By Justin Flynn
East Geelong coach Ben Boseley knows his opponent in this weekend’s Geelong District Football League preliminary final will be tough to beat.
The Eagles want another crack at Inverleigh in the grand final after a last-quarter fade out in the second semi-final saw the Hawks advance to the decider.
But first, the Eagles must defeat Bannockburn, which won its way through to the preliminary final with a 35-point win against Bell Post Hill in the first semi-final
“We know that we’ve got Bannockburn and the way they set up and play, they are a real danger side,” Boseley said.
“A lot of our focus has been on reviewing our structures against Inverleigh and walking through Bannockburn and how we can beat them. We’re looking forward to it.”
The two sides have met just once this season, in round 11 where an inaccurate East Geelong won by 24 points. The Eagles booted 10.23 to 9.5.
“It looked close on the scoreboard but we had control of the game for large periods of time,” Boseley said.
“They play a really good brand of football. They move the footy pretty quickly, wait for the turnover and run in numbers, with some kamikaze handball through the corridor.
“It’s not too different to how some of the other teams play. They use handball and quick release and run. We’re expecting a tight contest.”
Boseley said his side was looking to assert itself at the stoppages in the preliminary final.
“I think we are a very good contested team and have a thirst for the contest,” he said.
We have a bit of run and can generate momentum on the outside and our forward line is structurally sound.”
The GDFL preliminary final is on Saturday September 3 at 2.10pm at St Albans Reserve.
