DEPTH will be Dubbo Blue Jays' biggest strength in this afternoon's women's Premier League Hockey fixture, when they come against Bathurst City without some of their key players.
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Captain Emma Corcoran remains sidelined after suffering a broken nose, with Zoe Warwick and Meg Keizer also out with injuries.
The Blue Jays are also missing Alex Waters, Emily Lake, Luci Ferguson and Phoebe Bloink-Hollier, but defender Kate Corcoran said they've been able to call up other strong players to fill out the side.
"We've pulled a few in with strength and experience which just lifts the team up," Corcoran said.
"So we're hoping this weekend that Courtney Hogan and Kendal McDonaugh will lead the team, with Sammy Lincoln in goals who always leads with excellence.
"She's a highly-sought after goalie in the western region. No doubt we'll be expecting a very fast and physical game and it will be a game we'll just have to dig deep and play some solid hockey."
The Bathurst outfit have made good start in this year's competition with three wins from five games to sit in third, way ahead of the Blue Jays in eighth, but they know beating Dubbo today is by no means a given.
In this corresponding match last season, the Blue Jays shocked City 2-1.
City captain Casey Bayliss was her side's sole goal scorer in that forgettable trip last year.
"I still feel like we're only just getting into the swing of things. You'll have one game then a break, then another game and a break," she said.
"This is a similar situation for us to last year. We definitely feel like we'll be going there with the better team, but this isn't Orange which is just half an hour up the road. Dubbo's a big trip and it's easy to get exhausted. Hopefully we're not too fatigued this time.
"We've seen glimpses of Dubbo this year when they've played at Bathurst. They're a physical side, that's how they usually play."
Today City will welcome members of last year's grand final squad back into the line-up to join some of the their newer recruits.
"Hannah Evans and Aimee Ashcroft will be back in the team as our fullbacks. Tirah Jarvis is in again and she'll have the Western Conference tournament on the next day. She's been a great pick up for us this year and she has been going great guns," she said.
"We'll have a new player this week, Brielle Lovkin. She's come here from Newcastle for uni and brings Newcastle Premier League experience. She can play at inside forward, in the midfield or up front. Even though she's new to town and the team, she's that bit older and has that extra bit of experience."
Today's game will start at 2.55pm.