THE long weekend may have come at an inconvenient time for the Bathurst Giants, having put together one of their most complete performances of the AFL Central West senior men's season to date, but it's given them extra time to reflect on how they can continue producing similar performances.
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Giants would have no doubt appreciated the chance to get on the footy field last Saturday to try to build momentum off the back of their 57 point win over the Orange Tigers but they'll hope the great times will continue to come in a tough trip to face the Dubbo Demons this round.
Giants skipper Jacob Molkentin said he's keen to see what the team can bring after the break.
"It's always exciting getting back to footy after a bye, especially after a performance like the one we had against Orange. As a club we feel like we've got a lot to prove, heading up to Dubbo," he said.
"Those trips are always tough and any time you can get a win away to Dubbo it's pretty rewarding."
The match at Dubbo has proven a tricky one for the Giants in recent seasons.
The team have lost in six of their last eight trips to South Dubbo Oval, and defeat also came their way in the latest of those meetings just two rounds ago in a bruising 107 point loss.
However, an improved lineup in the clash against Orange - which included the addition of former AFL star Lenny Hayes - looked excellent in the return to George Park 1.
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The encouraging thing for the Giants is knowing that their team are still working towards getting back its optimal week-to-week lineup.
Reaching that goal will be a major help as they try to leap Dubbo into second spot on the ladder.
"One of the toughest things our group has faced is consistency with our lineup. Without being close to our best side is was great to see a lot of cohesion, and I think that will only get better as we get that consistency," Molkentin said.
"Dubbo are a physical side who play an aggressive brand of footy. That's the main thing they bring to the table. They're bigger than us physically so we need to stay aware of that.
"I thought our ball movement and transition of the footy was really smooth in the game against Orange. We wanted to be doing that as efficiently as possible, and we want to be moving the footy to the advantage of our forwards. They're the things we've worked hard on at training."
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