The tug-of-war for top spot has swung back in favour of North Footscray in the WRFL division 2.
The Devils took advantage of Yarraville-Seddon’s slip-up to Glen Orden on Saturday to replace them at the summit with a 61-point thrashing of third-placed Caroline Springs on the road at Town Centre Oval on Saturday.
Devils co-coach Matt Walsh said he wanted to see his team bring its best football to the table in a blockbuster game after a below-par showing against Yarraville-Seddon two weeks earlier – and that’s exactly what he got.
“We were really disappointing against Yarraville two weeks ago,” Walsh said after the match.
“Only one player actually won his position on the day and we didn’t stand up against quality opposition. So we really had to respond today and by the look in the boys’ eyes before the game, you could tell they were on.”
There was a noticeable difference in the defensive intensity displayed by North Footscray compared to two weeks earlier.
The Devils applied a massive 20 tackles in the first quarter alone to restrict Caroline Springs to three goals, even though they were kicking with a five-goal breeze.
Five second-quarter goals with the wind set the Devils on their way to a comfortable win as they kicked 15 of the last 20 goals of the match, including two each to Alex Ford, Max Rampling, Kaine Williams, Sam Kater and Kieran Murphy.
“We put them under pressure from the outset,” Walsh said. “Every time they won the footy, there was somebody on them. It made them make poor decisions.”
Devils half-back Brad McNicol stood head and shoulders above the other 43 players on the ground. He did not make a mistake defensively and carved up his opponent with ball in hand.
“He was best on ground by a mile,” Walsh said. “He was everywhere, in the right spots at the right times and read the ball really well.”
Lyndon McIlroy and Daniel Neville were also influential for North Footscray in the back half. Josh Van Den Berg was good in the ruck, while Murphy, Rampling and Brayden Montebruno feasted on the service. But one concern for the Devils was the report of defender Tyson Bock for striking.
Elsewhere in division 2, Yarraville-Seddon went down to Glen Orden by 15 points in a low-scoring game at Heathdale Oval, while West Footscray was handed the wooden spoon after a 93-point loss to second-last Manor Lakes at Shorten Reserve.
