Goondiwindi starts as favourites for Saturday afternoon final
GOONDIWINDI coach Peter Bourchier reckons his team will get the job done in the under-16 grand final against Collegians Blue this afternoon at Platz Oval at Clifton.
"We had a convincing win against Collegians Blue in the major semi-final and the extra week off has helped, as a few of the boys had niggling injuries or the flu,” he said.
The Goondiwindi team trains each Monday, Wednesday and Friday night and will head to Clifton on Saturday morning by bus after a breakfast at the Queensland Hotel.
Prop Will Robinson is team captain and Brenton Clements will be a key player at halfback.
Bourchier has a squad of 27 but four are out with injuries. Twenty will play.
"Our players must keep an eye on Collegians fullback Carlos Smith, halfback Tom Bell and lock Sam Ogden,” he said.
Collegians fielded two U16 teams this season with Craig Frattini the head coach. Tim Doyle coaches the Blue team and Scott Morton coaches the White team.
"We have trained as a full squad of 40 all season,” Doyle said.
"Even though the White team is not playing on Saturday, we still had more than 30 players at training on Tuesday night.”
The Collegians Blue team will have 20 players at the game at Platz Oval.
Doyle knows his team will have to be at its best to win.
"Michael Van Der Sande is back after missing six weeks of footy with a broken nose,” Doyle said.
"Dylan Brassel is team captain and will play in the back row.
"Sam Ogden will call some of the shots for the Collegians team at lock. We trained well this week.”