Cats aim for 3-0 start against Maitland
BY ALEX TIGANI
It is still only April.
Yet Muswellbrook Cats co-coach Matt Dunn admits a 3-0 start to the season would be massive for his line-up in this year’s AFL Hunter Central Coast Men’s Black Diamond Shield competition.
The Cats, who last tasted premiership glory in 2005 when competing in the Tamworth region, faced a 13-point defeat in last year’s third tier grand final to Warners Bay’s reserve grade side.
Nevertheless the Bulldogs have since been promoted to the second tier and leaving the Cats as premiership favourites in the Shield for 2023.
“An early start to the year is what we need after putting in a massive pre-season but there is still plenty of work to do,” Dunn told The Hunter River Times.
The Cats celebrated a 31.22 (208) to 0.0 (0) win against Singleton’s reserve grade side in Round 1 and an equally impressive 12.16 (88) to 6.7 (43) victory against The Entrance Bateau Bay on Saturday.
Co-coach Cameron Benkovic slotted four goals (all in the opening half) while fellow members of his leadership group praised the efforts of debutants Ashton Blake and Jordan Macaechern.
“We were extremely happy with how they both played, put body on the line as soon as they got on and did everything they could to contribute to our win,” Dunn added.
The second placed Cats will now travel to Rutherford to play the fifth placed Maitland Saints this Saturday before hosting the sixth placed Gosford the following week.
The Cats hope to welcome back Lachlan Watts, Hayden Fox, Dylan Horton and Lindsay Patterson over the next fortnight.