Anzac footy awaits

Narre Warren will be after a 2-0 start when it takes on Monbulk this week. 275020 Picture: ROB CAREW

By Tyler Lewis

If there was a benefit to Covid stopping and starting local footy for the best part of two years…it’s that it has prepared Narre Warren perfectly for the beginning of its 2022 campaign.

The Magpies played on 2 April under lights against Pakenham and have since spent two weeks on the track, and after two further rounds, Shane Dwyer’s men will spend another week on the track with the bye.

Although it isn’t the dream run to the season, Dwyer is focusing on what he can control, while also feeling for his upcoming opponent Monbulk, which are yet to play a single game.

“It is not ideal, but there is not much we can do about it,” he said.

“We trained the following week and Tuesday (last week), but not Thursday with obviously everyone going away, so we gave them a freshen up, but we will be back into it Tuesday.

“It’s not great, but look at Monbulk, they haven’t even had a game yet, they’re probably in a more frustrating position having a bye round one and not playing until Anzac Day weekend.

“We only play two games and then have a bye again, so we just have to get through this first little patch before we get a bit of continuous games.

“We are used to the stop start after the last two years, let’s put it that way.”

That Monbulk side is a bit of an unknown to the Maggies, as just one hit and giggle back when Dwyer played himself was the last and only time he has seen the Hawks.

“I think we played them in a practice game when I played, that is the one time I have seen them,” he said.

“It is a bit of an unknown for us, it’s going to be an unknown for most sides this year, you play nine games in two years, so you don’t know a great deal about many sides.

“Definitely the ones that have come up you know very little about. I know a couple of their players that have played in our comp, but other than that, there is not much to go by.”

One player he does know a bit about is Hawks forward Taylor Joyce.

If it wasn’t for Covid or an early finish due to injury in a game against Gembrook-Cockatoo, Joyce – with 33 goals last year – was making a fantastic run at a mammoth tally of majors.

Dwyer has seen Joyce before, is aware of his prowess, but admits the entirety of the defensive units focus won’t be on the one player.

“He is a big good player, we played against him at Beaconsfield,” he said.

“The small ground probably helps a bit being a big forward, you can get back a bit quicker, we won’t put everything focused onto him.

“He is definitely a good player, so he is definitely the one we know about.”

The Hawks will host the Pies this Saturday in one of two matches played in the AFL Outer East.

The other match played on Saturday will be local rivals Officer and Pakenham; both sides suffered a loss in round one, which will result to one of these finals fancied sides with a 0-2 start to the season.

On Anzac Day, Upwey Tecoma will host Olinda Ferny Creek and Wandin will look to go 2-0 when it welcomes Woori Yallock.

In Division 1, all matches will be played on Saturday: Belgrave will travel to Healesville, Seville will host Yarra Glen and in what looms as a finals taste-tester, Emerald will welcome the red-hot Gembrook-Cockatoo.