Sport
30 March, 2022
Bloods take on Magpies in season opener
BLOODS coach Ben Kenna hopes his side can match it with Camperdown in their Hampden League opener at the Leura Oval this weekend after two years of COVID-19 interrupted seasons.
BLOODS coach Ben Kenna hopes his side can match it with Camperdown in their Hampden League opener at the Leura Oval this weekend after two years of COVID-19 interrupted seasons.
Kenna took over at the helm for the abortive 2020 season, and after the continually disrupted 2021 campaign was eventually halted before finals he is looking forward to seeing what Terang Mortlake can do in a full season of footy.
The Bloods managed only three wins from their 12 matches last year, but showed promise throughout, improving markedly from their 2019 result of a bottom of the ladder finish.
“It’s hard to measure when you don’t play a full season, but there were positive signs throughout 2021, although we only won three games,” Kenna said.
“There were some really positive signs in those games, and a few other games where we were in a good position but just failed to take our opportunity.”
Kenna said he had spent the pre-season focusing on building a sense of self-belief in the playing group.
“We’re looking to instill some confidence, with the lack of football we’ve had, the in and out of last season, that continuity’s been lacking,” he said.
“It’s been about instilling that belief in the way we want to play, using our skills and being patient in what we’re doing.”
While the Bloods defeated the Magpies at home in 2019, they lost both matches against them in 2021, and Kenna said he believed his side could match it with Camperdown in key areas.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge, round one’s always interesting. You can get a feel for how pre-season’s gone, get an early gauge on how you’re tracking,” he said.
“I think if we can play well in the ruck and through the midfield and get that ascendancy in that part of the game it’ll give us scoring opportunities.”
Kenna said the mix of veterans and young talent through the middle was a real strength of Terang Mortlake.
“We can potentially have an advantage over Camperdown in those positions, we’ve got some of our more experienced and better players there.
“And Darcy Hobbs, he’s a young fella, but he’s coming into his second full year in the ruck, and he’s likely to improve on last year.”
Above all, Kenna, along with the rest of the sporting public, just hopes football can continue without interruption this year.
“We’re just hoping for a full season of football and community sport in general, with a bit of luck.”