Magpies to meet Dockers in Anzac Day clash

The Western Suburbs Magpies take on the Balmain Dockers at Picken Oval this Wednesday, for the stand-alone Anzac Day clash of Round 4 of the AFL Sydney competition.

The Magpies will not have to look far for inspiration ahead of their Anzac Day clash with the Balmain Dockers at Picken Oval.

Western Suburbs President, Andrew Taylor reflected on the significance of the day.

“It is a day of natural reflection- reflecting on Australian values and the principles which can be related between sport and Anzac Day itself,” Taylor said.

“There are a lot of aspects that relate to both football and the military; including the courage, determination and sacrifice for your teammates and fellow soldiers.

“I remember going to the MCG as a kid when Collingwood played Richmond on Anzac Day where it was open to everyone.”

Taylor said despite a few false starts due to ground unavailability and the like, that the club was glad to re-establish the fixture which is one of the highlights of the AFL Sydney season.

“It is one of the things that Balmain and we have worked at over the last few years,” he noted.

“We are really happy now that we have a venue in the redeveloped Picken Oval to play at and we are really pleased it is happening at our ground.

“It is a great local derby and it is something that we should forge between the two clubs.”

It is a tale of two varying fortunes on and off the field for the Magpies this year.

“Off the field, our club is shaping really well- we have got a number of different people onto the committee,” Taylor enthused.

“With the amalgamation of our licenced club about to go through, we will have some solid funds behind our club for the first time in a long time.

“On the field, a number of our senior players have either retired or moved away, leaving us with a number of very good juniors coming through.”

Taylor identifies these youngsters as ‘the future of the club’ and with the off-field issues out of the way, the club is in a position to launch forward.

“We think we have a lot of good juniors and Under 18s and a lot of steel in our side,” Taylor pointed out.

“I think we can nurture that and point that in the right direction to be a very competitive side throughout the year.”

Taylor has seen most things in his long association with the club and is not buying the speculation about the club’s fall down the ladder.

“I know there has been a lot of talk around us finishing last and how we are not going to do very well, but our club is not thinking like that at all,” Taylor said.

“We are not looking negatively on it, we are looking very positively on it and we believe if we can play to our potential and bring our juniors through, then we will be very competitive.

“Where that will take us, I don’t know, but we will be going into every game to win.”