ALBURY-Wodonga Bandits coach Brad Chalmers admits the club is at risk of losing some of the respect it won back last season.
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The Bandits sit second last on the ladder after their first nine games and host early pacesetter Mount Gambier in a pivotal clash at home tomorrow night.
Chambers was confident his team could turn its poor start around, but was the first to admit crunch time was here for the defending SEABL champion.
“You do a lot of hard work throughout the season to get respect back,” he said.
“Obviously our culture change last season was fairly significant but you can undo that very quickly if you’re not performing.
“We’ve had a tough start to the year, and no doubt had a red x on our backs, but it’s certainly given us an idea of where we’re at.”
Chalmers said several factors, mainly inconsistency, were behind the Bandits’ sluggish start to the year.
They are yet to record consecutive wins this season.
“We’ve certainly had an up and down start,” he said.
“We’ve had a tough draw, against a fair chunk of playoff teams from last season, but we haven’t been playing well, either.
“Individually, we’ve had some inconsistencies with form and our chemistry probably hasn’t been as good as it was.
“We certainly see ourselves in a position of improving.”
Chalmers, in his second season at the helm, said mental application was a key to turning things around.
“We just need to eliminate some of the lapses we’re having and get the little things right,” Chalmers said.
“We need to lift and what’s pleasing is the guys understand that.
“We’re really confident.”
Mount Gambier has won four of its past five games and Chalmers said there was little doubt tomorrow night’s clash at home would be tough.
“They’re top of the table and are playing some reasonable basketball right now,” he said.
“They’ve got three or four ex-NBL players on their list and have a good import.
“Barring injury, they’ll be thereabouts this year.
“But it’s a long season.”