The Nelson Bay Marlins will face their biggest test so far this season on Saturday when they travel to the Central Coast for a top of the table clash with The Entrance Bateau Bay.
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Coming off the back of a 200-point home win against Killarney Vale on Saturday, July 16, the Marlins will go into round 14 looking to make it seven wins on the trot and to keep building the buzz that has surrounded the AFL club since amalgamating juniors and seniors at the start of the season.
"This season has been beyond expectation," Nelson Bay Marlins AFL Club president Josh Horvath said.
"Our goal for this year was to be more competitive than the last two years and we've done that and some.
"All of our teams except one is currently in the top four of their competitions. I haven't seen that in the four years that I've been president.
"The energy that surrounded the club when we amalgamated the juniors and seniors at the start of the year has just continued to build.
"We're getting huge turn outs to training and games, right across the grades. Friends and families of players are coming down to watch. There's a real hunger among our players, too. A hunger to win.
"We've really said to the sporting community that the Nelson Bay Marlins are here this year, that we're a force to be reckoned with."
The Marlins posted their biggest win of the season at Dick Burwell Oval on Saturday, posting 30.20.200 to Killarney Vale's 0.1.1, despite missing a number of players due to injuries.
Best on ground for the Marlins was Kai Offen, Lachlan Blyth, Zane Grant, Adam Grant, Aaron Crouch and Ryan Westley.
The Marlins men are sitting second on Hunter and Central Coast AFL's Black Diamond Plate competition ladder having won nine of 10 games played.
The Entrance Bateau Bay are in first place having played one more game than the Marlins. It was the Marlins that dealt The Entrance Bateau Bay's only loss of the season in round one.
Horvath was confident that the Marlins could do it again, adding that the team would be boosted on Saturday by a number of players who had previously been injured.
The club was also expecting the return of former AFL player Craig Bird to the team in time for finals.
With five games left in the season, Horvath said the Marlins were confident that they would make the finals for the first time in six years.
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Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
