such an elite intercept mark and uses the footy really well through the backline," he said.
"[Launceston's] Colby McKercher used it well through the middle, he was one of our main disposal-getters and [North Launceston's] Brandon Leary kicked three goals as well."
Sunday's 2pm clash sends the Devils to Highgate Recreation Reserve in Craigieburn and is listed as one of the Devils' home games against the win-less Thunder.
"They definitely play a quick brand of footy and they've also got a few big bodies in there as well, so we are going to have to really adapt to their fast style of play," Banks-Smith said.
"We aren't going to change too much of our game plan, we are going to play how we train."
The Devils made two changes with Nathaniel Sulzberger and Josh Rickard coming out for Will Clifford and Braidy Simpson.
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Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
