A season-defining fortnight stands ahead of Essendon District Football League’s Taylors Lakes.
The Lions entered last week’s bye with a 2-3 record, in sixth spot on the division 1 ladder.
With an eye on the finals, Lions’ coach Sam Tankard knows his side needs to get in front of the win/loss ledger sooner rather than later to keep its September push alive.
“Our season really is on the line the next two weeks against Oak Park and East Keilor,” Tankard said. “We need to be winning both of those to keep in touch.
“I think it will be a season where nine or 10 wins gets you into the four. We need to be beating those sides around us that are challenging for those spots.”
In an incredibly tight division 1 competition, the Lions showed mettle early in the season with impressive wins against Hillside and Glenroy. But dropped games to West Meadows, Tullamarine and premiership favourite Essendon Doutta Stars have left the club in the middle of the pack.
Tankard was full of praise for key forward Bekim Memedi, who has been outstanding through the first third of the season.
Memedi has booted 17 goals in four games, including a bag of seven against Westmeadows.
“He was thrown around a bit last year, playing a bit on the wing, a bit at half-back and a bit at full-forward,” Tankard said.
“I certainly see him as a full-forward. He leads very hard, he’s quick and strong, so he will play full-forward all year.
“We really need our best 22 to be playing each week.
“I think that’s the same with everyone.”
The 2015 season is Tankard’s first as a senior coach, he was previously involved at Essendon Doutta Stars as both football manager and assistant coach.
“I’m really enjoying my role at Taylors Lakes,” he says.
“It was pretty tough to come up against Douttas. A few of the supporters were joking that it didn’t look right.
“I knew, though, that sometimes you’ve got to go away from a club that you have a lot of respect at and earn that somewhere else. That’s what coaching is all about.”
The Taylors Lakes club last week celebrated the completion of upgrades at its ground.
The work, carried out with the help of Brimbank council and several of the club’s sponsors, includes an electroic scoreboard and areas for the timekeeper, coaches and storage.
