Western Jets coach Torin Baker walked away from Saturday’s 30-point loss to Sandringham Dragons believing his team was beaten by the most talented squad in the TAC Cup.
No matter how Baker slices and dices the Dragons, he envisages a team that will be hard to stop in the finals.
“We played them earlier in the year with their full allotment of private school players in and they’re probably the best we’ve come across this year,” Baker said.
“It was a private school round this week, so they had a fair few out, made about 10 changes to their team from the week before, but they still showed they’re just a very talented group.
“They’ve got high-end talent, but they’ve got excellent depth, so they don’t drop away too much.”
It was the class of Sandringham’s small forward Aaron Trusler (four goals) and midfielder-forward William Walker (three) that proved the difference between the sides.
Blake Graham was the Western Jets only multiple goalkicker with two on a day when his side was crying out for more forward threats.
“They just had a bit more class up front at times than us,” Baker said.
Baker could not fault the endeavour of the Western Jets players for the most part.
The Jets led by five points at three-quarter time, but it had benefitted from the aid of the wind in the first and third quarters.
Sandringham took full advantage of the breeze at its back in the last with six of the seven goals kicked in the final term.
“I thought we played well into the wind, but we just couldn’t capitalise both quarters that we had the wind,” Baker said.
Zak Butters was influential for the Western Jets on the wing. Butters, a Darley junior, played as a small forward in the earlier games, but has thrived since moving into the midfield.
“He continues to build as a really promising bottom-ager,” Baker said. “He was really lively all day.”
Connor Thar has also played the bulk of his season forward, but is now part of the midfield rotation.
“We have got a lot of inside mids that are really good around the contest, but Connor also gives us that ability to spread and run and carry the footy,” Baker said.
Tristan Xerri, out of Caroline Springs, has proven to be a capable forward and ruckman for the Western Jets this season, but part of the development aspect of the TAC Cup is to try players in different positions and roles and Xerri found himself in the defence.
Xerri took on the new role with vigour.
“The backline is a bit foreign to him, but he really competed well, but when Matt Volkanovski had his time out of the ruck, Tristan went in there for short periods,” Baker said.
Others to impress were Stefan Radovanovic, Josh Mould and Xavier O’Halloran.
Bottom-of-the-ladder Jets will face the top-ranked Oakleigh Chargers at Burbank Oval on Saturday at 10.30am.
