WFL Finals
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Stawell Warriors
Stawell: The underdog and loving it T
BY DEAN LAWSON
he expectations of Stawell coach Brad Thomas for this week’s Wimmera Football League finals are simple. He obviously wants his young group of Warriors to play hard, tough and exciting football – the ‘type of football that will encourage supporters to come and watch’ the team in action. But his motivation is even simpler than that. “All season I’ve just wanted one finals match, just one, for the players to get a taste, to whet their appetite for what it’s all about so that we can take that into next year,” he said. “Our belief is there, there’s no doubt about that and there are no expectations and it is great to be able to go in as underdogs.” Stawell was the last of the teams to cement its place in the top five and will confront traditional rival Ararat in what looms as one of the most anticipated elimination finals in years. The Warriors will go into the finals with only seven wins but there is an exciting atmosphere bubbling away at Central Park, which has underpinned a late-season push from an enthusiastic outfit. There seems little doubt that Thomas, who had the tough job of taking over coaching duties from Brad Cas-
sidy early in the season, has the Warriors playing for the jumper. “Getting a young group to understand a game style takes time and we always knew we were going to have a better end to the season,” he said. “While there are still areas to work on, the players are now starting to get settled into, starting to understand, the game style so that what they’re doing is now becoming instinct. “What’s happening on the ground is becoming player driven.
“I’m massive on culture and these guys, most of them around the 20-year-old mark, are really starting to drive that, to develop the professionalism we’re after.” Thomas didn’t expand too much on how the Warriors would structure up this weekend but did reveal the style would be based on being fast, hard and tough. “We want to create an exciting style that supporters, families and young kids want to come and watch Stawell footy club play,” he said. “Everyone knows their roles, that they have to held accountable, on and off the field, because when you start being accountable people start caring about their roles. This applies not only to the players but to everyone in the club from waterboys to supporters.”
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discipline, fitness and mental strength and I reckon when we’re playing good footy, our effort and intensity is hard to match,” Thomas said. “We really want to pride ourselves on the contested footy and believe we can knock off any side. Our belief is there. “These guys want success. They have the hunger, desire and killer instinct.”
WARRIORS: Cam Kimber, left, and Jackson Taurau, above, are class players for Stawell.
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Stawell is loaded with versatile utilities and will rely heavily on its talented group of running midfielders in what might evolve into an all-out-attack approach. On-field leadership will provide a major spur and Thomas has been impressed by how players have accepted their roles. “James Delahunty in the past eight weeks has been incredible and I can’t say enough about Tom Eckel, along with co-captain Dave Morris,” Thomas said. “We want to develop coaches within our own ranks and a player like Jackson Dark is a another leader who commands respect.” “Most people judge players by the amount of kicks and handballs they get but that’s not what we judge them on. It’s the little things they do that are important.” The likes of Cam Kimber, Sam Williams, Jessie Eckel and Luke Hendy will also be crucial for the Warriors with their run, as will Scott Driscoll in defence and Jack Musgrove pushing forward to join Brenton Potter and Delahunty. “It will come down to maturity,
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