Sunshine Heights is hoping a bit of cohesion will kick start its Western Football League division 2 season.
The Dragons have had an up and down start to the season and entered the weekend’s match with Laverton with a 2-3 record.
Speaking before the match with the Dragons, coach Stephen O’Malley said it had been a bit of a tough start.
“We’ve had a couple of injuries and a couple of players away,” he said. “Getting that team cohesion together has been hard.
“We’ve had three out and three in and then four out and four in. We’re starting to get a few into the team.
“We should have a consistent side together soon.”
O’Malley said they were playing some good football in patches, but hadn’t been able to put it together consistently for four quarters.
He said they know they can be competitive when they are playing well.
“We have nine or 10 new players,” he said. “We want to put it all together for the second half of the season.
“We’re still learning different roles and different positions and getting to know each other and how they play.
“It is starting to get there. The guys are working on it and working hard, it’s really good.”
O’Malley said the new experienced players they had bought in were really buying into what they were doing.
Jackson Viola has provided plenty of leadership on the field with O’Malley saying he was like an extra coach on the field.
Rocco Tripodi in the middle and John Whitehouse down back were doing really well too.
O’Malley said they were hopeful that Harley Armstrong-Weston would be back in a few weeks as he comes back from injury. Armstrong-Western, who was one of the standouts in Hoppers Crossing’s division 1 premiership win last season, is yet to play for the Dragons.
“We are trying to get a bit of consistency the next couple of weeks,” O’Malley said. “Come next week we’ll have most of the guys back and we’ll look to put our best foot forward.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to put a few wins together.”
The Dragons were disappointing on Saturday, losing to the Magpies, 16.8 (104)-10.11 (70).
O’Malley said like them the Magpies would be keen to get another win on the board.
“They will come out firing,” he said. “I think they only have one win for the season.
“They’ll be trying to get their season on track as well.”
