Blighty seniors warm up against Undera

Clear weather and a strong display of footy was on show.

Blighty seniors coach Dane Leyden said while the team was missing a few players, he was happy for the side to test some of what they’ve been training.

“It was good, to get a good test after having trained consistently within our own four walls.

“It was a hot day with the sun out, but it went well.

“There are things we can work on for sure.

“Unfortunately, we had 10 to 12 out for a wedding so it’s hard to get a judgement, but I was happy with the good hit out.”

Leyden said there were some promising signs from his players on Saturday.

“We tried Hugh Burton in defence, and that was good. He showed really good intent to attack the contest.

“We also threw a few blokes forward, and I was happy with new recruit Brenton Tickle, who might give some size to us in our key positions.”

Leyden said his aim ahead of the season opener, following the practice match, is to develop defensive fundamentals and brand within the team.

He said only then can they have the confidence to attack when they get the chance.

“With the injection of some younger blokes into the team, I’m really trying to teach them the defensive side of the game.

“It’s mostly about really putting energy into defensive efforts and working hard to get into the right position defensively.

“We’ve got to try to stop the opposition’s flow in transition with turnovers and work on the basics to nullify opposition ball movement, mainly focusing on forward pressure.”

“When we’ve got the ball we want to be confident to take a few risks, introduce some handball receives and use our pace from one end to the other.”