Tara Murray
The upward trend continues for Altona in the Hockey Victoria Premier League men’s competition.
After a slow start to the season, the A’s are starting to find their groove and rise up the ladder.
On Saturday, they recorded an 8-0 win against Brunswick, with Cooper Burns scoring half of those goals.
The win, their sixth of the season, has the side sitting in sixth spot after 11 rounds.
Speaking before the match, A’s coach Zac Hawes said the side was starting to put together some strong performances.
“I think we have come on leaps and bounds,” he said. “It took a while to readapt from the middle of last year.
“We had to find our feet again.”
Howes says he is part of the reason for the slow start, by introducing things too quickly based on what they did last year.
He said they needed to start again, which they have since done and things have turned around.
“We needed to repeat things from last year and get a bit of a platform,” he said.
“I introduced things too quickly. We learned from a couple of losses early on.
“We weren’t out of games, but we had made it hard for ourselves and I was partly responsible for that.”
Now with things on track, Howes said he was really pleased with how the group was tracking. He said while it was his third year at the club, it felt like it was still his first after the interruptions the last two years, with only half a season played in the last two years.
“I’m extremely pleased with how the group is tracking,” he said.
“The belief has returned to the group. They know they can compete with the top sides.
“The results of late have shown what we are capable of. I’m proud of the boys.”
Now with the side on the right path, Howes is hoping for a big second half of the season.
He said a top four finish and finals were the aim.
“There is so much scope for growth in them,” he said. “We know we’re nowhere near our ceiling yet.
“They are still learning. The second half of the year we would like to jag a top four spot.
“We want to stay the course and play finals as we haven’t for a few years, They deserve it as I know how hard they work.”
In other results in the men’s premier division, Footscray had a 6-1 win against MCC.
Footscray sits second on the ladder.
Meanwhile in the women’s premier league, Altona beat Yarra Valley 11-3.
Jesse Brennan scored five goals and Danielle Schubach scored three goals in the win.
The win was Altona’s third of the season, with the side sitting in 11th spot.
Footscray had a 9-0 win against MCC.
Georgia Hopkins scored four goals.
Footscray sits second on the ladder.
