A difficult trip to Sydney has done little to faze Hanwood as they prepare to play in their second Bill Cullinan Cup semi-final in as many years.
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Hanwood coach Jason Bertacco said his side was starting to get excited about the game.
“When you make it to the last four it is always a great occasion,” he said.
The pedigree they are going up against is clear to see when you look at who their opponents in Northbridge are associated with
“They are the feeder team for the North Shore Mariners in the National Premier League and then they feed into the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League,” he said.
“They have some real experience in their side and it is going to be a tough task.”
Northbridge has made an impressive start in their local competition where they are yet to drop a point sitting on top with 12 wins from 12 games.
Even with some inside knowledge from Brad Clark who played for the Sydney side in the past Bertacco knows it will be a challenge.
“I think this will be our toughest game in the last four years,” he said.
“This is why you go into this competition so you can test yourself with the best from around the state.
“When you make it to the final four you know it is going to e tough.”
The achievement from the club as a whole with commitments such as travel is not something that Bertacco is taking lightly.
“To make it to this stage is great for the club given that we have to travel up to Sydney every two weeks,” he said.
“You go into a competition like this wanting to see where you stand against other teams from around the country and as a club, we are really proud of how far we have made it.”
It’s not all good on the selection front with Clark and Daniel Andreazza missing, but the side will be able to welcome back Kyle Greaves.
Despite the quality which will be missing Bertacco sees it as an opportunity for guys to step up.
“It gives the younger boys an opportunity to show what they can do against quality opposition,” he said.
Bertacco also said their participation in the State Cup really helped give their season a bit of a kick along.
“We were struggling to find our feet early in the season, but this has helped the boys lift,” he said.
“The boys have really carried the intensity back into training so being in the cup has really helped our season.”
Hanwood and Northbridge will face off at Montview Oval in Hornsby at 1pm on Sunday and will play the winner of Lilli Pilli 2 and Glebe Gorillas.