Altona’s premiership defence is over after a 53-point shocker
against Sunshine Kangaroos in a Western Region Football League division 1
first semi-final at Chirnside Park on Sunday.
The gravity of the Vikings’ inconsistency in the second half of
the campaign was not truly revealed until the finals, with the best and
the worst of Anthony Eames’ team revealed in the space of seven days.
“We’ve lacked the consistency across the board, whether it’s
players or the way we’ve played,” Vikings captain Josh Russo said. “A
lot of things have got to go right to be in the mix.”
A week after mauling St Albans in the elimination final, the
Vikings got a taste of their own medicine on Sunday, conceding eight of
the nine opening-quarter goals.
They never recovered.
Russo, looking on from the sidelines with an injury, said the
Vikings deviated from the structures that had served them so well in
recent times.
“When you’re chasing their tail, you always try and do something
that you think will work, instead of what you know has worked for a long
period of time,” he said.
“We got away from what we should’ve been doing and what we planned to do, and we never found our way back in the game.”
The Vikings had few players win their position on the day.
Anthony Chiu and Abdul Jawad could hold their heads high as the
most consistent over four quarters, while Richard Knight provided a
focal point with four goals. Otherwise it was slim pickings for the
Vikings.
“It was a disappointing end,” Russo said. “We didn’t get going at
all. I don’t think we had too many winners … they were on top from the
outset.
“It was hard work playing catch-up.”
Sunshine extended its lead in every quarter but the junk-time last.
Kangaroos captain Macauley Goring continued his stellar season, while Patrick Wiggins booted four goals in the rout.
The Kangaroos will meet Deer Park in the preliminary final at Watton Street on Saturday.
