Bombers take aim at making amends

RETURNING to basics will be key for a North Launceston side on the rebound and on its second State League trip south in two weeks.

The northern Bombers clash with their southern namesake Lauderdale at SkyBus Oval on Saturday, smarting from a defeat to Clarence last Saturday in a performance coach Brad Cox-Goodyer, pictured, said was a mixture of his team’s best and worst.

North Launceston dominated the first half and booted the first goal of the third quarter to open up a 23-point lead, only to see the Roos rattle on eight unanswered majors in a breathtaking display.

While disappointed at being on the receiving end of such an onslaught, Cox-Goodyer is remaining upbeat that his side — for three quarters — was on top of a Clarence group he expects big things from in 2021.

“We probably went from playing our best half of footy to our worst quarter, we won three quarters of football and lost one and we lost the game,” he said.

“All the statistical things were in our favour, so just a learning curve for the young guys being able to identify momentum in a game and put a stop to things when it’s against us.

“They kicked straight as an arrow. It is pretty deflating as a young group, but it is a learning curve to not get comfortable when you get on top.

“It shows how quickly things can swing.

“But it shows we are around the mark, I think Clarence are going to be pretty strong this year.

“We lost by 11 points, so to be that close to what I consider to be one of the top two teams is a positive.”

Lauderdale and North Launceston have built a fierce rivalry in recent seasons, having squared off in three consecutive grand finals from 2017-19.

While there has been a big change in personnel in both camps, Cox-Goodyer expects his troops to lift for the challenge of tackling Lauderdale on its home turf.

“There is always going to be feeling between the two clubs, especially with recent history, obviously it has simmered down the last couple of years but it is quite healthy at the moment and we look forward to playing each other,” he said.

“For us it is just going back to the basics, winning contested footy, especially against Lauderdale, they pride themselves on contested footy and have some big strong bodies around the football.

“Hopefully we can match them in that area and get the ball on the outside.”