THE Sea Eagles will be in the hunt for a grand final berth when they meet the Merimbula Diggers on Saturday.
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The Diggers drew level with the two-year undefeated Pambula Panthers last weekend and will pose a huge challenge.
However, no matter the outcome, the Tathra skipper is delighted with his team’s effort this year and the chance to play more finals football.
“We were rapt to get the win last weekend and we’re looking forward to the challenge and playing more finals footy,” Luke Taylor said.
“No matter what happens, we’ve achieved a fair bit this year, but hopefully we can get the job done.
“If we play like we did on Saturday we feel like we have every chance.”
The side will certainly be an underdog going against the Diggers, but Taylor said not many would have put faith in Merimbula to match the Panthers last week.
“We’ve got the belief in ourselves internally, it’s just really important that the town and community gets behind the boys,” he said.
With community spirit in mind, the club hosted a very relaxed final training session last night with supporters welcomed along to a taco dinner.
Excitement is building around the club, too with numbers at training at an all-time high.
“After the mid-season talk, the intensity is right up,” Taylor said.
“We still want to have fun and enjoy ourselves, but everyone has committed and you make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned.
“Lots of people don’t get the chance to play finals football.”
He said the team’s position was up in the air until a few weeks ago, so the past month has been like playing in the finals; every match could be your last.
“Any finals game, you go in with that mindset, you really don’t flirt with form or leave anything on the park,” Taylor said.
“We’ve been playing like that for about a month, but the next step is getting into a grand final so it’s massive.”
Last weekend it was a handful of club veterans stepping up in a big way to get Tathra clear of Bega.
Against Merimbula, Taylor is hoping for a similar show, but said he would be happy as long as everyone gave their best.
“In these big games, it’s your first preference to have the veterans stand up,” he said.
“But we don’t expect miracles of anyone, we just want them to play their role.
“If the veterans can have a bit of an impact that drags some of the young guys through.”
The club is urging sponsors, past players and supporters to get along to the Berrambool Oval, Merimbula, on Saturday to cheer on the guys in the hunt for a grand final spot.
“It’s a bit of an advantage for them being a home ground, but we love the room to move and we’re excited to be playing finals footy again,” Taylor said.
The match will play from 2.10pm.