By Lance Jenkinson
Not often will you find a team “happy” to be sitting third-last on the ladder at the Queen’s Birthday break in the Football Victoria men’s state league 2.
Western Suburbs is in 10th place after 10 games, but still in a strong enough position to challenge for all that the league has to offer in what has been a remarkably tight season.
You can throw a blanket over the first to 10 teams on the ladder with only seven points between them.
Suburbs are not only comfortably seven points clear of the relegation zone, but they are still in the promotion hunt as they trail a bunch of inconsistent teams.
Not only do the raw numbers help Suburbs, but their form has been superb in recent times.
After losing their first four games, Suburbs have gone unbeaten in their past six, winning three and drawing three leading into the break.
Suburbs assistant coach Nick Efthymiou is buoyed by where the team is placed in the standings.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he said.
“There’s usually a runaway team by this stage, but there isn’t this season.”
While Western Suburbs lost its opening four games, it did so by extremely fine margins.
With a new coaching staff on board, led by head coach Gary Groenewald, there was expected to be some early teething issues.
Groenewald decided to give the established players first shot at making the senior team, which included last year’s reserves players.
A heavy pre-season schedule included lots of experimentation with younger players, and as a result Suburbs entered round one slightly behind the eight ball.
The experience gained by the younger players at the club will hold them in good stead should they be called upon this season.
“What we did was invite all the reserves players from 2018 and gave them the opportunity to develop,” Efthymiou said.
“We’ve got one of the best development coaches going around in Gary Groenewald and he wanted to give them an opportunity.
“We had 15 practice matches and exposed them to senior football, then on the eve of the season, we topped up and complemented our playing group with some senior boys.
“We estimated it would take about six weeks for our plan to start working and now we’re seeing what the group is capable of.”
Efthymiou is full of praise for the leaders who dragged Western Suburbs out of its early slump.
Captain Goran Petrovski has led from the front, while Ricky Castro, Chol Nyok and Julian White are willing to guide the youngsters. Philip Ajao has been a fantastic addition to the front line.
Western Suburbs will host Altona East Phoenix in its next game on June 15.
