NORTH Footscray has endured the fortnight from hell. The Devils have nowhere to hide, nor do they want to run away from their problems.
The club has vowed to work as hard as it ever has to earn back the respect of the rest of the Western Region Football League division 1 after horror losses to Sunshine, where it failed to register a goal in a 200-point shellacking, and Altona, where it scored just one major in a 165-point defeat.
The Devils refuse to retreat into their shells. They will be front and centre in the spotlight on Saturday when they face Albion.
It will be the Devils’ annual past players day and it could not have come at a better time.
Everyone with red and white coursing through their veins is wanted at Hansen Reserve on Saturday.
Devils committee member Jason McCluskey told the Weekly it was an important time for players and supporters, past and present, to unite.
“At the moment, things are a little bit lean,” he said. “We know where we’re at as a club and we’re doing our best to rebuild.
“It’s a good time for past players to get around the place, at a time of need to be perfectly frank.
“It should be a really good day and we’re hoping for a really good turn out.”
The Devils are a proud football club with a rich history. Less than four years ago, they were hoisting the division 2 premiership.
The top-flight is an unforgiving competition with the rich getting richer and the rest working feverishly to play catch-up.
The Devils have fallen behind on the field, but the committee and players have vowed to turn it around.
“The positive spin is that off-field we’ve got a good team in order and we’re making some good ground,” McCluskey said. “The players now understand the level of professionalism they need.
“They’re starting to take positive steps in that regard. We’ve got a very young leadership group and we’re a very young side.
“The players understand their levels of commitment to training and everything that goes along with it needs to increase and they’ve addressed that themselves. They’re taking steps to make sure that gets rectified as the season goes on. We certainly haven’t thrown in the towel.”
The Devils need to get the positive vibes back and fast. What better way to do that than reflect fondly on their golden period from 1978-83? They won three flags in six years and this year marks the 30th anniversary of their three-point ’83 grand final win over Parkside. All bar two of the players who featured for the Devils on that day will be present on Saturday, along with legendary coach Ronnie Brown.
Division 1
Deer Park 20.20 (140) d Altona 19.11 (125). Altona – goals: Post 4, Shiels, Robbins 3, Rafferty, Jawad 2, Lunardi, Spiteri, Turnbull, Halloran, Cross. Best: Halloran, Post, Robbins, Rafferty, Kennedy, Cross.
Hoppers Crossing 17.12 (114) d Yarraville-Seddon 6.12 (48). Yarraville-Seddon – goals: Dorazio, Stretton, Krakouer, Newtown, Topalidis, Willis. Best: Pearce, Jansz, Harmes, Collins, Dorazio, Stretton.
Spotswood 17.14 (116) St Albans 14.7 (91). Spotswood – goals: Cloke 4, El-Hawli 3, Fogarty, Elliott, Callard 2, O’Keefe, Langlands, Orchard, Ryan. Best: Langlands, Elliott, O’Keefe, El-Hawli, Langlands, Lynch.
North Footscray 6.6 (42) lt Albion 21.15 (141). North Footscray – goals: Wills, Wilson, Dardha, Aspiotis, Jackson, Peters. Best: Riddle, O’Donnell, Jackson, Peters, Wilson, Brown.
Around the grounds: Port Melbourne Colts 11.8 (74) lt Sunshine 22.12 (144).
Next round: Albion v Deer Park, Altona v Port Melbourne Colts, Spotswood v North Footscray, Sunshine v Hoppers Crossing, Yarraville-Seddon v St Albans.
Division 2
Sunshine Heights 23.15 (153) d West Footscray 6.9 (45). West Footscray – goals: Augustine 4, Trowsdale 2. Best: Speakman, Augustine, Griffin, Lay, Trowsdale, Turner.
Parkside 10.16 (76) d Wyndhamvale 7.12 (54). Parkside – goals: Mastropasqua 3, Towns, Ryan, Muratore, Grant, Bera, Pearce, Gervasi. Best: Ryan, Muratore, Grant, Bera, Fowler, Pearce.
Sanctuary Lakes 14.13 (97) d Laverton 11.11 (77). Laverton – goals: Mulroy 3, Kelso, Boxshall 2, Paone, O’Donnell, Bublenik, Ristevski. Best: Lawry, Dunne, Mulroy, Spiteri, Collins, Paone.
Around the grounds: Albanvale 9.4 (58) lt Glenorden 40.14 (254), North Sunshine 6.8 (44) lt Braybrook 15.17 (107), Manor Lakes 16.15 (111) d Caroline Springs 7.8 (50).
Next round: Albanvale v West Footscray, Braybrook v Sanctuary Lakes, Laverton v Parkside, Wyndhamvale v Sunshine Heights, North Sunshine v Caroline Springs, Glenorden v Manor Lakes.
