Hamilton Kangaroos coach Gerard FitzGerald says effort is the catalyst for growth and will help his team improve in key statistical areas.
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The Kangaroos want to increase their inside-50 count and limit marks from turnovers when the Hampden league season resumes after a one-week break.
It comes after the eighth-placed Roos (two wins, seven losses) shaded top-two sides Koroit and North Warrnambool Eagles in the clearances in back-to-back matches.
"Whatever you want to do - tactically, structurally, where you've got your players playing - it all has to be underpinned by effort," FitzGerald told The Standard. Hamilton Kangaroos' season-high inside-50 count is 47.
"While I was happy we kept North Warrnambool to 53 inside 50s we only had 35," FitzGerald said of Saturday's defeat.
"You have to be north of 45 and I want to get my blokes to be consistently around 50 inside 50s per game."
Limiting turnovers is also high on the Roos' agenda.
But ensuring any mistakes don't result in a opposition mark is just as crucial.
"From our turnovers we conceded 93 marks (at the weekend), that is far too many," FitzGerald said.
"We had 42 turnovers and the opposition 50 (at the weekend).
"We still had too many turnovers but we created turnovers from our pressure too so that's a good sign."
Tackling pressure is a must for the Melville Oval-based club too.
"What I was particularly pleased about was our third quarter when we applied 23 tackles which is our best performance for the year," FitzGerald said.
Cameron Whyte will lead the Kangaroos' ruck division following Levi Dare's mid-season departure with help from Darcy Russell and Lachlan Waddell.
"Cam Whyte is playing in the ruck and he's been instructed to play differently to how we have been playing," FitzGerald said.
"We're just thinking a bit more laterally at how we utilise Cam's strengths and get support from Darcy Russell.
"We were missing key support for Cam (against North) because Lachie Waddell was withdrawn with hamstring tightness.
"He'll have a ruck role as well, hopefully against Port Fairy when we resume."
Hamilton Kangaroos are aware of the difficult road ahead but FitzGerald, a three-time VFL premiership-winning coach, has high hopes for his team in the long term.
"We want want to get where North Warrnambool and particularly Koroit are. In the competition you want to be the best, that is where we want to get to," he said.
"It's easy to say you want to be the best but the hard work is identifying what that looks like and how you get there."
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