By Nick Creely
It’s all about the build, finding the right mix, and ultimately winning ugly in the early stages of a football season.
Premiership winning sides simply can’t be running at top-gear all season if they want to be the last side standing on the most important day of the season. It’s about the hard work and grind that comes before the glory.
For Narre Warren – after notching a hard-fought eight-point win over Beaconsfield at Kalora Park on Saturday in dreary conditions – they now sit with a 2-1 record and with plenty left to build on in a performance that was scratchy, at times flat, but ultimately with a win.
After Leigh McQuillen’s side owned the first portion of the game, the Magpies just clawed their way back, finding their spark eventually to get things level by half-time, and ultimately run away with the game in a dominant third quarter.
The Eagles – led superbly by the likes of Scott Meyer, who is building into some ominous form, as well as VFL-listed forward Riley Verbi and gun backman Jake Bowd – charged home hard to ultimately fall just two kicks short of a remarkable comeback, and will take a lot out of the performance despite slumping to a second-straight loss to begin the season.
Magpies coach Matt Shinners told the Gazette that his side was very much in a learning phase with plenty of experience gone due to retirements, injury and form, and conceded there was some serious work to do despite claiming the points and sitting comfortably in fourth spot.
“At the start of the game, they got away to a two or three goal lead before we sort of scored, but we clawed our way back and got the game back on our terms,” he said.
“We’re certainly still learning, and have plenty of room to improve – we had plenty of entries in that final quarter and I don’t think we actually scored, but that was more due to our own doing.
“The opposition defended well, but the way we played certainly played into their hands.”
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Shinners said that the new-look forward group – led by three goals to Daniel Jackson, two to Aaron Wilson and another two club legend Michael Collins – is still a work in progress, and is still searching for the right mix, but hopes with some more continuity in the next few weeks can start to play some more consistent, four-quarter footy.
“We had a couple of guys go out with form and injury and we played another few debutants on the weekend, which was good,” he said.
“And the new boys going forward are still learning the ropes, so it’s good, and like anything, you don’t want to be world beaters, and we’re certainly getting through the games and winning.
“We’ve now got a few games in a row, so hopefully what we learned on the weekend we can take into our next opposition.
“(And) like anything, you want to look at the win/loss ratio, but we’re still making some basic fundamental mistakes, and with young blokes playing senior footy at a different pace, trying to implement your structures, it’s getting them experience in the physicality and pace of the game.
“So it’s about trying to find the right mix.”
With the ruck department another area in which the Magpies are working on, Shinners said that he is confident – despite some key losses in that department – that they have plenty of options in what is an important position.
“I’ve got young Lachie Benson playing ruck, and he is a player we didn’t really expect at the start of the year to be playing there,” he said.
“We’ve got a number of players we can rotate through there, and like anything, there not overly tally, and when you’ve got Meyer it’s hard, and then we look at Wandin they’ve got some bigger guys.
“Berwick aren’t overly tall either, and we’re probably similar to them in terms of our ruck combination. When you look at Wandin, Woori Yallock and the likes, we’ve definitely got some big guys to contend with.”
The Magpies were well served by the consistent Dylan Quirk, while Brad Scalzo also enjoyed a prolific day in the middle, and also welcomed back gun young defender Ryan Quirk, who got through the game unscathed and pulled up well after a recent injury.
Elsewhere, in a rematch of the 2018 Yarra Ranges grand final, a brilliant Woori Yallock held off the reigning premiers Wandin in a fascinating battle to start off their season with a bang.
The Bulldogs were slow starters, but slowly worked themselves into the contest, with Justin Van Unen finding the big sticks on a regular basis on his way to a bag of six.
But, the Tigers – led superbly by the likes of Zach Monkhorst, as well as solid performances from Kane Thompson, Michael Batten and Ben Monkhorst – managed to produce a scintillating final quarter masterclass to claim some early season bragging rights, 13.8 (86) to 10.17 (77).
Berwick, meanwhile, taught Healesville a harsh footballing lesson in the Anzac Day clash at Edwin Flack Reserve.
The Wickers were merciless against the struggling Bloods, running out 152-point winners in front of a strong crowd, 28.16 (184) to 5.2 (32).
Rhys Nisbet’s premiership winning juggernaut made the Bloods pay in an attacking masterclass, with Harry Money continuing his fine start to the season with another six majors, bringing his tally to 15 from just three matches to begin the year.
After a moving pre-match ceremony, the Wickers slammed on nine opening quarter goals, opening up a 44-point lead, one that the visitors couldn’t peg back at all, and could only muster up another three goals from the remaining three quarters, with Nick Mende the best on a disappointing day.
For the Wickers, who are building into the season superbly, were well served by the run of Ash Smith, as well as the class from the likes of Luke Jellyman-Turner, Bailey Asher and Money, and enjoyed a whopping 13 individual goal kickers.
Down at Chosen Avenue, Upwey Tecoma’s excellent start to the season continued with a comfortable win against Olinda Ferny Creek, 14.15 (99) to 7.13 (55).
The Tigers completely outclassed a depleted Bloods line up, with Daniel Waters running amok to snag five goals, while the likes of Liam Beacom, Glenn Costas and Sam Waters were in top-notch form.
For the Bloods, they’ll be looking to inject some more talent in the coming weeks, but get a chance to get on the board when they host the struggling Healesville on Saturday.
Cranbourne had the bye.
