The document discusses several upcoming matches in the Geelong District Football League (GDFL). It notes that Bannockburn co-captain Jack Brauman has become a more vocal leader and helped guide the team to a strong season so far. The Tigers are fourth on the ladder and within striking distance of the top spot, with their coach saying they should aim for finals football. Brauman and Bannockburn will face Anakie this afternoon in another key match.

1. 76 SATURDAY JULY 11 2015 GEELONGADVERTISER.COM.AU
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Brauman said. “I think this has
probably been a few years
coming. We all started a couple
of years ago together and
are just starting to really jell
together now, and all the
young blokes are starting to
get used to senior footy and
playing well together.”
Coach Craig McGough was
the man responsible for
appointing Brauman captain,
and said his young charge had
become a more rounded player
since taking on the added
responsibility of leading the
club.
“We just felt that it was an
important part of his develop-
ment to get into a leadership
role,” he said.
“He’s an incredibly talented
kid. He’s tough, he’s a team-
first type player, but he still
had some areas he needed to
develop into his game and we
felt a lot of those were going to
be based around some leader-
ship responsibility.
“He’s really grown through-
out the whole pre-season. He’s
become a hell of a lot more
vocal and he’s got a better
understanding of the game
through having to take on that
responsibility.”
The Tigers are fourth on the
ladder, separated only by per-
centage from second spot, and
just four points from top spot.
While some clubs avoid talk
of finals, McGough said the
Tigers were embracing what
lies ahead.
“In the position we’re in
now we should well and truly
achieve playing finals footy,”
he said.
“We don’t have the credits
in the bank to be arrogant
enough to think too far ahead,
but we also need to understand
that we’re most likely going to
play finals and we need to
understand what we do once
we get there to perform well.”
Bannockburn takes on
Anakie this afternoon, a side it
beat by 107 points earlier in the
year, and against whom Brau-
man has kicked 16 goals in
their last four games.
But he isn’t expecting an
easy ride today.
“I’ve had a bit of a lucky run
against them. Hopefully I can
get another good match on the
weekend,” he said.
“But it’s going to be a really
tough match. We’ve got a few
injuries so I’m expecting a
pretty tough day.”
Belmont Lions will make three changes for its crucial clash with top-
three aspirant Inverleigh. The Lions welcome back Lowell Hunter,
Brad Edwards, John Hambrook. They replace Bart Wadley, Simon
Fragiotta and Adam Leamer, who were omitted. “It’s a big game,”
Belmont coach Dave McKiernan said. “It’s between us and Thomson
for fifth spot and that’s why these games are important. If we can
knock off a team above us, it certainly helps us with our aim to play
finals.” The Hawks will be without star midfielder Blake Hutchinson,
who was suspended at the AFL Barwon tribunal. “They’ve shown this
year that they’ve been able to cover good players,” McKiernan said.
INVERLEIGH v BELMONT LIONS
Inverleigh Rec Res, today, 2.10pm
East Geelong will continue to blood its younger players over the
remainder of the season with Daniel Cox and Liam Crocker set to
line up against Bell Post Hill tomorrow.
Eagles coach Ricky O’Toole admitted with only a handful of players
remaining from the grand final clashes with the Panthers, the close
rivalry the two teams had experienced in recent years was not as
strong this year.
But O’Toole said the reigning premiers, who are currently sitting in
second spot on the ladder, were still the yardstick of the
competition.
Bell Post Hill has won its last four games, and when these two last
met the Panthers won by 59 points.
EAST GEELONG v BELL POST HILL
Richmond Crescent, today, 2.10pm
Corio is hopeful of snaring a win between now and the end of the
season, and coach Brett Pollard believes today’s game against
Werribee presents a good chance of that happening.
The Devils are yet to get four points in 2015, but after a devastating
loss to North Geelong last weekend, were buoyed by the
appearance of former AFL player and current Bell Host Hill coach
Brent Grgic at training during the week.
Pollard said he had been impressed by the character the group had
shown in the wake of the result against the Magpies. With a
favourable draw in the coming weeks, Werribee remains an outside
chance of finals so will be fired up after a big loss to Inverleigh.
CORIO v WERRIBEE CENTRALS
Shell Oval, today, 2.10pm
Geelong West coach Mark Hounslow says his team will take plenty
of confidence into today’s game against North Geelong after its 21-
point loss to Bannockburn last Saturday.
Hounslow said the Cheetahs had been through a tough year but
continued turning up to training and doing the right things, and
was hopeful they would be rewarded with a victory in the run
home.
The Magpies are coming off a 271-point victory over Corio and will
travel to West Oval looking to maintain their winning form.
This will be the second of four straight games against the bottom
four teams for the visitors, who sit a game outside top spot.
GEELONG WEST v NORTH GEELONG
West Oval, today, 2.10pm
Anakie coach Phil Gavin says the club paid for the price for playing
just one quarter against Winchelsea last week, admitting it had
been a disappointing day.
The Roos’ final chances are now well and truly shot, and they will
host Bannockburn this afternoon, a side who defeated them by 107
points when they met earlier in the year.
Gavin said despite a tough draw, there were some winnable games
in the run home and the players were upbeat ahead of the final six
games of the year.
Bannockburn is just a game away from top spot and will want to
get into some decent form ahead of finals.
ANAKIE v BANNOCKBURN
Anakie Rec Res, today, 2.10pm
They are second-bottom on the ladder and have just two wins for
the season. But Winchelsea won’t be taken lightly, according to
suspended Thomson captain Jackson Macleod. “I don’t think we
should underestimate them,” Macleod said. “But I’m confident we
can do the job. We can’t afford to drop one. We have to be on top of
our game.” The Tigers are seemingly fighting Belmont for the final
spot in the top five, and with the Lions tackling ladder leader
Inverleigh today, Macleod’s men can leap from their rivals and go
four points clear. Thomson will regain big man Luke Maher, who has
missed the last six weeks through injury. “He definitely helps us,”
Macleod said of Maher. “We need a big body to help out in the ruck.”
WINCHELSEA v THOMSON
Eastern Reserve, today, 2.10pm
THE last time Bannockburn
won a final, Jack Brauman was
just 14 years old.
Peter Riccardi kicked two
goals and was best on ground,
and things for the club were
looking good.
That was six years ago, and
since that day the Tigers have
played in five finals matches,
losing every one. Their two
straight sets exits in 2010 and
2012 were extremely disap-
pointing for a club searching
for its first taste of premiership
success since 2003.
But the winds of change at
Victoria Park have seen Ban-
nockburn rise again after a
couple of years developing its
younger brigade, led by Brau-
man, who was made co-
captain last year at age 18.
“It’s been going pretty well
at the moment. We’ve only
had two losses so we’re pretty
happy with how we’re going,”
YOUNG LEADERSHIP:
Bannockburn co-captain Jack
Brauman has his eyes fixed
on finals football this year.
Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI
Tigers embracing
what lies ahead
Lachie
lachaln.young@news.com.au
YOUNG
GDFL