No room for complacency, says master coach Adam Dowie

The North Warrnambool Eagles mentor, whose side will tackle a winless Warrnambool at Reid Oval on Saturday, has seen too many upsets in his 18-year stint as a senior coach to know you can never chalk off an easy win.

Dowie's side are vying to bounce back from a three-point loss to Koroit at home a fortnight ago - their first loss of the season - but the mastercoach is expecting a tough affair.

"I was talking to someone (on Thursday) and they were saying 'it's out of three teams' and I was saying 'no way'," he said.

"I don't think I've ever been - I've been doing it a long time and I reckon I can count on one hand the amount of times you go into a game going, you're hoping to win but in the Hampden league I just think if you don't turn up to play and pile on scoreboard pressure, there's upsets that can happen.

"Maybe that's me being too conservative or maybe you're doing your due diligence. Warrnambool have lost narrowly to Hamilton and Portland, who I think will be a lot better than maybe a lot of people anticipated. There were signs of that last year."

Dowie said his side needed to bring a better effort than it did against Koroit but flagged Warrnambool as tough opposition.

"We didn't play well there in all facets of the game it was pretty disappointing. I'd be really disappointed with our guys if they were turning up to this game thinking 'it's going to be easy'. I'm sure they won't be," he said.

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"I think it's match of the day and that's probably for good reason, Warrnambool need to win and their best footy is still really dangerous.

"We need to play as well as we need to play and address some areas we need to improve i n which hopefully we've done over the past couple of weeks to get over the line. Part of that is lifting our effort and work rate, I think."

North Warrnambool has drafted in wingman Scotty Morter and half-back Bailey Jenkinson while goalsneak Jarryd Lewis (isolation) and spearhead Dylan Parish (unavailable) will make way.

Dowie said Morter's speed would likely be suited to the Reid Oval's vast expanses and quality surface. He said the Bushfield-based club was excited to take the field.

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