WANGARATTA assistant coach Ivo Madeira says superstar striker Adam Burchell can handle anything Myrtleford will throw at him in Sunday’s cup final.
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Burchell was this week crowned the AWFA’s best and fairest and leading goalscorer, virtually putting a target on his back in the decider at Jelbart Park.
“He can absorb that pressure really well and we are always there to back him up,” Madeira, 32, said.
“He can handle the pressure and he actually feeds off it.
“His target is to win a grand final and he’s a really good role model for the young players at Wang.”
Both clubs enter the match with their strikers in form.
Burchell scored a brace in last week’s semi-final win over Boomers, while Matthew Park scored a hat-trick for Myrtleford against Melrose.
Madeira said the Red Devils were unlikely to man mark Park.
“We won’t have one dedicated person picking him up,” he said.
“We will be looking to close the space and stopping the delivery to him as well.”
Madeira will be looking to deliver to Burchell as much as possible.
Madeira’s enjoyed an outstanding debut season at Wangaratta, pulling the strings from central midfield.
He grew up in Melbourne and played for Bentleigh Greens and Knox City before spending several years at the Cobram Tigers.
But Red Devils coach Mario Antonello coaxed him to move to Wangaratta.
“I did a coaching course a couple of years ago and Mario and I were in the same course,” Madeira said.
“Mario called me over to help him out.
“The club had been struggling for a bit, but he had a clear direction.
“He wanted the club to be more professional and it seemed like a really good challenge.”
Wangaratta goes into the match with a blend of youth, experience and a sprinkling of recruits.
Mark Waddington and Austin Stone are the elder statesmen in the team, while Alex Reid and Aaron Taylor are the next generation.
Home-grown midfielder Ryan Vandersteeg has enjoyed his best season in the top grade, but has been hampered recently be a hamstring injury.
He was an unused substitute last week.
“‘Dutchy’ will definitely have a role,” Madeira said.
“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to rest him.
“I don’t think he’ll start, I reckon he’ll give us that bit we need in the second half.”
Wangaratta is playing in its first cup final since its loss to Wodonga Diamonds in 2000.
Its last cup win was in 1995, while Myrtleford has never won the AWFA cup.
The two clubs have never met in an AWFA cup final.
