East Warrnambool and Dennington to clash in search of first win

Bombers coach Danny Chatfield is recovering after suffering a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain in last Saturday's match against Old Collegians in the Warrnambool and District league.

East Warrnambool president Allan Miller told The Standard earlier this week Chatfield was in good spirits and communicating with his team on social media.

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Hrabar said he wasn't sure if Chatfield would be at the match or not but regardless the Bombers would be trying to "get the four points on the board for Danny".

"It will be an attacking game, I don't think the boys will hold back," he said.

Hrabar said the Bombers would focus on "playing to the weather" given there is a high chance of showers.

He said the priority for the club was Chatfield's health and recovery.

Hrabar said he couldn't thank the community enough for the support it had given the club since his close friend sustained the injury.

The club is confident it has the leaders to step up in Chatfield's absence.

Assistant coaches Hrabar and Matthew Kenny provide guidance from the bench while Brad Rees brings on-field leadership as a playing assistant coach.

Bombers captain Sam Grinter said the winless Bombers want their first victory.

"It would be good to get the monkey off the back this weekend against Dennington," he said.

"But it's going to take a four quarter effort."

The East Warrnambool skipper said the Bombers were still trying to find their goal-kicking boots.

"Our goal-kicking has been pretty terrible, especially the past three weeks," he said.

The Bombers kicked 13 goals and 16 behinds when they lost to Russells Creek in round three.

The next week they booted eight goals and 10 behinds and were overrun by Panmure in the final quarter to fall by eight points.

"We might have to train three nights a week and work on it a bit more," Grinter said with a laugh.

But on a serious note, he said the Bombers' key forwards had been doing extra work after training and on game day.

"Even before games on Saturdays you'll find Jyran Chatfield, one of our key forwards, he'll be having shots at goal before the game," he said.

Grinter said a big focus at the club this year had been getting players to "buy into what East Warrnambool is about".

"There's a lot of unappreciated stuff that goes on behind the scenes at the club," he said.

"The guys out on the track, all we ask of them is to throw something back into the club whether it's doing dishes on Wednesday night after the meal or something like that.

"That will bring us a lot closer as a team if we can bond like that together."

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