Bushrangers reload for finals

A Goodna player throws himself into his work during last weekend’s final A-grade clash before this weekend’s finals. Swifts won 36-32 to secure the minor premiership and President’s Cup.

Claudia Baxter

AFTER watching his team set the pace, then fall off it, South Burnett under-18 coach Mal Clark is relieved to have a second chance up his sleeve.

When Brothers held Springfield to a 26-all draw last weekend, it meant South Burnett finished second in the minor premiership.

It set up a date with minor premiers Swifts and, even if they lose, will live to fight again.

“It’s a good thing,” Clark said.

“It’ll see where we are.

“They beat us by two points last time so it’s a fairly tight thing.”

Clark believes all it took for his team to find its best again was the incentive of finals football.

Clark thinks his boys fell flat after they hit the lead in the competition in early July.

“We’ve been waiting for the finals for a long time,” he said.

“There’s that little bit of extra motivation.”

One advantage Clark thinks he may have on his rivals is being able to prepare his team the same, whoever they’re playing next.

“All the teams (Goodna, Swifts and Springfield) play a similar style,” he said.

“They’ve got a couple of big guys but the rest are all right.”

The plan is simple – run ’em ragged.

“We’ll use our fast men in the middle, then get it wide as quick as we can and catch them on the fringes,” Clark said.

He knows it isn’t that easy, however, with Swifts deserved minor premiers.

“They have no standout,” Clark said, meaning it as praise.

“They’re all really solid players.

“It is going to come down to those mistakes.

“Against Goodna we defended our line for five sets, then they threw a loose pass and we knocked it forward.

“It was like we were inventing new ways to give them a second set of six.”

More of the same will see the Bushrangers facing the winner of Saturday’s elimination semi between Goodna and Springfield, rather than progressing straight to the grand final.

“It is a matter of controlling the ball,” Clark said.

“We can’t give away silly penalties.”