Coach's Column Round 11

Opportunity to freshen up – Round 11

09.06.17 15:41

Round 11, representative weekend marks the midway point of the 2017 NEAFL season. It also brings a much-needed bye for our Thunder boys. It comes at a great time, an opportunity to freshen up before we hit the road in the second half of the season.

This weekend the NEAFL rep side takes on the  Tasmanian State League side at Blundstone Arena in Hobart. Congratulations to Centralian Abraham Ankers who will represent NT Thunder in the NEAFL side.  It is just recognition for Abe’s form so far this season, averaging 27 disposals and six clearances per game has him amongst the best performing players in the league.

The rest of the boys have the perfect opportunity to recover not only physically but also more importantly, mentally. The players have recovered well after the disappointing defeat in Round 10 against Sydney Uni, before having a tough hit out at Casuarina Beach on Wednesday. They now have a five-day break to spend time with family and friends over the long weekend.

Our boys are semi-professional athletes, work full-time jobs and commit a lot of time to being the best footballers they can be. They train for two hours three nights a week, play on Saturdays, plus throw in the occasional travel to away games and the extra physical recovery sessions, and it all makes for a busy schedule. It’s a big commitment. They do a fantastic job and the opportunity to get a mental recovery at this time of the season is invaluable.

The second half of the season presents a massive opportunity for us. Of the nine games remaining, we only play two sides currently above us on the ladder. We hit the road six times and have four games at home, one in Alice Springs and three in Darwin. Our games in Darwin are all starting at 3pm, an exciting time slot to play footy in the dry season. We’d love to see as many of our supporters get down and support the boys in our push to play finals.