EIGHTH-placed Red Cliffs are aiming to jump up a spot on the ladder to end their game-changing season on a high.
The Tigers entered this year’s season with one goal, to get a win.
After 2891 days without a victory, the side defeated fourth-placed South Mildura in round three, before snagging another two wins against ninth-placed Robinvale Euston and seventh-placed Merbein in rounds four and eight.
Coach Stephanie O’Loughlin said the team had shown great improvement this year and were hoping they could win a few more games before finals.
“We obviously want to get a couple more (wins) before the year is out, because we haven’t won a game this second half of the year,” she said.
“We have managed to drop back to eighth now, so we want to finish in that seventh spot.
“We are really contesting with Merbein in these last three games to make sure we finish ahead of them.”
O’Loughlin said despite not having won a game since round eight, the team were showing improved form.
“The last few weeks have been exactly how we have wanted to play since the start of the year,” she said.
“It has finally fallen into place and, even though we have had a loss in the last two weeks, they have been our better games that we have played, so we are definitely heading in the right direction.”
O’Loughlin said the improvement showed by the team meant they had the potential to be serious contenders next year.
“This year was all about getting the first win and a couple more, but obviously next year, it is really pushing for that top four, the three, four, five spots, which we were close to at the start of the year,” she said.
“Hopefully next year, if everyone can stay together, we will be pushing and contending because we have shown that we can match it with the top four the last couple of weeks.”
Coming up against the unbeaten Wentworth Saturday, Red Cliffs are focused on gameplay and margins, rather than securing a win.
“If anyone can beat Wentworth this year they are doing amazing,” O’Loughlin said.
“(For Saturday) we just set a few targets of what we want to keep them to, what we want to score and what we want our margins to be and look at it from that perspective rather than look for the win, which is nearly impossible.”
O’Loughlin said she thought Red Cliffs were going to be serious competition for Merbein and fifth-placed Irymple, when the teams meet in the final two rounds before finals.
“On our day, if we play how we have the last two weeks, I think we can definitely beat both Merbein and Irymple,” she said.
“Hopefully we can keep playing how we have been and get a few wins to finish off the year, and finish on a good note.”
In Saturday’s other games, second-placed Mildura faces ninth-placed Robinvale Euston at Brian Weightman Oval, Merbein takes on sixth-placed Imperials at Kenny Park and third-placed Ouyen United takes on South Mildura at Underbool Oval. Irymple have the bye.
South Mildura and Imperials, who are both aiming for a spot in finals, will be looking to increase their finals chances with a win against their opponents Saturday.
A win by Imperials would see them overtake Irymple on the ladder to secure fifth-place.
South Mildura, however, need the win to help secure their current fourth-placing.
