TWO of the weekend’s games were crucial for three teams and their finals chances.
The biggest game of the weekend was Red Cliffs and Wentworth at Quandong Park, with the winner going a game clear into the four from the loser.
Ouyen United had their chance against a less-than-full-strength Mildura to keep their hopes alive. A win would have kept them on pace with the top four with only a win separating them from fourth place, but their loss now has them slipping two games out with rounds until September quickly ticking down.
Red Cliffs had everything to gain and nothing to lose going into this game, especially given how far they have exceeded everyone’s expectations so far this season.
With such a young group the adrenalin would have been running into the game, while Wentworth would have been going in absolutely knowing that they could have gone from pre-season flag favourites to making a finals berth very hard should they lose.
Unlike Red Cliffs, they would have gone into the game more scared of a loss than excited by a win.
The first three quarters were exactly what the Tigers faithful were hoping for. They had the Roos on the ropes going into the last quarter and they seemed destined to take down another giant.
But then they didn’t. They froze at the most crucial time of the game and the game was flipped on its head by a team who now had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And this little sniff that Wentworth were given early in the last quarter was all they needed to give the rest of the competition just a small dose of what they can do.
It was a complete domination from Wentworth in the last quarter, exactly the same as their third-quarter domination to beat Red Cliffs earlier in the year
And they still have key players to come back into their team, which should send shivers down the spines of the other top teams.
The part of the game that Wentworth need to work on the most is their willingness to take the game on and the educated risks such as quick ball movement from half-back and their spread going forward.
Right now, when they don’t have their backs against the wall, they are very predictable in how they play.
Everyone knows Jarrod Brander is their target, it’s just how to take advantage of the other forwards around him, them finding space and their teammates further up the field looking for that space that will be the key.
Imagine moving the ball so quickly forward that Brander is left one out in a contest deep forward and the opposition back line scrambling to find someone to drop back on him to create an outnumbered contest. Any player left one out on Brander will lost that contest, it is as simple as that.
If it moves in quickly, who is as a backman is game enough to leave Hancock, Littore, Sapuppo, Duck, Ferguson or McGlynn free? Not many, that’s for sure!
If Wentworth can get their full team on the park and loosen the shackles a little they will be a very dangerous team to meet in the finals. They just need to keep winning to start with, however, it’s how they win which is going to make or break them.
Winning with confidence and just winning are two very different things. Wentworth have the team to win, it’s now whether they have the confidence to adapt to a slightly different game plan that will be the bridge to that confidence.
And the last quarter on Saturday should now be their template to use, because this template, now only used when it’s most necessary in games, is the one that will potentially deliver them a flag.
If they remove their predictability, isolate Brander deeper towards goal, spread from half-back to give them more avenues going into their 50, then they will be near impossible to beat.
So my advice to Wentworth is this: every quarter is now your last quarter. You have too many weapons across the ground to be predictable, so now it’s time to become the team we predicted you would be.
