WANDERERS’ joint skipper Braedon McLean concedes his appetite for the game increases threefold when a red and white jumper is put in front of him.

McLean’s Eagles meet his old side Tahs in a crucial Premier League clash on Saturday.

“I always love coming up against them, they’re a side I always keep an eye on being my former club,’’ he said.

“They’ve definitely put a good squad together this season and Ayresy (coach Ryan Ayres) had them working hard in the off season, so it would be a good scalp to grab hold of.

“Plus he’s got some good local boys coming through the ranks and they look close to a complete side right now.’’

McLean said tomorrow’s twilight clash between the league’s foundation clubs was a big game for Wanderers following two straight losses.

“But we’ve already taken a lot of positives out of the first three games with what our young fellas have been showing,’’ he added.

“It’s still really early and we’ve hardly used our fly-ins by still rewarding players who have done the pre-season, that’s what’s been good about Scrubber (coach Peter Leonard).

“The guys that put the effort in are being rewarded and that’s been a big positive in an area where we’ve dropped off over the past couple of years.’’

Speedsters Joel Cubillo and Simon Bates are expected back in the side this week, giving Leonard and his brains trust some much needed leg speed on the outside.

McLean said there were some question marks on big marking forward Liam Patrick’s fitness after he injured a hamstring in the Round 1 win over the Tiwi Bombers.

“He thinks he’ll be right, so hopefully he can get himself up for the game because we need him up forward, that’s another thing we’re missing, a target we can go to.’’

McLean has been running off half back with occasional forays into the forward line.

do get the win.

“It changes a bit like last week when they chucked me up forward where I set up a couple of goals, I was happy with that,’’ he said.