Sunshine George Cross had reached breaking point before a change in philosophy midway through the Football Federation Victoria NPL2 west season.
The Georgies happily took on board a playing style recommended by an FFA-driven national curriculum at the start of the season, but it clearly did not work for the senior team.
Week after week, the Georgies were beaten comprehensively, and coach Tony Ciantar and his players had had enough.
It was time to adopt a style that better suited the players in the team.
“If we had’ve persisted with the curriculum, we would’ve kept on losing every game, so I’ve taken the initiative to pretty much create a style that suits the players I have,” Ciantar told Star Weekly.
“No kid is learning when the team is getting smashed every week.
“What I’ve adopted has helped them learn another element of their game, which is structures, playing to a system, and it requires more intelligence.”
Sunshine turned from a laughing stock into a tough nut to crack after the change.
The Georgies are more balanced between attack and defence, and the results are starting to show.
After a Hernan Arredondo goal on Saturday, they had an impressive 1-1 draw with North Geelong Warriors at Chaplin Reserve – a side they were hammered by four goals earlier in the season.
A week earlier, they had a draw with Whittlesea Ranges, the top side in the competition and one that beat the Georgies by three goals first time around.
The Georgies have lost just once in the past eight matches, and picked up 15 points.
In the 13 games prior, they recorded a mere three points.
Irrespective of the change in playing style, Ciantar always felt the Georgies would play their best football in the second half of the year, and he pleaded supporters for patience with the young team.
“Right from the start of the season, we knew the latter half of the season was going to be more fruitful,” he said.
“We’re a very young team, and they’re only going to learn by making mistakes.
“If you decide to go with the youth, you’ve got to back them, and supporters needed to be aware and the club needed to be aware that it is always going to affect your results.
“Watching them grow has been magnificent for me.
“All the work we’ve put on the training track is a reflection of what has happened in the last eight weeks.”
