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GEELONG VFL coach Matthew Knights will watch Saturday’s blockbuster semi-final between Williamstown and Port Melbourne with great anticipation given his team will front the winner.
There is a perception that Knights would be happy if Port is rolled given it perhaps is the bigger threat with the home ground advantage.
But he is just happy his team has the week off to recover and recuperate.
“It’s certainly the way you want to do it, it’s not the way we worked last season when we got beaten in the first final,” Knights said.
“To be able to win and be able to achieve a preliminary final is a great step forward for us now we await the winner of the Port-Willi game which will be a traditional physical clash so there’s many factors that will come into Saturday’s game and we’ve just got to be prepared for either team, that’s part of our situation this week, we’ve got to scout other teams.”
Knights admits the Cats and Box Hill Hawks will be favourites to advance to the grand final but believes the race is still wide open.
Werribee will tackle the Casey Scorpions in Sunday’s semi-final.
“I guess the preliminary finalists because you’re already seeded in those games, people think they’re the favourites but there’s a lot of talent to come this weekend. Werribee on their day is as dangerous as anyone, they play some fantastic attacking footy and obviously the Port-Williamstown game is an amazing clash of talent and I thought Casey, in the first half last week played very well. If they get some players back into the line-up from the Melbourne list, I don’t think we should discount them. I reckon it’s an open VFL finals series, we’re going to have to play pretty well to win in our next game and hopefully go through to a grand final,” he said.
Port Melbourne coach Gary Ayres praised his team after last week’s elimination final win over Collingwood. There is confidence among the playing group that it could go all the way this season despite finishing in seventh spot.
“I demand so much from them and they just keep giving. They’re a wonderful group of young men who don’t know how to be beaten and we haven’t been at our best all year, it’s an experienced group, it’s a long year,” Ayres said.
Image courtesy of and with permission by Jenny Owens. All rights reserved.
