Macleod’s Garry Ramsay declares Roos better prepared than 2015 for Northern Football League flag tilt

MACLEOD coach Garry Ramsay has declared his side is better prepared for a premiership tilt this year than their successful 2015 campaign.

Macleod coach Garry Ramsay.

MACLEOD  coach Garry Ramsay believes his side is better prepared for a premiership tilt than its successful 2015 campaign, declaring the ’Roos are playing their best footy of the year.

Macleod has strung together three consecutive wins by an average of 71 points, however it will have to go back-to-back without 2015 best and fairest winner Lucas Hobbs and Reece Geary after the duo suffered season-ending shoulder injuries in the weekend’s 78-point win over Lower Plenty.

However, Ramsay was confident his side could overcome the losses, with Brad Leggett and Anthony Doherty to return this ­weekend.

“Put it this way, we had more injuries last year,” Ramsay said.

“Last year I think we lost the last two games (before finals), we’d had a heap of injuries and they didn’t come back until the preliminary final.

“This year, other than one or two, our injury list is pretty good and we are in a lot better form leading into the finals than what we were last year.”

Macleod will meet Greensborough in the qualifying final, with the Borough getting the points over the Roos in three of their past four contests — the exception being last year’s grand final — by an average of 33 points.

The Borough has dropped its past two games — to ninth-placed Whittlesea and wooden spooners Lower Plenty — but Ramsay said he was not getting fooled by their form.

“We’ve played them twice this year, I think we’ve started favourite both times and we got beaten both times so we won’t be lulled in that (form),” he said.

“They are a very, very good side that we have a great rivalry with so I kind of disregard the past two weeks because I know what a very consistent side they are.

“We haven’t beaten them this year so we will go in knowing this could go either way.”

Elsewhere in Division 1, Heidelberg scored a 43-point win over Bundoora to finish three games clear on top.

In Division 2, North Heidelberg made it 12 wins from their past 13 starts with a 72-point win over finals rival Diamond Creek.