With the A-Grade competition in recess this weekend, the focus will fall on the depth of the club as much of North Beach’s emerging talent takes centre stage.
The Townley Group D1-Grade, largely compromising of colts graduates from the last two or three years, have played some sizzling football to this stage of the year and face an intriguing battle against top side Trinity-Aquinas at Bill Grayden Reserve.
TAs have enjoyed an outstanding season and are around the mark in virtually every grade in which they compete so the second-placed Beach will be looking forward to this challenge.
Kane Kuenen has the youthful Tigers playing for each other and there is a neat blend of experience working with those developing rookies, some of whom have tasted football in higher grades in the last couple of years.
North Beach has lost just once this season, against Trinity-Aquinas, and will be looking to establish some sort of psychological edge in the run to the finals.
Depending upon final selection, it will be worth taking the trip down to the home ground of Trinity Aquinas to watch the likes of Michael Collins, Jacob Griffiths, Mark Foreman, Daniel Wheeler and Jordan Kickett in action.
They will enjoy flying the flag as the most senior North Beach team in action and should not disappoint.
The pre-cursor to this game will see the Clipstar D1-Reserves in action and they will be looking for a strong performance.
Generally, they have been competitive in most games, but have found the going tough against the more accomplished teams. Jay Carroll will be looking for a special effort from his charges on this occasion. Finals are out of the equation, but pride is on the line.
Trinity-Aquinas sits in third position, while North is eighth.
The Tuck Plumbing Brett Jones Colts are clinging to finals hopes that have been damaged with a string of agonising narrow defeats and come up against the unbeaten TAs outfit.
Trinity-Aquinas are the bench mark across the colts competition, also sitting on top of the Phil Scott Division so this looms as a tough day at the office. But with several key players resuming, after taking a holiday during the University break, the Beach will give itself some chance of an upset.
To be a realistic hope of playing finals, it must beat one or more of the teams above them and Dan Wheeler’s boys would love nothing better than to leave Grayden Reserve with the points in the back pocket.
The Pana’s Pool Supplies E2-Grade also face an important clash against Whitford at MacDonald Reserve.
The fifth Grade team is in third position, equal on points with fifth-placed Whitford, so this match represents the classic eight-point game.
