By Lance Jenkinson
For some, they were just four premiership points – but for Caroline Springs, they meant so much more.
The Lakers secured their elusive first win in Western Region Football League division 1 on Saturday, bossing around Wyndhamvale by 45 points at Town Centre Oval.
Lakers coach Marc Raak hailed it as a landmark day for his club.
“It’s a great day for our club, a history-making one to win our first game in division 1,” Raak said.
“It was a special feeling in our rooms. We had a lot of supporters and reserves players in there – it was a really good half an hour after the game.”
Caroline Springs fans had waited patiently for this moment.
The Lakers started life in the top flight with 10 consecutive losses and a change of coach.
They had been slowly building, competitive in many games without getting the desired outcome.
Even though results were not favourable, Raak was content that most internal standards were being met and that it would only be a matter of time before the Lakers would break through for a win.
“We judged ourselves internally on a few things, not externally, what was in the media,” Raak said.
“We were playing really good football for probably three quarters and always a quarter would let us down. We wanted a four-quarter effort today and we got that.”
This was a victory that was driven by youth.
Missing from the line-up for Caroline Springs were big name players Brian Lake, a former AFL star, Blake Richards, a key defender, and Doug Thomas, the side’s most experienced midfielder.
All three are likely to return for the Lakers’ twilight meeting with St Albans at Kings Park Reserve this Saturday, but that will pose some headaches for the selection committee.
In the win, two of the Lakers’ best three players were rookies –Will Markovski and Jack Tarr.
Markovski was a livewire with four goals, while Tarr showed his class from the outset.
“We played four kids that are under 19 and they all played their roles really well,” Raak said. “Where our football club is at, we give opportunities to our young kids because they are our future.
“The emotion in the rooms, seeing four kids under 19 and playing in our firsts, winning division 1 football in the WRFL, it was a special moment.”
Best-afield honours went to Caroline Springs captain Keenan O’Shea.
O’Shea was so highly rated at the Lakers that he was given the main leadership role immediately following his move from St Albans.
“We changed his position up a bit in the last couple of weeks and played him on ball instead of across half-back and he’s taken his game to another level,” Raak said.
“He’s leading from the front and we believe he will be our captain for many years to come.”
After securing the win that saw them finally move off the bottom of the ladder, Caroline Springs will be out to make it consecutive victories when it plays St Albans in a rare 5.15pm start this Saturday.
The Lakers will go into the game full of confidence.
“They’re a quality club St Albans, but we want to go there and take on the challenge and, who knows, we might be able to keep on a roll and win another game of football,” Raak said.
