THE whole complexion of the Western Region Football League division 1 premiership race has changed in the space of a fortnight, but not in the eyes of Altona Vikings coach Anthony Eames.
The Vikings are considered by many the new flag favourites after breaking a long drought to beat Spotswood for the first time since 2001.
The Woodsmen are suddenly a shaky proposition after ending a 12-game winning streak with two straight losses to teams that will feature heavily in September.
Click on the image below for our gallery of the big game.
But Eames isn’t getting carried away with his lot, downplaying the importance of moving a game-plus-percentage clear on top of the ladder, scoffing at suggestions the No.1 finals ranking could be a golden ticket to a premiership and dismissing the Woodsmen’s mini-form slump as irrelevant.
“That means nothing to us,” Eames said of the potential benefits of heading into the finals ranked number one.
“We’re in it to win as many games as we can – not to try and manipulate a finish on the ladder or anything like that.
“Spotswood finished on top a couple of years ago and got beat and I know Albion did last year and got beat.
“For us, it’s not the be-all and end-all, and I don’t think there’s any blueprint to win any finals campaign.”
So, what did the Vikings get out of Saturday’s 28-point win over the Woodsmen in their blockbuster at JK Grant Reserve?
Eames was chuffed to be able to walk around the clubrooms that evening and see the beaming smiles on the faces of the fans who have long suffered in Hobsons Bay derbies.
“The supporters were pretty happy considering they’ve spanked us for a good 10-year period by some pretty heavy margins,” Eames said. “I think it gave them a bit of hope.”
The Vikings have come a long way this season. Two meetings with the reigning premiers have proved they stack up well in all key areas.
“We know that you can’t intimidate Spotswood,” Eames said. “But you can certainly try and match them in the area they’re strong in and that’s hard-ball gets.”
The Vikings used their superior foot speed to race away from the Woodsmen after half-time.
They booted nine of the last 14 goals to stake their claims on the minor premiership.
Tyler Healy was one of the Vikings’ stand-outs with his fleet feet causing havoc on the wing.
Jordan Robbins was a nuisance on the forward line with four goals.
But the heartbeat of the Vikings was attack-minded midfielder Travis Lunardi, who finished with four goals despite having to cover almost every blade of grass on the ground.
