Boxell Demands Rivals Take Notice Of Bulldogs Ahead of Season Restart
Image courtesy of Alan Minifie
This weekend’s National Premier Leagues restart is an opportunity for Capalaba FC to prove they belong in state’s top flight, according to captain Jack Boxell.
The 28-year-old centre back is set to lead the Bulldogs on to John Fredericks Park this Saturday when his side’s NPL season resumes against perennial league powerhouse Olympic FC.
Earning promotion from the Football Queensland Premier League at the end of last year, the Bulldogs have shown they are up for the fight this year after taking two wins and two losses from their opening four fixtures prior to the COVID shutdown.
And, after a four-month break from the rigours of league football, Boxell is adamant the team have the tools to stand toe-to-toe with their remaining opponents this season - starting with last year’s Grand Finalists this weekend.
“It feels good to be preparing for a competitive game. All the boys stayed fit through COVID and they are all really are up for it and really buzzing,” Boxell said.
However, with the COVID break wreaking havoc with squads and schedules for the remainder of the season, Boxell conceded there is a slight element of the unknown as the season gets back underway.
But he feels being thrown into the deep end against one of the competition’s most successful clubs will be the perfect way to get back up to speed.
“It will be a good first test for us against Olympic, but I also think this might be a good time to get them due to the break,” he explained.
“They have their dangerous players but if we can keep them at bay then I think we will be on the right track to potentially taking the three points.
“We know they move the ball well and when they attack they are very fast up front. But it will also be a physical game and we know we must stay tight at the back and make sure we take our chances when we get them.”
A previous NPL Queensland Premiership and Championship winner with Palm Beach SC in 2014, Boxell knows what it takes to rise to the top of the state’s elite club competition.
And, as skipper, he says his Bulldogs’ side will not back away from taking the game to any opponent – revelling in the club’s reputation as NPL underdogs this season.
“Last year we made history by going up into the NPL and it made a lot of people stand up and really take notice of us as a club,” he said.
“So now we know that we have to really be up for every game we play. We want to stay up and be an established NPL team. That is what is driving us forward this year.”
To that end, he sees a victory over Olympic – something the club has not managed since the 2011 Brisbane Premier League season – as an early mark on the path to achieving the club’s goals this campaign.
“If we can take a win in this game then the rest of the league will certainly take even more notice of us,” he concluded.