Football: Hampden under-23 coach Adam Dowie

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Watch: Hampden under-23 coach Adam Dowie on interleague defeat

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00:00They were impressive Ballarat, weren't they, today?

00:02I mean, your guys were a bit shell-shocked early and couldn't get back into it.

00:04Yeah, look, it's probably, like, we were, I think, coming into the game,

00:08like, again, Hampton League, we've always sort of quick footy,

00:11but I said it before, even on the radio earlier,

00:15that Ballarat last year looked quicker and stronger,

00:18and that sort of, and again, it was almost,

00:21there were times today it was like men against boys.

00:23Like, we've got some guys just out of under 18,

00:26and, again, 18 debutantes.

00:27And so we sort of felt if we lost inside and we lost outside the contest,

00:33we was going to make it really hard, and that's exactly what happened.

00:35So I thought in the second half we sort of fought on and battled on pretty well,

00:39but, yeah, it was just a bridge too far,

00:41and, like I said, there was clearly a difference in the end.

00:46Yeah, they're bigger, they're bigger.

00:47And they're cleaner.

00:48Yeah, oh, yeah.

00:49One touch, bang.

00:50Yeah, look, everything's sort of worked for them.

00:52Like, I think they mucked up a kick in the comeback

00:54and in the middle of the ground last quarter,

00:56and I said, that's probably the first time I've done it for the day.

00:58Whereas we were, and, you know, credit to their pressure,

01:01wherever the ball went, we were, we looked by route number.

01:04So, you know, we'd get the ball and we're thinking,

01:06well, we're going to get out.

01:08Because he was just under pressure,

01:10if it was just a little bit off, which it was,

01:12then that made it really difficult.

01:14So, like I said, clearly, and I know Ballarat had a lot of guys

01:18who didn't, you know, got caught up for foul duties.

01:21So, but, yeah, at the moment, there's a clear gap

01:26probably between the, yeah, between the leagues.

01:29How important, though, was it that first quarter?

01:32I mean, you guys had that win in that first quarter.

01:33If you had to kick those first couple of goals,

01:35win those two big blokes.

01:36I mean, Conrad rode one off the pack.

01:38He's a rough man.

01:39He's rode one off the pack.

01:40He's kicked a goal from 35 and just set Ballarat away.

01:43Yeah, look, again, if that had been the difference in the game,

01:48you could go...

01:49Could you make confidence, could you get a bit of confidence?

01:51Yeah, look, maybe, but I don't think it was a confidence thing in the end.

01:56It was just clearly, again, being able to cover the ground,

02:00bigger, stronger.

02:01So, that might have helped with the margin,

02:04but I don't think that would have had a big, big effect.

02:08And, again, it was...

02:10And I think the good thing was, you know, you could score both ends.

02:13So, Ballarat were able to do that pretty well.

02:16So, yeah, like I said, at the moment, yeah,

02:18they're just bigger, stronger, quicker, better.

02:22Your thoughts on the whole concept, though, the under-23 situation?

02:24Yeah, look, it's sort of...

02:26It's...

02:27No, no, look, I think the age group's right.

02:31It's up to the league if they want to continue it.

02:33Like, we had a...

02:35Through whatever reason, a lot...

02:37Like, again, we had to play 18 guys who hadn't played inter-league football before.

02:40So, that was a challenge.

02:43I feel like it was too late in the year.

02:46So, guys are probably looking for a rest.

02:48Maybe that long weekend in June type scenario.

02:50Yeah, something maybe a bit earlier.

02:52But, look, if...

02:54I think our guys, again, I'll go and speak to them now.

02:57And, you know, I'll just say, an experience is an experience.

03:00So, whether it's, you know, win-lose, it's still an experience.

03:03So, you've got to play at my stadium, inter-league football, get some really good players.

03:07So, it's, again, that's...

03:10If that's the way we're going to go, which is fine, then great.

03:13Well, it's a level you've seen your boys.

03:14It's a level that they can get to, isn't it?

03:17So, yeah, exactly.

03:18I think that pretty much covers it.

03:20All right.

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