VFL: Roosters tread carefully in run home

By David Brehaut
Updated November 2 2012 - 2:24pm, first published July 30 2010 - 2:25pm
IMPRESSIVE: Oliver Tate is one of a young new breed making his mark in North Ballarat's drive to the finals.
IMPRESSIVE: Oliver Tate is one of a young new breed making his mark in North Ballarat's drive to the finals.

NORTH Ballarat has a lot at stake over the remaining four home-and-away rounds in the Victorian Football League.The Selikirk Roosters have achieved two major objectives.They locked up another finals appearance early in the season and then sealed a top-four finish with a four-point win over Port Melbourne a week ago.Now the task at hand is to secure a top-two position and hopefully a home final.If its draw is anything to go by, North Ballarat should achieve this.The Roosters face Werribee Tigers (13th), Coburg Tigers (11th), Sandringham (ninth) and Geelong (12th). If only it was all as easy as it seems.North Ballarat has its most inexperienced line-up in more than two seasons.As impressive as it has been in putting together six wins on the trot, North Ballarat has had a couple of close calls.The Roosters' ability to win the close ones has been outstanding, but coach Gerard FitzGerald is well aware that no matter who the opposition is, one off day might be enough to loosen their grip on second position.North Ballarat beat the Port Melbourne hoodoo last round, defeating the Borough for only the second time at the ground.Werribee has also been a troublesome venue for the Roosters over the years, as well as for FitzGerald.He believes he has tasted success only once at Chirnside Park, and this includes his stints with VFL teams Springvale and Port Melbourne, and with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup under-18 competition."Werribee's always tough at home. "That's when they're at their most dangerous."Their record this year reinforces this," he said.All Werribee's three wins and a draw this season have been at Werribee, so even though the Tigers have the services of only a handful of inexperienced North Melbourne players, FitzGerald is expecting them to be at their best.FitzGerald will again call on his charges to play the percentages as if they were facing the best team in the competition.Marcus White and Jordan Dillon are the only confirmed players going out of the North Ballarat line-up.Upgraded from rookie to the North Melbourne senior list this week, White will make his AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs tomorrow.Captain Shaune Moloney returns after a strained hamstring and Chris Giampaolo replaces Dillon as the 23rd player.North Melbourne duo Gavin Urquhart and Ryan Bastinac are a chance to play with the Roosters after being dropped by the Kangaroos.However, this will not be confirmed until after North Melbourne trains this morning, leaving the Roosters with an expanded interchange until then.

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