Coach Josh Waight said the week off was a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, a few players certainly needed a rest.
After a Bill McCarthy Memorial Shield clash for the ages against Warrnambool in their last outing, the Gators were bruised and battered.
Derek Murphy and Matt Bartlett recharged after being forced to temporarily leave the court in the win due to injury concerns.
Matt Andronicos received the worst of it on the night though and was forced to go to hospital after a nasty fall raised questions of concussion.
Waight was happy to report that all players were fit and raring to go this week.
On the other hand, after rattling off five straight wins, Gators would’ve been keen to keep the show rolling.
“It definitely hurts our momentum, we’ve got to regroup and come out firing,” Waight said.
“It was a really positive session on Tuesday, the boys are ready.”
Shepparton remains unbeaten at home and looks to improve its away record on Saturday night as it makes the hike to Chelsea for a clash against the ninth-placed Gulls.
Waight dismissed any suggestion the team might feel overconfident given its dominance in recent weeks.
“Any team can win on any night, we know that,” he said.
“The team motivate themselves, I don’t need to tell them what happens if our effort drops.
“Chelsea are a run-and-gun side, if they get hot they can put you away, we’re well aware of the threat they possess.”
Waight said the focus had been on polishing their offence, focusing on doing the little things right and stopping the ball earlier on defence.
Despite getting to the business end of the competition with a “nice little lead” at the top of the standings, Waight insisted the preparation stayed the same week-to-week and that every game was as important as the last.
“Nothing changes for us,” he said.
“People want to beat us and make a statement and we welcome that challenge.”
The Gators tip-off against the Gulls at 8pm on Saturday, June 17, at Patterson River Stadium.
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