Sport
23 May, 2026
Burras face tough Stawell test
Minyip Murtoa will have a challenge cut out for them when they host Stawell this Saturday at their Recreation Reserve.
The Burras are looking for their first win of the season, while Stawell is cruising nicely with four wins and a loss in 2026.
But the Burras have been competitive this season, losing narrowly (by just a couple of points) in half of their matches.
In the first round, they fell agonisingly short of the win against the Demons - 12.12 84 to 12.14 86, while last week they came close to knocking off the Saints - 7.7 49 to 7.9 51.
Coach of Minyip Murtoa, Luke Fisher, said his side is feeling positive heading into the match.
"While we’re still searching for our first win, we definitely feel like our season so far hasn’t reflected how competitive we’ve been," Fisher said.
"We’ve been right in games against sides that are considered some of the top teams in the league, and the group’s belief has continued to grow because of that."
Fisher said they have gotten a lot of game time into their group of youngsters, and a number of players are adapting well to seniors and learning their roles each week.
"As a side, we’re becoming more consistent, and there’s been huge belief out of our effort last week where everyone contributed and played their role," Fisher said.
"We’re confident that if we continue to play our way, we’ll keep improving each week."
The couple of losses, the coach said, came down to periods of the game when the Burras allowed opponents to score easily.
"Against good teams, those lapses can hurt you pretty quickly," Fisher said.
"To avoid it happening again, we’ll continue to focus on whole-team defence and making sure we stay connected across the ground for all four quarters.
"We’ve also been looking to improve our ball movement and hopefully, some better conditions this week will allow us to transfer that into more scoring opportunities."
Fisher described their opposition this week as quality, adding they are an even team across the ground with great scoring power.
He said they’re one of the benchmark sides in the competition, and Minyip Murtoa will need to be at their best.
"For us, the key will be continuing to play our way, staying disciplined defensively and making the most of our opportunities when we get momentum," admitted Fisher.
"If we bring the same effort and buy-in that we showed last week, we’re confident we can give ourselves every chance."