Border Mail – Round 4 Preview
Lockhart needed to make some changes as its numbers started to dwindle over the off-season.
With the reasons for the departures ranging from youngsters moving away for university to others preferring to play in the Wagga-based Riverina and Farrer leagues, the Demons had to find a way to recruit.
The Demons then bought a bus.
While it’s not the first time a club has provided transport for players, it has proven a winner for training and match-day.
“It’s been a good recruiting tool,” Demon recruiting manager Ian Pertzel said.
“We were trying to recruit out of Albury and had 12 players leave at the end of last year so once we picked up a few it made sense to get a bus over there.
“The boys love it.
“It’s good bonding for them.
“They get on the bus together and take turns of driving.
“The boys pay for the fuel each week.
“We are 100km from Albury and 60km from Wagga and there are a lot of Hume league clubs between us and Albury so you have to provide something for a bit of incentive. The boys say it really helps.”
Lockhart has about 10 regulars on the bus most weeks for the trek through Jindera, Burrumbuttock and Walbundrie.
While the Demons have come up short in the opening three rounds against Rand-Walbundrie-Walla, Murray Magpies and Howlong, Pertzel was encouraged by last weekend’s loss to the Spiders.
“Our intensity was 100 per cent up on the week before,” he said.
“We had 21 blokes having a crack.
“Howlong just got us in the last 10 minutes of the game.”
Lockhart, who has been without youngster Jamo Bouffler and East Wagga-Kooringal premiership player James Creasy, will look to open its account against CDHBU on Saturday.
The Power notched up their first win of the season last weekend when Crows coach Al Austin missed a tough set shot in the dying seconds.
Big Zac Sheather is building momentum while South Australian recruit Andrew Fowler would have benefited from last week’s run.
Culcairn coach Josh Hillary has retired due to a knee injury.
Hillary hurt his medial ligament in the opening minutes of the Lions’ win over Brock-Burrum in round two and will be restricted to the coaching box.
“I wasn’t going to play at all, but I did the pre-season and felt OK and then we had a few out early in the season.”
Adam Eady will miss Saturday’s crunch match against Jindera at Culcairn due to a shoulder injury.
“It’s another big game,” Hillary said.
“It will be important we shut them down in the midfield, particularly with Trent (Castles) in good form.”
HOWLONG coach Beau Packer believes injuries to the Spiders’ top-end players could be a blessing in disguise.
The Spiders and Henty are the only undefeated sides in the league with Packer expecting their toughest test to come against Holbrook at Howlong on Saturday.
“We’ve been missing a few but the young blokes have been ticking along nicely,” Packer said.
“Manny Hughes, Dean Simmons and players like that have stepped up.
“Three wins is a good start.”
