Even the best laid out plans on a football field can count for nothing if the forwards fail to covert.
Werribee Tigers learnt that lesson the hard way on Saturday, losing by 29 points to the Northern Blues at Preston City Oval, despite having the greater share of inside 50s and shots on goal.
Had the Tigers won, they would have been sitting in the top eight with one round to go, instead their fate is a whole lot murkier now, needing other results to go their way in order to feature in the Victorian Football League finals in the last year of the alignment with AFL club North Melbourne.
Werribee coach John Lamont was downcast when recalling his side’s string of missed opportunities in front of goal, which yielded 10.16, a conversion rate of just 38.5 per cent, compared to the Blues’ 16.9 at 64 per cent.
“There was one end with a slight wind advantage and we kicked 2.8 in the first and 1.6 in the third,” Lamont said. “We shot ourselves in the foot, without a doubt.
“Poor kicking is poor football.
“It’s a massive opportunity we let go – we just couldn’t get it done.”
Leaving aside the poor conversion rate, it was an otherwise solid performance from Werribee.
There were a handful of defensive lapses, but that invariably happens in a game between two fairly evenly-matched sides when the pressure is on.
But the Tigers tackled hard, finishing +24 for the day, and were in the similar ball park for clearances, which is a feat considering the Blues had a whopping 60 more hit-outs.
The Tigers were unfortunately vertically challenged when North Melbourne used a twin tower ruck strategy of Todd Goldstein and Braydon Preuss, leaving inexperienced and under-sized ruckmen Harry Boyd and Jade Cleeland, both well under 200cm, battling against Blues powerhouses Matthew Korcheck (208cm) and Daniel Gorringe (200cm).
“They just give away a little bit of height and reach, but they try and do their best,” Lamont said.
“You can’t third man up around the ground, so that’s how it rolls.
“We would’ve got shaded on the clearances in the end, but we still generated enough inside 50s and scores to win.”
Matt Hanson filed yet another outstanding performance in the midfield for Werribee.
Hanson had 19 kicks, 11 handballs and eight tackles – just a regular day at the office for the Tigers premier onballer.
“He just kept going in the middle,” Lamont said. “He worked his butt off.”
Lamont would not get drawn back into the discussion about Hanson’s AFL draft prospects. He would “without a doubt” endorse Hanson to the recruiters, but says it is out of his hands.
“You’d have to talk with the AFL clubs about where he fits in,” he said.
Kurt Aylett was solid as a rock down back for Werribee, along with the ever consistent Ryley Barrack.
Jed Anderson was lively with 26 possessions, while Will Fordham continued his good form with 29 disposals. Matt Munro finished with three goals.
To make the finals, Werribee must beat Casey Demons on the road at Casey Fields on Saturday night, then hope that eighth-placed Collingwood lose to Port Melbourne and ninth-placed Northern Blues are defeated by Box Hill Hawks.
“It would be great to get a final, but it’s going to be a tough gig,” Lamont said.
