BY JACK KOVACIC.
Coburg will be hungry for a win come Sunday when it travels to Frankston to take on the Dolphins in what shapes as a great contest.
The ladder isn’t pretty reading for Lions fans, but the on-field performance has been much better than a simple look at the win-loss column would indicate.
Coburg were competitive last week but as has been a problem for most of the season, couldn’t quite sustain its performance for four quarters.
Frankston last week were defeated by the Northern Blues by 39 points in a game that was played in tough conditions.
On Sunday, we will see a slight contrast in style with Coburg opting for a more open free-flowing game-plan.
The Lions have so far this year averaged 10 more handball receives a game than Frankston, while the Dolphins have been more dominant on the inside averaging 12 more contested possessions and six more tackles than the young Coburg side.
The Lions will need to lift if they are to match it with Frankston, but also not give up their run and transition game which has shown to be successful at different times throughout the season.
Will Fordham has been the main threat for Frankston this year, doing it both on the inside and on the outside, leading the Dolphins in contested possessions and clearances.
Liam Hunt is currently second in the VFL for clearances per game, while the addition of Ryan Exon back into the team and Tom Wallis named in the centre should give some added grunt for Coburg.
Captain Tom Goodwin is another who returns this week and will have a tough match up in the ruck against the in-form Lewis Pierce.
With Goodwin back and Adam Swierzbiolek retaining his spot, coach Leigh Adams now has a bit more freedom in how he uses the versatility of Mark Orr and Aidan Tilley.
Head down to Skybus Stadium in Frankston this Sunday to see the Lions in action in BeyondBlue round.
Coburg
B: 9. N. Blair, 17. L. Dickson, 10. S. Gregory
HB: 1. B. Allan, 43. H. Nolan, 2. J. Corigliano
C: 15. J. Iacobaccio, 4. T. Wallis, 42. M. Lentini
HF: 34. T. Lever, 22. A. Swierzbiolek, 8. N. Mellington
F: 6. M. Orr, 18. S. Lowson, 33. J. Weightman
R: 29. T. Goodwin, 26. L. Hunt, 5. R. Exon
Int: 38. D. Aujla, 32. B. Cannolo, 16. J. Fox, 3. H. Kerbatieh, 23. J. McDonald, 40. L. Mitchell, 37. J. Murphy, 25. A. Tilley
23P: 30. J. O’Donoghue
Frankston
B: 30. K. Gray, 19. C. Larkin, 39. S. Masterson
HB: 16. B. Hillard, 45. K. Lylak, 6. L. Williams
C: 22. J. Batchelor, 5. W. Fordham, 10. T. Grace
HF: 8. A. Ferreira, 14. S. Williams, 15. A. Jarnestrom
F: 28. L. Gill-Renouf, 27. M. McCarthy, 3. C. Rich
R: 1. L. Pierce, 17. A. Harnett, 11. B. Mullane
Int: 26. M. DeWit, 12. S. Fowler, 18. N. Gardiner, 2. M. La Fontaine, 13. J. Lovett, 33. J. McHale, 42. M. Mock, 20. N. Scagliarini
23P: 31. R. Turnbull
