UGSFL 2024: Wickepin will embrace ‘underdog’ mindset in premiership pursuit, says coach Spencer

Sleeping giants Wickepin will embrace the “underdog” mentality as they strive for Upper Great Southern Football League supremacy against Boddington, according to coach Daniel Spencer. Having failed to win at the grand stage twice in the past four seasons, the second coming at the hands of this Sunday’s opponent by a solitary point, the Warriors will get their chance again in front of a home crowd. After qualifying for the grand final from fourth, Spencer said his side was welcoming the underdog mentality as they look to remove the wretched monkey off their back. “I think that can help, because it puts the players a little bit more on edge, and they know that each week has, you know, massive repercussions. “It’d be naive to think that (the grand final losses) aren’t in the back of some of these players’ minds. “This side I feel at its best would always be about to challenge both Boddington and Williams.” The Warriors will be sweating on the fitness of gun forward Matt Jukes, who injured his hamstring in the elimination final win against Narrogin and did not play in the semifinal victory against Williams. Chasing the eighth flag in their history, Spencer believes his side will be buoyed by a boisterous home crowd as the club gears up to host a rare home decider at 2.30pm on Sunday. “There’s certainly some romance to it because you only get your chance to host a grand final every eight years, so it was something we joked about during the season,” Spencer said. “I’d like to think that the neutral supporters will sort of be getting behind us. I think, you know, neutral sort of like an underdog in a grand final. “Being a been a smaller town, probably the smallest town in the comp, I think that underdog status sits pretty well with us.” The Eagles are the only side the Warriors haven’t beaten with both losses coming by more than 40 points, but Spencer said his side must juggle the art of restricting their opponents’ influence while trying to implement their own game style. “I need to find the balance between what I put on the players about them and the focus on how way we want to play,” he said. “I’ve always been one who’s put more emphasis on how we want to play and with them having so many key players, there’s certainly some of our blokes that will get a role. “(Boddington) haven’t lost since round seven, so they’re coming off the back of eight wins in a row, so if we can be there or thereabouts and not get blown away then we are every chance. “All they need is a quarter and they can blow you out of the water, so that’s the key for us — we can’t allow that to happen.”