People talk about revenge in football a lot; sometimes we get caught up in past performances and forget what process needs to be executed to be better than our history.

We learnt some good lessons from our Round 2 match against Sydney Uni, where they won by 69 points! It was at their home ground but regardless; they are a very well balanced and drilled team, they work especially hard through the middle and are clearly driven by the opportunity to create their own history.

Whether it’s the loss in Round 2, or last week’s loss against the Swans, there’s always something a defeat will teach us.

The fundamentals remain unchanged. We need to prepare well, we need 23 players on the same page and giving the same amount of effort for four quarters.

With Liam Patrick, Phillip Wills and Neil Vea Vea coming back in to the side it gives us versatility and experience right across the ground.

Our vice-captain Richard Tambling will miss with knee soreness and small forward Michael Hagan with a quad complaint. Both have played significant roles in previous wins but I believe we have the depth to cover their absence.

Today’s game is a big one.

The next six weeks will determine the final six in the NEAFL competition. Besides the Sydney Swans, who have bolted in top spot on the ladder, the remaining five finals spots are still up for grabs. A good win in front of a strong home crowd is exactly what we want.

And it doesn’t get much better than being the curtain-raiser to an AFL game on our own home turf. The boys are pumped for it, so if you have a ticket, be sure to head down to TIO Stadium for our game at 3:30pm.

Go Thunder!