HAMILTON Kangaroos will need to quickly pick itself up, dust off and be ready for the challenge that Warrnambool poses at Pedrina Park in round six of the Hampden Football Netball League (HFNL) season today.

Having been informed by Netball Victoria that its traditional home courts at Melville Oval were no longer safe to host games on, the Roos moved lock, stock and barrel to the brand-new courts at Pedrina Park for last Saturday’s clash against ladder leaders South Warrnambool, going down to the ladder leaders.

Last week South Warrnambool was able to seemingly turn the possession over at will as its backs pounced on poorly timed or telegraphed passes from the Kangaroos.

The Roos have a game plan that works, but the squad went away from the plan last weekend, and they paid the price with their first loss of the season.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge (against South Warrnambool) and we’re still working on a lot, so obviously it wasn’t the result we wanted, but it just solidified the elements that we needed to keep building,” Kangaroos co-coach, Emma Sommerville said

The squad will have absorbed all there was to learn from that game and moved on to this latest threat against the Blues, with co-coaches Emma and Kellie Sommerville rallying their players throughout the week.

“The players are adaptable and responsive when we ask things of them or change the playing style,” Sommerville said.

“Across the board we didn’t as well as we should have, and we need to string together four solid quarters.

The Roos will be without Madsie Phillips at wing defence after she rolled her ankle last week and she will miss the Blues clash.

“Madsie did her ankle on Saturday, and she’ll miss a few weeks with that, so we’re just seeing how her recovery will go at this point,” Somerville said.

Warrnambool enters the game with poor form after losing its last two games and no doubt the Roos will have specific plans for their opponents in this game.

“We just want to get on top of them early and take control of the game from the beginning,” Sommerville said.

“We need to shut down their goalers who were the strength of their side last season.”

THE Hamilton Kangaroos will be out to bounce back from last week’s loss when they host Warrnambool in HFNL round six action at Melville Oval today.

It will be the Roos’ third consecutive home game, and with the Blues an easier prospect to defeat than the Roosters were last week, the home side will be desperate to notch up its first points of the season.

Adding extra motivation to the contest is playing-coach, Hamish Waldron, who will run out for his 250th club game.

Blues skipper, Sam Cowling, has shown over the years he is a versatile player, and will line up at centre half-forward this week and will be one the blue and white will need to watch closely, along with Maskell Medallist, Jye Turland.

With conditions worsening by the week as winter closes in, efficiency with ball in hand and in front of goal will be critical, with the Roos struggling to convert their scoring chances at different times this season.