Tara Murray
Keilor continued with its winning run in the Essendon District Football League premier division with a big win against Maribyrnong Park on Saturday.
One of the unknown sides heading into the season after a number of departures, the Blues have been the standout team in the early part of the season.
Coach Mick McGuane said he had been happy with how things were progressing so far.
“It has been good with the players committing to the cause,” he said. “We are playing good footy.
“Our ability to score has been a real positive. We have a pretty exciting younger group from last year with retirees and guys who have gone to other competitions as their bodies say so.
“We went to the well and testing the young kids and they are making us faster.”
The Blues ability to score was one area of unknown heading into the season, through some of those departures.
After five rounds, the club has three of the top five goal kickers in the league.
“We’ve become quite diverse,” McGuane said. “You tailor the style around what you have.
“We trained for that over the summer and that has transferred into the season at this point.”
On Saturday against the Lions, the Blues were able to break away after leading by just three points at quarter time.
The Blues won, 20.20 (140)-11.6 (72).
For the most part, McGuane was happy with the performance.
“We started well and the midfield went to work,” he said.
“They were able to steady the ship and got on the goal side off the back of some turnovers.
“We have to get better ball security to ensure we restrict the opportunity for the opposition to get cheapies out the back.
“We want to keep playing the way we are playing. It was a collective effort,40 scoring shots in premier football is not easy.”
McGuane said their conversion in front of goal and execution inside 50 were two areas that they have to tidy up.
He said it could hurt them in other games.
“We left a few on the park,” he said. “We have room for improvement on that frog.
“We can’t be content with that. Players individually have to take control of their own conversion, chances can cost you games.”
Damien Cavka kicked five for the Blues, while six other players kicked two goals apiece.
Cavka was named their best online, but McGuane said they could have given the votes to anyone of 10 players.
The Blues have now beaten the four of the other five teams to finish in the top six last season.
McGuane said he just continues to take it minute by minute and contest by contest, which continues to deliver the results.
The Blues this week face East Keilor, the only other side still undefeated.
McGuane said he would sit down in the coming days and sort out a plan.
In division 1, St Albans blew Tullamarine away winning 16.10 (106)-6.5 (41), while Deer Park beat Glenroy, 16.22 (118)-3.6 (24).
Hillside returned to the winners list, beating Moonee Valley 19.8 (122)-9.10 (64), while Keilor Park lost to Roxburgh Park, 9.16 (70)-8.7 (55).
In division 2, Taylors Lakes beat Burnside Heights.
