Kilmore coach Nathan Phillips is adamant all the pressure is on the Northern Football League newcomers Laurimar, ahead of their round 1 match-up this Saturday.
Speaking to NFL.org.au this week, Phillips said the Blues were focussed only on sticking to their structures and not being distracted by what was happening around them.
“To be honest, I think the pressure is on them. They’re the ones that have to come out and perform,” Phillips said.
“We are confident we will just stick to what we have been doing in pre-season so far. It’ll be a tough game for us, just like every game will be this year.”
Phillips is entering his first full season as senior coach of the Blues after taking over the helm midway through last year following the departure of Travis McCarty.
In Phillips’ opinion, the club is in a much better position to move up the ladder this year after finishing second-last on the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 ladder in 2016 with a 2-16 record.
“I think last year, with it obviously being the club’s first year in the Northern Football League (after crossing from the Riddell District Football League), we had some really good footballers that probably didn’t fit the Northern league’s style of play,” he said.
“The NFL is a lot quicker on transition. You need a lot of pace and run. I think the guys we’ve added suit that style of football. We’re young and will improve week by week with more experience.”
One of those added players is new senior assistant coach Leigh Irons, who joined the club from Bonnie Doon and has impressed Phillips throughout the pre-season.
“He has been really good, his leadership and hardness at the ball have really stood out over summer.”
Phillips named Brandon Austin as a player he expects to step up this season. Austin kicked three goals from five senior matches for the Blues last year, and Phillips expects him to play a lot more senior football in 2017, after adding some size to go with his pace.
The Blues could this weekend come up against former Carlton captain Lance Whitnall, who has signed on to play at Laurimar this season.
Whitnall kicked six goals in the Power’s last practice match against the Wyndham Suns on Saturday.
The clash will be played at Laurimar Reserve at 2.10pm on Saturday.
