THE Bathurst Giants under 17s are counting on experience in their quest for Central West AFL premiership glory this Sunday.
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And when it comes to experience they have bucket loads, with the Giants’ under 17s squad having played 1,645 games between them since the inception of the club in 2014.
With some of those games also having come at a senior level, the Giants are hoping it will give them the edge over local rivals the Bathurst Bushrangers in Sunday’s decider.
“The kids know each other so well and many have been playing together for years, so it is about getting them to work together on the field,” coach Jason Molkentin said.
“We were first into the grand final, however we know it is going to be a tough match as the Bushies have been the form team over the last month.”
Under the guidance Molkentin the older, more experience players have united with those stepping up from lower age groups to form a formidable unit.
While Molkentin admits it has been a challenge “having a consistent team week in, week out with other commitments at this age”, the Giants claimed the minor premiership with five wins, two draws and a pair of defeats through their regular rounds.
They won three of their five regular season meetings with the Bushrangers – including one in which they held them goalless - but with their rivals having taken out the two most recent derbies, the Giants must lift for Sunday.
The players who may hold the key are those who have learned from playing senior football. Some were blooded in the Giants’ top grade prior to 2018, while others followed in their footsteps this season.
“Jacob Molkentin, Jack Goodsell, Jack Packham and Ryan Cooke debuted this year, with Ryan now consistently holding down a starting position in the backline of the senior men’s team,” Molkentin said.
Kevin Walker, president of the Bathurst Giants, is also extremely happy with the progression of the junior teams this season.
“All four of the junior teams made the finals and the youth girls and the under 17s have made it to the grand final,” he said. “We are once again hosting the grand finals which is a testament to the hard work of all the coaches and managers as well as the players.”
The match starts at 12.30pm.
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