No booze for Lions in Kalgoorlie
Subiaco's players have been ordered to abstain from alcohol and late night partying during their trip to Kalgoorlie in a bid to shore up the team's foothold near the top of the WAFL ladder.
The Lions have chartered a plane to fly to the Goldfields city - known for its pubs and drinking culture - ahead of tomorrow's clash with Perth at Sir Richard Moore Oval.
The seventh-placed Demons have lost seven of their past eight matches, but Subiaco remain wary of complacency.
Captain Kyal Horsley, a Goldfields product, addressed the players in the rooms after Saturday's 48-point win over Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval.
The former Gold Coast midfielder warned that going out on the town before the match would not be tolerated and urged players to stay away from alcohol in the build-up.
Subiaco are sitting in third place - just a win behind East Perth and Swan Districts - and are strongly placed for a tilt at a top-two finish in the second half of the season, barring any more form lapses.
Coach Jarrad Schofield said he wanted the players to stick to club rules and be in prime condition to officially knock Perth out of the finals race.
"There's no point backing up from Saturday's game, from winning (against Swans), and going to Kalgoorlie with the wrong attitude," he said.
"It's our country zone.
"We've got to make sure we represent the club in the right way.
"These boys are pretty experienced and pretty honest in that, in their own assessment.
"They know when they need to enjoy each others' company, but at the same time they know when they need to get things right for this week."
Several experienced Lions whose form had slipped over the past month bounced back to life against Swans.
George Hampson had a barnstorming second half with 19 disposals and two crunch goals.
Shaun Hildebrandt had 22 possessions on return from injury, while Clancy Wheeler had 19 disposals after being asked to pinch-hit in the ruck for the Lions.
"There were some guys that have probably been down over the last few weeks that I thought did improve, but we still want more from them," Schofield said.
Frank Stockley (hamstring) and Jarrod Kayler-Thomson (AC joint) are strong chances to play against Perth after pulling up well from their respective complaints, but Lachlan Delahunty (corked knee) is only 50-50.
Schofield will be looking for another standout performance from forward Shane Yarran, who he said could still take his game to another level.
Yarran, 25, came to football late, but has booted 21 goals in his first WAFL season to be sitting fifth in the league's goal kicking tally.
"If he can just keep his feet a little bit more and stay in the contest for longer periods, he'll kick a bag and there's no question about that," Schofield said.
"You've got to understand with Yaz - he's only been playing footy for two years.
"He just started playing a bit of footy down in South Mandurah.
"He was a bit hit and miss, but this is the first time he's been in a structured environment in terms of a football environment, playing obviously at WAFL level.
"We're only going to see more and more improvement from him."
