By Marcus Uhe
Signs of improvement at Officer are evident in the proliferating spread of contributors each week, despite still learning one-another’s games on the fly.
Up forward, the ability to find multiple avenues to goal in three scores of 100 in a row epitomises the evolving synergy, while in the guts they appear to have struck a desired equilibrium.
With Troy Tharle held goalless and Mark Seedsman only kicking two in the 15.12 102 to 5.12 42 win at home against Belgrave on Saturday, Brent Moloney filled the void on the goal-kickers list with five, as did Matthew Rogers.
The week before, it was Seedsman’s turn to cash-in, with seven against Hallam, where Moloney and Tharle managed two each.
Against Seville in round three, Tharle kicked five and Seedsman four, where Moloney kicked only the two.
Senior coach Danny Charles was impressed with players in all three departments on the ground in the 10-goal win, but it was the midfield that particularly caught his eye.
With Dan Ellett finding his feet in recent weeks, a player Charles said he wishes he could “have two of,” the prime-movers now have the defensive minded midfielder that every side craves to balance the ball-winners in Anthony Bernardo, Luke Smaluch and Zac Charles.
“It’s good to have different blokes popping up each week and performing,” Charles said.
“The back-line started to link-up well together and it was probably the best our midfielders have performed all year.
“There was more defensive pressure than there had been in recent weeks and our clearance work was a lot better, we’d been beaten fairly easily in the centre clearances (in recent weeks).
“I know in the first half we were up in that department, so that was pleasing.”
With mid-season draft nominee Sam Hoghton and returning co-captain Ben O’Loughlin providing reinforcements in defence, the ‘Roos closed the first half with a 34-point lead, having not conceded a goal in the first hour of action and kicking six themselves.
A third quarter of two halves saw Belgrave kick three in a row and Officer four, before the home side closed the game with five goals to two in the final quarter.
Having taken the field just twice in the last four weeks as a result of the bye and the split round in round five, Charles conceded some of his players may have suffered from a lack of continuity.
“We’ve got 12 blokes that played seniors on the weekend who didn’t play (here) last year,” Charles said.
“They (Belgrave) were very competitive, we didn’t have it all our own way.
“We didn’t do ourselves many favours with skill errors by foot, but blokes are still learning to play together.
“Whether it was because we had the bye the week before and blokes were a bit rusty, whatever it was, it was an ‘almost-game’.
“We were out, we’d get the ball out wide, change lanes and take the game on, then make a mistake by foot which would cost us.
“We’re going to improve but that’s the style of game that we want to play; changing lanes, take the game on and run and carry.
“Our forward entries weren’t great but we still managed to get the job done, which was good.”
At Mick Morland Reserve, Berwick Springs were made to grind out their fourth win of the campaign against a steely Seville.
The heady offence were held goalless in the opening term, just their second goalless quarter of the season to date, before returning the favour to their opponents in the second.
The Titans snatched the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back on their way to the 23-point win, boosted by efficient goalkicking (11.3).
Four goals to Ty Ellison has him three clear at the top of the pack in Division One ahead of two players tied on 19, and emerging talent Blake Simondson made a successful return from injury in his first contest of the year, kicking one goal and earning a spot on the best players’ list.
The Titans won’t take the field next until 17 June, when they head to Hallam to battle the Hawks.
It will afford the likes of Simondson, Jayden Bubb and Chris Johnson, who both sustained injuries early in the year, a crucial opportunity to rest, recover and build ahead of the most important period of the season.
A slow start at Hallam cost the Hawks the opportunity to break their winning drought, conceding the first four of the game to Healesville for a 25-point deficit at quarter time at home.
They found their feet in the second but were unable to outscore their opponents in any quarter, despite kicking their highest score of the year to date in 10.2 62.
Seven goals to Healesville’s Sam Gebert powered the visitors to the 56-point win, ensconcing themselves in the logjam in the middle of the table between second and fifth.
Tom Delaney, Daniel Guic and Riley Van Eede each kicked two for the Hawks, while Harry Sharlassian’s stellar season continued.
