EDENHOPE-APSLEY is preparing to celebrate a 30-year reunion of a three-peat from 1986-87-88 during its time in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League.
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The Saints will host Laharum in the game of the weekend.
The Saints will wear jumpers with a black and red sash, donned by the three-peat Edenhope side in the late 1980s.
It will also celebrate other flags the junior football and the netball sides won in that same period.
Coach Michael Rowe said the reunion weekend put the club’s history into perspective.
“They will realise the history of the club and before the game, we will get to talk to some of the past players,” he said.
There will be memorabilia on show, with each guernsey worn during the game auctioned off at a post-game function.
Rowe said it was a big week for the side.
“I hope we can pick up the pieces from last week. Both teams like to move the ball fast,” he said.
“I expect it to be an exciting game with quick movement up the field.”
The Saints have struggled in getting the ball into the forward 50 in some cases and Rowe said it was something the team had been working on.
“We have been working on our forward cohesion and delivering the ball to them,” he said.
“But really, we will want 21 contributors on the day. We can’t rely on four or five guys to carry the team.”
Each Saints player has received feedback after the first quarter of the home-and-away season and Rowe hoped everyone took that feedback into consideration.
“We’ve shown we can play good team footy – it’s just a case of not falling back into bad habits,” he said.
Shaun Butler could return to the fray and will be important in the midfield.
Laharum coach Todd Heynen said he was conscious there was a core group of teams fighting for a position among the top half of the ladder.
“Edenhope-Apsley is one of them, along with us and Natimuk United – so this one is pretty important,” he said.
“I expect it to be a tight contest. We will try to move the ball quickly and stick to our style.”
Heynen said he had never played at Edenhope but knew the team had a strong following.
Brett Ervin will be given an important role in the contest.
Heynen said he would ask Ervin to match up with some of the leading forwards in the league such as Steven Butler and George Walker.
“It will be all about getting the right match-ups,” he said.
