First-year Albanvale coach Matthew Stoodley insists his new club is on the right path, despite a setback at home in Western Region Football League division 2 on Saturday.
The Cobras were disappointed after a 54-point loss to Manor Lakes at Robert Bruce Reserve.
They conceded in excess of 150 points and were out-worked and out-enthused for most of the game.
Stoodley admitted the performance level was not where it needed to be.
“We were flat from the first bounce,” Stoodley said. “They [Manor Lakes] worked really hard, played pretty well – much better than us – and it was a much-deserved win … we just didn’t seem up for it today.”
It was only two seasons ago that the Cobras won a premiership in division 3, but division 2 is a different kettle of fish and the Cobras stagnated a bit in a promotion season last year.
That forced them to seek help from an outside source.
Stoodley had admired the hard edge that Albanvale played with as an opposition coach of the Wyndham Suns in division 3, but his appointment signalled the need for change in playing style and mentality.
“Albanvale have played more of an inside game and we’re trying to change that a little bit,” he said. “I’ve brought in two or three players this year to give us a bit of outside run, but two or three is not enough because footy has changed now – it’s a running game.
Stoodley is working with Albanvale with a view to building sustained, long-term success.
Without the cash to splash that rivals have, the plan could be a “slow burn”, but it will shape the future of the club.
Stoodley will recruit again next year to create a better competition for spots, with a focus on snaring hard-running players.
The club is keen to see the development of its under-19s, so there will eventually be a natural pathway to the reserves and seniors.
But Stoodley knows a finals spot is up for grabs this season, for which he needs a universal buy-in from the playing group to achieve.
“At the moment, we’re just not fit enough,” he said.
“We’re a very big team – much different to Manor Lakes, who have a lot of small runners. So we just couldn’t go with them when they spread and run … they ran us off our legs in the end.
“It’s not the dedicated blokes, it’s the guys that turn up every now and then that are hurting us.
“We’ve got a core group at every training session religiously, but they’re not the ones – it’s the other 25 per cent.”
Albanvale will face West Footscray in a crucial game at Shorten Reserve on Saturday.
The Cobras will go in against the bottom side as warm favourites.
But Stoodley will need to get the kind of effort that saw his players have a meritorious victory over Newport Power a round earlier, not the one they came up with against Manor Lakes.
“It was an effort thing today – it wasn’t skill-based,” he said of the Manor Lakes loss.
“Next week, we’ll be better. You learn from every loss.”
