ALLANSFORD coach Ben Price is calling for his side to finish the season strong as it strives to make its first Warrnambool and District league finals appearance since 2015.
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The eighth-placed Cats are locked in a battle to make finals with South Rovers (fifth), Russells Creek (sixth) and Old Collegians (seventh) all in the hunt with five rounds to play.
The Lions face undefeated Nirranda, Panmure, Kolora-Noorat, Timboon Demons and Old Collegians in the last five home and away rounds.
Creek has the Demons, Warriors, Dogs, Tigers and Bulldogs. Old Collegians has the Tigers, Creekers, Cats, Blues and Lions up next.
Price's side, which was thumped by Panmure this past Saturday, plays Kolora-Noorat, Timboon Demons, Old Collegians, Dennington and Merrivale in its final five games.
"We have got a game against Kolora and then three sides below us and we have got to win them," he said.
"Finishing the season strong and not losing that leverage point that we finished on the last full season we played and move on from there."
Price said his side would look to bounce back in the coming weeks.
"To get back to our game plan as we have been playing sides that are obviously better than us so it takes our game plan out the window," he said.
"When we go play the sides we should be beating or have already beaten this season we have to get back into our game style and execute it well."
Price said his side was outclassed by a Bulldogs' outfit storming towards a second straight Warrnambool and District league finals series.
He said his players didn't work hard enough during the match and that effort had been a problem for a significant amount of the season but they would continue to work on it.
"We will keep getting on the training track and giving effort," the fourth-year Cats mentor said after Saturday's 106-point defeat.
"I've been trying to address it for the last six weeks and now it's up to the playing group to recognise it and take it on themselves."