NFL 2018: St Mary’s out to prime itself for breakthrough Division 3 finals win under coach Fabian Carelli

FLAG favourite St Mary’s will spend the run home preparing itself for the added pressure of finals as it looks to claim a breakthrough victory on the big stage.

FLAG favourite St Mary’s will spend the run home preparing itself for the added pressure of finals as it looks to claim a breakthrough victory on the big stage.

The Burra have established an unassailable buffer at the top of the Northern Football League Division 3 ladder after winning their past nine matches.

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Their finals record is set to be put under the microscope, having lost in the first week to South Morang and Epping in the past two years and bowing out at the same stage against Reservoir (2012) and Panton Hill (2011).

“You don’t want to reflect on it too much, but these blokes know in the back of their minds they haven’t performed in the finals,” coach Fabian Carelli said.

“The build up to our first final will be about still focusing on what we need to do. It’s added pressure, yes.

“These blokes are going to have to learn to deal with it and we will drum some different routines into them over the next few weeks about how to deal with it.

“I will bring up a few different things I experienced in my playing days that may help as well.

“When we get to finals, we have just got to try and play our best footy. It’s as simple as that.”

St Mary’s only loss this year came against Panton Hill in Round 5, when it went down by 23 points.

The Burra accounted for winless Reservoir with ease on Saturday, 21.23 (149) to 2.5 (17), improving their record to 13-1.

With games to come against Mernda and South Morang after a bye in Round 16, Carelli said St Mary’s would be intent on carrying momentum into finals.

“We could actually help determine finals as well which is why there’s no reason for us to take our foot off the pedal either,” he said.

Carelli said Nicholas Daisley, Jordan Dupont, Jackson Wolczko and Adam De Girolamo were in line to return by season’s end, creating several headaches.

“It’s pretty tough,” he said.

“We won by 60-odd points (against Laurimar in Round 13) and I had to drop two players.”

The Burra are likely to face either Panton Hill or South Morang in the first week of finals after Mernda’s loss to Kilmore on Saturday left the Redbacks and Lions vying for second spot.

Panton Hill defeated Lalor by 100 points, Kilmore downed Mernda by 27 and South Morang blitzed Laurimar by 64.