Zac Walters hat-trick fires North Companions to 4-nil win over Moore Creek

The North Companions stalwart hasn't played in the top grade for a couple of seasons after lacing up the boots just in the local competition in 2019 and playing mostly reserve grade last season.

He was intending to play reserves again this season, but then co-coach Gavin Thompson asked him if he would be interested in helping out with first grade.

READ ALSO:

One of the club's favourite sons, it's not just on the field that Todd has taken on a more prominent role. He is with Thompson, Ben van Aanholt and Andrew Mahony, part of a four-man coaching team looking after the two senior sides this season.

"A few of the older boys got together as a coaching group to get the club back on track after the last couple of years," he said.

"There was a bit of a divide between first and reserve grade so our job was to get the club back on track."

He said they're not worried about results; it's "more about getting the boys back together and just creating that club atmosphere".

"If the results come then so be it".

So far the results have been coming.

On Saturday they notched their third win of the season beating Moore Creek 4-nil.

Zac Walters was dynamic up front scoring a hat-trick in what Todd thought was a good allround performance.

"I thought we all pitched in and knocked it around pretty well," he said.

He said they were a bit slow to start.

"They're a pretty physical and big-bodied sort of a team," he said.

"Once we started playing our game and what we trained for I thought we dominated a fair bit when the ball was on the ground."

One of the most pleasing aspects was the clean sheet.

"That was the main thing towards the end, out there the talk was no goals, no goals," Todd said.

After pretty much just turning up and playing for the last couple of years, stepping up to first grade has meant the dreaded t word - training - again.

But he said it has been "good for the body".

He can though usually only manage the Thursday night joking that he doesn't train on Tuesday because he "can't walk on Monday".

"It's actually a bit easier out there to train just one night a week even," he said.

He added: "I'm enjoying it, It's a great bunch of blokes, a lot of young guys and a few older fellas.

"I think it's a good mix."

He said it is exciting to see the young talent coming through, singling out the likes of Jonah Thompson, Cody Thompson and Kilian Apen.

"It gets a spring in your step as a 42-year old," he said.

Saturday was a good day for the club with reserve grade picking up their first win of the season.

In the other first grade clashes, Gunnedah FC beat Tamworth FC 3-2 and South United downed Kootingal 3-0.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: