Bendigo is aiming to bounce back from last week’s disappointing loss to Collingwood with the help of several Essendon listed players beginning to reach full fitness.
 
The last month has seen the return of Tom Hislop, Heath Hocking, Courtenay Dempsey and Darcy Daniher and, while it takes time to get back to the form that has seen them in the Essendon side, the recent progress has been promising.
 
Bendigo coach, Adrian Hickmott, said he has been pleased with the application of the group returning from injury and as they begin to play more it won’t be long before they are again in the senior side.
 
“The first thing is that they all got through the game and that is very important considering the time some of them had been out of the game,” Hickmott said.
 
“Dempsey was very good, his use of the ball when in posession was fantastic and he provided some good run for us. Hocking was alo very good but began to tire because of all the football he has missed.
 
“Hislop started a bit slowly but got better as the game went on and Daniher got his hands to plenty of ball but was just missing his touch which he will pick up very quickly.""
 
Hickmott said the group’s time at Bendigo was the perfect opportunity to concentrate on structures and not always on getting high amounts of possessions.
 
“One aspect we look for is that they follow team structures. At Bendigo it is not about stats but sticking to the structures because if we don’t it means they won’t be getting their hands on it and not getting their touch back,” he said.
 
Last week’s 90-point loss to Collingwood in a game that could have set the Bombers up to play in September was a disappointing result and Hickmott identified Bendigo’s discsipine as the major factor in the loss.
 
“Collingwood were more discsiplined than us. Bendigo Bombers are a side that have to play their starting positions on a man and when we didn’t do that Collingwood were able to use their game structure and open up the game,” Hickmott said.
 
“The crowd this week at Frankston will be an important factor so we will have that to overcome but we’re a good side when we stick to our team structures and that needs to be our focus,” he said.
 
Frankston sit eighth on the ladder and a win for Bendigo could see them get to within a game of the top eight but a loss would make it very difficult with five rounds remaining.
 
BendigoBombers play Frankston at Frankston Oval on Sunday August 3 at 2pm.
 

B

Flaherty

Bristow

Holmes

HB

Dempsey

Hooker

Crameri

C

Dick

Skipworth

Williams

HF

Daniher

Chartres

Magin

F

Hartigan

Weeks

Coghlan

R

Bellchambers

Hocking

Hislop

Int

D. Young

Bowe

Davies

 

Stroobants

Anderson

Fahour

 

Geary