ALBION coach Mark Greenshields entered Saturday’s Western Region Football League division 1 grand final rematch with Spotswood awaiting a response from his players.
The Cats had been given a “real kick in the backside” a week earlier by St Albans in the local derby and he wanted to see if there was a sting in the tail.
He labelled that defeat as disappointing and the only time his team had been “uncompetitive” this season.
Greenshields got the answer he was looking for with the Cats throwing everything at the undefeated Woodsmen before losing by 32 points at JR Parsons Reserve.
The first-year coach is not one for honourable losses, but is adamant his players gave it their all before the physicality of the visitors eventually took its toll.
“It’s disappointing to lose even if Spotswood is the benchmark,” he told the Weekly.
“In the same token, I am proud of the way we played. The boys didn’t give up and the effort was there.”
The Cats have a vastly different make-up to the side that contested last year’s grand final.
They have a new man at the helm and a host of changes to their line-up.
On the flipside, the Woodsmen have retained the bulk of their premiership-winning stars and are in a holding pattern.
The Cats took it right up to them for the most part in a much-improved showing than back in round one when they were hammered by an embarrassing 151 points.
“It was good timing for us to test ourselves against the best,” Greenshields said.
“I know the players were disappointed with their loss to St Albans when they walked off the ground. I wanted to find out if they could come back a week later and take a positive step in the right direction.
“That performance gives the boys belief that they can be competitive with any side.”
The Cats managed only six goals but they restricted the goal-hungry Woodsmen to just nine.
They never shied away from the contest with packs regularly forming in tricky wintry conditions.
Kym Taylor was the most resolute of all Cats.
The Western Jets recruit got the job done both offensively, with slick movement and silky skills, and defensively, with bone-rattling tackles.
“Every week, in his first year of senior footy, he gets better and better,” Greenshields said.
“He’s taken his game to another level in the past month.”
Josh McPherson was unrelenting in a tagging role on Woodsman player coach Chris O’Keefe.
O’Keefe still racked up the possessions, but not in the damaging manner he did back when the sides first met in the season opener.
“He was certainly able to play a role for us and did his job,” Greenshields said.
Jason Butina showed why he is rated so highly as a defender by keeping former AFL player Jason Cloke to two goals.
In Greenshields’ estimations, it is Butina 2, Cloke 0, in their match-ups this season.
“I don’t know how Spotty saw that match up, but I thought Jason [Butina] beat him,” he said.
“He’s a fairly unassuming character Jason, super competitive and refuses to be beaten.”
The Cats – with a 3-7 record – are a long way from the finals positions.
The longer-term fortunes of the club seem brighter now and it will pose more than a few headaches for opposition clubs in the run home to the finals.
WRFL SCOREBOARD
Division 1
Spotswood 9.14 (68) d Albion 5.6 (36); Hoppers Crossing 28.16 (184) d North Footscray 8.8 (56); Altona 21.15 (141) d Port Melbourne Colts 11.11 (77); Sunshine 23.16 (154) d Sunshine Heights 5.12 (42).
Ladder: Spotswood (228.88) 40, Altona (215.81) 36, Hoppers Crossing (144.91) 32, Port Melbourne Colts (125.03) 24, Sunshine (123.77) 20, Deer Park (111.88) 16*, St Albans (83.97) 12*, Albion (68.85) 12, North Footscray (57.02) 4, Sunshine Heights (23.94) 0. Note: *does not include result of Sunday’s match.
Next round: Altona v Hoppers Crossing (Grant Reserve), North Footscray v Albion (Hansen Reserve), Sunshine Heights v Port Melbourne Colts (Ainsworth Reserve), Spotswood v Deer Park (McLean Reserve), St Albans v Sunshine (Kings Park Reserve).
Division 2
Coburg Districts 13.13 (91) d Albanvale 9.3 (57); Glenorden 11.11 (77) d West Footscray 3.9 (27); Yarraville-Seddon 50.29 (329) d North Sunshine 1.2 (8); Parkside 20.26 (146) d Caroline Springs 4.4 (28); Laverton 0.0 (0) lt Wyndhamvale 17.20 (122).
Ladder: Yarraville Seddon Eagles (504.34) 36, Parkside (218.29) 36, Wyndhamvale (255.03) 28, Glenorden (199.53) 28, Coburg Districts (199.51) 28, Albanvale (130.00) 20, West Footscray (112.35) 16, Caroline Springs (72.22) 12, Braybrook (48.52) 8, Laverton Magpies (38.75) 4, North Sunshine (4.30) 0.
Next round: Braybrook v Laverton (Pennell Reserve), Caroline Springs v West Footscray (Town Centre Oval), Coburg Districts v Glenorden (Cole Reserve), North Sunshine v Albanvale (Dempster Park), Yarraville-Seddon v Wyndhamvale (Yarraville Oval).
