Heart your Keeper is Ready – Red Red Ready Redmayne!

A win to kick off the New Year was the perfect medicine for Heart last week. We have the honour of being the first professional team in any competition in the world to win in 2013! The revelers who fought off hangovers were rewarded with an exciting contest and a passionate atmosphere. One highlight was the Yarraside end using the Jet’s half-time warm-up balls as beach balls! Every bit of advantage helps and I feel like the crowd really contributed with noise from the whole end.

The Roar under Mike Mulvey is also improving with their first back-to-back wins.  The new coach seems to have instilled belief back into the Roar side. They’ve looked extremely poor by their standards this season, but it was only a matter of time before quality players like Broich and Nichols clicked into gear. His protégé, unearthed during their time at the Gold Coast in Halloran, has also hit some form. Like Gol Gol at Heart, Halloran has been an extra avenue making the team more dangerous in front of goal.

This Week

Apart from long-term injuries, Heart has just about a full list to draw from this game. We now have confidence emerging and a settled side for the first time in a while. Roar are also hitting form of their own, which will make for a great contest. Heart play the pressing game well against them and will like their chances. It might not be another 4-1 thrashing like last time, but we should be confident about finally getting a back-to-back win.

A nice battle within the battle will be Andrew Redmayne facing his old side for the first time this week. His inclusion ahead of Bolton was an unexpected change to the side last week. It was a tough call from Aloisi, but he’s earned his chance and it’s now his position to lose. The Roar was hoarding him on their list for far too long and he now gets a chance to prove just how good he is. Given the tendency for ex-players lifting against their old sides; I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a clean sheet!

Prediction: Heart 2 – Roar 1

Josip Tadic believes Heart can still make finals and if this is to happen this is a game we should be winning. We have everything to play for and can leap frog the Roar on the table should we win. We have a strong list and the all the ingredients to make it happen: momentum, confidence and even crowds growing. It will be nice weather again (28 degrees) for a Heart game so there should be no excuses to be loud and proud!

Don’t forget to turn up to the second post game function this season after the game this Sunday. Judging from the last one it’s going to be a great event again for members to access the inner sanctum of our great club!

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