Anthony Cristofaro, Jeremy Murphy and Harrison Fotia may not be the most well-known trio in the Western Region Football League but, for finals-bound St Albans, they are just the tonic.
The midfielders joined the Saints in the off-season, with the club looking to add another dimension to its running game.
While it took a few weeks to click, St Albans now go at least seven deep with an extremely versatile midfield that also includes Marc Dawson, Dion Lawson and Tim Jenkins.
That ability to control the middle of the ground has turned the club’s season around after a nightmare start.
Despite leading in the final quarters of its round one and two matches, St Albans dropped both games.
Couple these losses with a shock exit in the first round of the division 1 finals last season and, from the outside, it looked as though trouble was brewing for the Saints.
But a club that has built a reputation for fighting to the bitter end throughout its 69-year history wasn’t about to lie down.
The Saints have since gone from finals hopeful to genuine premiership contender, with a win over Werribee Districts and a narrow loss against the undefeated Deer Park.
While the hype surrounding the Saints continues to build, club coach Marcus Barclay is nowhere near satisfied.
In his second year at the helm, he says a finals win is a non-negotiable.
“When you’re coming off losing an elimination final last year, finals are the only goal,” he said. “It’s a really good group and they’re pretty confident in each other.
“We have said to them all the way along that, in local football, individual ability is great but, if you have a really good group, sometimes that outweighs individual ability. That’s what we are striving for.”
Having recovered from its 0-2 start, the Saints entered last week’s bye at 4-3 and in fifth spot on the ladder. St Albans will have a golden opportunity to climb further with a match against the struggling Port Melbourne waiting for them this week. Then there will be a potentially season-defining fortnight facing third-placed Hoppers Crossing and second-placed Spotswood.
“The supporters are craving some success; I think that is driving the boys,” Barclay said.
How Brimbank teams are shaping up
Deer Park
Record: 6-0-1
Ladder position: First
Best win: While Deer Park has smacked down on a number of its division 1 rivals, its fighting wins against Werribee Districts and St Albans stand out above all. Because Deer Park has not played many close games for the better part of two years, opposition sides may have hoped to catch the Lions napping. But Deer Park showed it has no problems getting its hands dirty, with two hard-fought wins.
Toughest loss: Having not lost a home and away match since mid 2013, the Lions walked away with just two points against Sunshine earlier this season – the match was called off because of a behind-the-play incident.
Moving forward: After the week off, Deer Park will take on finals-bound Hoppers Crossing and Spotswood as players look to keep their undefeated streak alive.
Sunshine
Record: 2-4-1
Ladder position: Seventh
Best win: The margin may have been greater when the Kangaroos touched up Port Melbourne in round six, but there is nothing quite like beating an arch-rival. Sunshine got the better of Albion by six goals earlier in the season with Jesse McLellan’s four goals a highlight.
Toughest loss: Its 2015 season has been marred by near-misses, which is why the Kangaroos languish near the bottom of the division 1 ladder. Sunshine hasn’t been disgraced against some leading opposition, going down to Spotswood by just one point and losing narrowly to Werribee Districts.
Moving forward: There is no margin for error if the Kangaroos want to remain in finals contention. Sunshine takes on Altona followed by Albion, both must-win games.
Albion
Record: 0-8
Ladder position: Ninth
Best win: The Cats are still waiting for their first win of the season. The closest they came was in round one against Port Melbourne. In an away fixture, Albion went down by just 20 points.
Toughest loss: Developing teams always need to go through some pain and, for Albion, that came in round three against Hoppers Crossing. The Cats went goalless for three quarters en route to a 126-point loss, 20.21 (141) to 2.3 (15).
Moving forward: There’s plenty to look forward to after the bye for Albion. After its home match against Port Melbourne, the club will take on arch-rival Sunshine in a blockbuster clash.
