KOROIT is sweating on the fitness of A grade midfielder Levi Nagorcka after a shoulder injury curtailed celebrations following Saturday’s 49-point win over Portland.
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The Saints completed a 14-4 home-and-away season with a 16.9 (105) to 8.8 (56) victory at Victoria Park.
The result ended Portland’s finals hopes, leaving the Tigers sixth on the ladder just 6.94 percentage points behind fifth-placed Camperdown.
Saints coach Adam Dowie said his side’s aim had been to rebound after last week’s loss, fine-tune some structural issues for next week’s qualifying final and get through the match without injuries.
He said they ticked all the boxes except in the medical room.
Dowie is doubtful Nagorcka will recover in time for the clash against North Warrnambool Eagles. He suffered the injury early in the third term and did not take any further part in the match.
“I don’t think there is any serious damage but it will be touch and go,” he said.
Dowie said he was pleased with the Saints’ finish to the regular season.
“We tried to make sure things we want to do next week were put in place, our structures around the clearances, lots of little things,” he said.
“We tackled better than the week before. Last week was good in the fact the loss showed some areas we needed to work on.
“It was good in a way to have a loss, especially that one.”
The form of teenagers Jesse White, Matthew Speed as a marking forward and Blair McCutcheon on a wing were positives.
Portland coach Jake Myles said he was disappointed the Tigers had missed out a finals berth but took plenty of positives from the season, including blooding as many as 15 first-gamers.
“We had 11 under 20 against Koroit,” he said. “We are young.
“There are always positives. If you measure the year on success nine teams will fail.
“(Teenagers) Jay Moody, Jake Edwards, Daniel Jackson and Haydon Telfer were good.
“We are starting to play like a Hampden league club, that is a positive.
“Disappointing we had opportunities (to win games) early on in the year.”