BALLARAT Clarendon College senior football co-captains Henry Bennett and Angus Cleary still harbour the disappointment of last year’s Herald Sun Country Shield campaign.
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Bennett and Cleary were members of the BCC team which lost the final to Warrnambool’s Emmanuel College.
They are planning to restore order by avenging that experience against Emmanuel in this year’s final at Colac on Wednesday.
Bennett and Cleary agreed that there had been a lack of focus this time last year.
Cleary said there was a belief among the players that all they had to do was turn up and they would win.
“There’s a real desire to win.” he said.
“We’re much more focused this time,” said Bennett, who played in a winning team two years ago.
The Year 12 students said it was difficult to separate the importance of this competition and Ballarat Associated Schools.
“This is right up with the BAS final.”
Brad Macgowan, who coaches the team with Shaune Moloney, said poor kicking in front of goal was also costly, but a factor he did not believe would have an influence this time.
Ballarat Clarendon College progressed to the final with a 156-point demolition of Marist-Sion College from College in a semi-final, with Sean Hogan, Jonathon Benallock and Trent Woolman among the better players.
Macgowan said the college was determined to reclaim the cup, which it has won seven times in nine years.
Macgowan sees the presence went of All-Australian under-18 player Jarrod Berry, three key forwards in Sam Dunstan, Joe Harrison and Bennett, and ruckman Sam Dunstan as pivotal to college’s prospects.
College squad: Will Grigg, Jonathon Benallock, Henry Bennett, Todd Clead, Tom Hedley, Sean Hogan, Mackenzie Mayne, Sam Dunstan, Kyle O’Connor, Rob Corden-McKindlay, Jarrod Berry, Bailey Fraser, Cody Grant, Trent Woolman, James Davidson, High McLuggage, Flynn Appleby, Ethan Ethridge, Joe Harrison, Adam Johnson, Cameron Ralph, Sam Glover, Willem Drew, Angus Cleary, Tom Bryans, Kiren Priestly.
The Herald Sun Country Shield final is also the final hit-out before the Ballarat Associated Schools senior football final.
Ballarat Clarendon will again meet St Patrick’s College at Wendouree Reserve next Wednesday at 3.30pm.
BALLARAT Grammar School continues its defence of the senior girls' Herald Sun Shield at Casey Fields at Cranbourne on Friday.
Grammar will join Methodist Ladies’ College, Hallam Senior College and Woodleigh School in the division one play-offs.
The top two in a round-robin competition will advance to the grand final take to Etihad Stadium on Saturday August 1. This will be played as a curtain-raiser to the North Melbourne and Carlton clash.
The girls’ competition is in its fourth year.
