SANFL premiership: Michael Godden won’t play guessing game for grand final battle against Bloods
WOODVILLE-West Torrens coach Michael Godden has resisted the temptation to withhold players from the reserves grand final to keep West Adelaide guessing on the make-up of its line-up.
WOODVILLE-West Torrens coach Michael Godden has resisted the temptation to withhold players from the reserves grand final to keep West Adelaide guessing on the make-up of its line-up until the exchange of team sheets at Adelaide Oval Sunday.
Godden admitted it had been considered but he did not believe it was fair to the players to miss a chance to play in a premiership decider.
The Eagles will take on North Adelaide in the reserves grand final before meeting the Bloods to decide the SANFL champion. They have lost key onballers Angus Rowntree, Angus Poole and Marc Borholm, and Bloods coach Mark Mickan will know the replacements when the reserves take the field.
“I thought about it (keeping players out of the reserves) but I don’t want to restrict a player from getting an opportunity,’’ Godden said. “We have no injury concerns and it would be an unlucky event (to lose a player from the league line-up).’’
The Eagles have lost just two games this season, including the season opener to the Bloods, and are rated a hot favourite to claim a fourth flag since the amalgamation in 1991.
But the loss of inside midfielders Rowntree and Poole because of knee injuries and ruckman Borholm, who played the entire second semi-final despite fracturing a leg in the opening minutes of the victory over the Bloods, has added confusion to the contest.
Godden has not discussed the absence of the trio with his squad and was supremely confident the replacements could get the job done.
“Obviously we are upset for those three blokes but we have not really talked about it,’’ Godden said. “We have had a mantra all year — one out, one in.’’
The 2011 premiership coach is being fiercely driven by the disappointing end to last year when the Eagles were beaten by South Adelaide in the elimination final.
He said the performance was an embarrassment for the club and he still reflected on that game as motivation for this season.
Just days after that devastating defeat, Godden started work on a revamped gameplan based on a heavier emphasis on defence but still containing a strong attacking component.
“We designed the gameplan to win finals,’’ Godden said. “We have been challenged many times this season and it has stood up.’’
The Eagles had the bye in the opening week of the finals and again last week and Godden said he could not have a fitter group.