Max Hatzoglou
North Sunshine Eagles coach Ben Isai says his team are supporting one another despite many challenges this season in the National Premier League 3.
The Eagles sit seventh on the ladder after 10 rounds with four wins and a draw, heading into the weekend’s match which was after deadline.
Their last win came in round seven.
Isai said challenges with illnesses, players departures and injuries had kept the squad waiting on final team selections.
“You’re having to wait till the last minute to make decisions on squads,” he said.
“We wouldn’t be the only club battling with this at the moment but we’ve had almost everything happen to us the last five, six weeks.
“We’ve had player departures, we’ve had experienced players being injured. You get an experienced player back and then you lose one almost in the same period, [and then there’s] COVID.
“And obviously the amount of flu that’s around these days is causing havoc with training sessions and numbers.”
Isai said the challenges, involving COVID, have brought challenges in managing players.
He said in his seven years of coaching he has come across several different scenarios.
“The hardest part about coaching is the management of players,” he said.
“Putting sessions on is fine, it’s when you have to react to illnesses, injuries, lose experienced players [and] players not in it for the long haul in terms of their time at the club.
“We’ve had two or three players leave because of opportunity not [being] there so we’ve had to bump up a few under-21’s.
“It’s difficult but it’s something that I’m sure the other 11 clubs would be in the same boat.”
Despite this challenge Isai is ready to bounce back with most players available for selection heading into the game against Ballarat City.
City entered the match sitting second bottom.
“They clearly want to make amends on Saturday and I could see that effort on the training track on Tuesday and hopefully with the training session tonight,” he said on Thursday before the game.
“Everybody that’s still there is fighting for three points this week and fighting for our targets this year.
“We have managed the players quite well physically to make sure that we don’t have any further injuries and issues like that.
“The players, like us, have to react and adapt pretty quickly and for the most part, no complaints there, they’re supporting each other and they’re supporting us there and the coaching staff also.”
