Down, but not out: Rovers rally for Saints rematch

For the third time in four weeks, Wangaratta Rovers will face up against Myrtleford in senior football, but while the fixture is starting to become familiar, the quality of the footy will be second to none. After knocking the Saints off in the last round of the home and away season and the qualifying final, the Rovers will come up against their familiar foe in this Sunday’s preliminary final, with a shot at the flag awaiting the victor. While they may have suffered and untidy loss in last weekend’s semi-final loss to Wangaratta Magpies, the Rovers have dusted themselves off, got back on the track, and are fired up for another chance at eternal glory. Rovers football operations manager Mario Antonello said they were primarily focussed on how to get the best out of their game this weekend, rather than worrying about what they let slip in the 43-point semi-final loss. “I think everyone’s probably disappointed with the way it went on Saturday, but we’ll look to bounce back and play Myrtleford,” he said. “The boys tried to move on pretty quickly from the game on Saturday, there’s probably no point looking at that one too quickly unless we get through and have a win this week, then I’d say we’ll probably go over that. “It was just a bit of an off day, we had a couple of guys who rolled in a little bit underdone, the weather probably didn’t help us, and the Magpies were just too sharp. “We know our best team and our best game will beat anybody, so we’ve just got to bring that this week against Myrtleford to get another go at them [Magpies].” Playing a team multiple times in finals is nothing new, but fronting up three times in a month is the sort of quirk which gives a finals campaign an extra sense of flavour. While they’ve won their last two tussles with the tricolours, the Rovers were on the wrong end of a 14-point result when they first met back in round 10. With several key Saints in immaculate form, and some potential key ins, the Rovers will have to produce their best footy if they want to make a third straight grand final. “I think they’d be crazy to play the same game style and the same patterns as they did the previous two games, because obviously it didn’t work,” Antonello said. “We know that they will certainly look to change their gameplan up, they’re not going to go in with the same one, but also there will be a few different players in. “Some minor tweaks make a huge difference, so we’re fully aware Myrtleford finished third and are a great side. “We just need to bring our A game to get through. “No one’s looking at a grand final just yet, we realise Myrtleford are in the way and they are going to be super competitive.” The senior Rovers take on Myrtleford from 2pm this Sunday at the Albury Sports Ground, following their reserves encounter with Lavington from 11.45am.

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