Tara Murray
All the pieces are starting to come together for Wyndhamvale in the Western Football League division 2 competition.
Sitting in third heading into the final round, the Falcons have put together a strong season having made the most of a good draw.
Like many sides the Falcons have had their issues with availability. Co-coach Rob May hopes they’ve moved past that.
“Hopefully the weekend was the start of getting everyone back,” he said. “We’ve had a few blokes away.
“We’re starting to get them back and get our strongest 22 to 25 available. It makes a huge difference.”
”On Saturday, the Falcons faced Albanvale, a side aiming to lock in a top six spot in the final rounds.
May said those matches are important for them as well.
“We’ve played the Suns and Albanvale in the last two weeks,” he said. “If we finish in third, we could be playing one of those sides.
“We want to make them into statement games… So when they play us again they’ll have to bring something different,
“We are in good form.”
The Falcons made a statement early in the game against the Cobras, kicking 10 goals to one to lead by 57 points at quarter time.
The Cobras fought back in the second quarter. After half time it was all the Falcons who won, 23.10 (148)-6.5 (41).
May said they had mixed feelings about the match.
“We kicked 10 goals in the first quarter but we were disappointing in the second quarter,” he said.
“We put it to the boys. If that was an Albion or Sunshine, and no disrespect to Albanvale, they would have put 10 goals on us.
“We have to play consistent football for four quarters. After half time they kicked just one goal.”
May said the first quarter was the first time they had put together a performance like that, which is frustrating as they know they can play at that level, but they haven’t.
Ryley McGaw and Matthew Paul kicked four goals each for the Falcons.
McGaw and Noah Cooney were named the Falcons best.
The Falcons sit only percentage behind Sunshine heading into the final round. The Kangaroos face fourth placed Newport, while the Falcons face the Western Rams.
May said they would love things to go their way and secure a top two spot and a double chance.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are the one team out of the top four teams that weren’t promoted to division 1 for next season.
May said it is a hard one, but he didn’t think the club is ready both on and off field to play in the top division.
“We are a young team,” he said. “We don’t have those 28-year-olds to grab the young kids under their wing.
“It’s a massive step to go up. We don’t have under-18s which is an issue as you can’t go up without them as you can’t rely on them forever.
“The club is getting that right with the 18s and I don’t think it’s too far away.”
