Tara Murray
Keilor Park is hoping to use the lessons of their opening round loss to be better in the Essendon District Football League division 2.
The Devils, who have gone out and recruited well, are expected to be among the big improvers this season.
But in round one, the Devils were given an early reality check with a two point loss to Hadfield. Devils coach Paul Guicas said it showed them what was needed.
“The competition is going to be close and if you’re not on your game you will be made to pay,” he said.
“You can’t afford to have a quarter off. You can talk about scoring shots, but Hadfield was clearly the better side.
“We have to be better and make sure we’re on the ball right from the start. It’s a good lesson we can learn from. We’d rather have a loss like this early in the season.”
While the Devils have added several players and turned over most of their list in the last three years, Guicas said it was an easy way to use a new line up as an excuse.
He said practice match form had shown they could put it all together.
“We’ve had a decent pre-season and practice matches,” he said. “It will take some time.”
While Robbie Castello and former AFL listed player Damian Cavka were the big name recruits early on, the Devils have added a number of other key players.
Cameron Harris has crossed from Avondale Heights, Jordan Filakis and Angus Dunkley-Price from Rupertswood.
Harris was the Devils best in round one.
“We’ve had a lot of different players come in,” Guicas said.
“A lot of them are still relatively young and we know that they can play together. We’re confident we got it right.”
Guicas said they won’t shy away from their aim of making finals. He said they had looked to address what they thought they were missing last year.
“This year the players we have recruited are experienced and that was what we lacked last year.
“Now it’s about putting pre-season form and putting it on the track for points.”
The Devils had the weekend off, due to playing on Good Friday. The Devils will face Coburg Districts, in what is becoming an annual match.
Guicas said they were looking forward to the big game and were hoping to make it 2-0 on Good Friday.
One player who won’t be out there on Friday is Damian Cavka.
Cavka was suspended for one game for striking.
“One week down from two weeks,” Guicas said about Cavka’s suspension.
“Disappointing from that point of view, but he’ll take it on the chin and come back better from it.”
The division 2 clash is one of three Good Friday clashes.
Keilor and Strathmore will play each other in their annual premier division clash, while Hillside will host the Sunbury Kangaroos for the first time on Good Friday, with its normal Good Friday opponent, Taylors Lakes dropping a division.
