Brisbane Roar young gun Dylan Wenzel-Halls says Saturday night’s pre-season clash against Magpies Crusaders in Mackay will be treated like a Grand Final for the local squad.
The Roar landed in Mackay on Tuesday with three days of tough pre-season preparations in humid North Queensland conditions on the menu ahead of Saturday night’s fixture at Sologinkin Oval.
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Wenzel-Halls, who’s now in his third pre-season with the Club, says this pre-season is proving to be as arduous as ever.
“It’s much warmer [in Mackay] than it is on Brisbane and the Gold Coast,” Wenzel-Halls said.
“You know what to expect [in pre-season], you know how hard it’s going to be, what the routine is and things like that – that makes it easier but it’s as tough and grilling as always.”
The former Young Roar striker returned to the NPL QLD with local outfit Western Pride in the years preceding his call-up to the Roar’s first team with his performances in the competition catching the eyes of many.
The 22-year-old won the 2018 NPL Queensland Golden Boot from just 14 matches and knows first hand what an opportunity Saturday night’s fixture presents for his opponents.
“From experience playing against the Roar as an NPL player, it’s like a Grand Final,” he continued.
“Every player wants the opportunity to showcase themselves to a professional football team. They [Magpies Crusaders] have a big opportunity to give us a real good hit out, show us what Mackay football is all about and how good they are.”
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The A-League season is just over six weeks away from commencing with last year’s Elimination Final defeat igniting the fire in the belly to go two steps better in 2020/21.
“This club Is massive. We’ve won premierships and championships for a reason and we want to get back to that,” Wenzel-Halls added.
“Reaching the semi-final last year was big for us, and there’s that fire in the belly for us now and we’re all roaring to go again.
“We have that determination and hunger to go one, or two, better.”
