IMPERIALS co-coach Brad Hards and his troops are looking forward to the rare experience of twilight footy.
With games rescheduled to NSW, Imps and South Mildura will collide under lights at Gol Gol’s Alcheringa Oval on Saturday night, with the wide dimensions of the ground also set to provide a new challenge for the sides.
“We’re super keen. The boys have been missing it and I think we’re ready to go after a little hiatus from the game,” Hards said.
“It’s pretty exciting to play somewhere different, and the fact it’s a twilight game, we don’t get many of those opportunities so it will be a good experience.”
Veterans Simon Callahan and Matt Boyd come into the team alongside youngsters P.J. Petrucci, Tylar Atkinson and Gavin Krake.
Travel restrictions will hurt the side with Ryan and Bryce Hards, Jordan Bates and Jesse Derrick among those unable to get to the game.
South defender Ben Notting comes in for midfield star Matt Spencely.
Hards said there were a few aspects of his team’s game that needed “tidying up” after their shock loss to Ouyen United in their last contest.
“We followed up after that Ouyen game and focused on the things we needed to improve that week, but that’s in the past for us now,” he said.
“We’re focused now on South but more so on how we want to play. Having trained at Golly we had a look at the playing area and tried to get used to it. It’s a fairly wide ground which is a bit different to No. 1 so hopefully we might be able to push wider and create that bit of extra space that we couldn’t in the last game. South have some nippy players too though, so we have to keep an eye out for them.
“South have proven to be a superb team. The load is pretty spread for them, they don’t rely on one or two players.”
