Parkside knows it’s not far off getting more wins on the board in the Western Football League division 1 competition.
The Magpies have come up from division 2 this season and have looked right at home in the top flight.
They have two wins from the first nine rounds, but that could have easily been a lot more according to co-coach Chris Muratore.
The Magpies’ biggest losing margin is 33 points.
“We’ve found some confidence out there,” he said. “We’ve had some moments we’ve let slip the last three to four weeks.
“We’ve been in good positions to win games, but we’ve let it slip for 10 minutes. We’ve been more than competitive coming up from B-grade to A-grade.”
Muratore said they’d been in positions to win most games. Outside of the Altona game, the Magpies have either been in front at three quarter time or within two goals.
He said it was in key moments they were seeing the difference playing at a higher level.
“We haven’t been able to play 120 minutes,” he said.
“We’ve had 10 minute lapses where they might have kicked one goal in division 2. We would miss a target and get it back.
“Now it could cost you four or five goals. All the sides bat really deep and the little things are getting us at the moment.
“It’s just 10 minutes in every game.”
Muratore said they were super confident in the playing group in being able to reduce those lapses in the second half of the season.
He said they believe they can win at least half their games in the back half of the season.
“Us as a playing group and coaching group, we need to keep getting better.”
The Magpies have had the last two weekends off with the split round and then the bye.
It was a chance for the Magpies to freshen up.
“We had a 10 day break to let them clear their heads,” he said.
“We have a good fitness base and they’re all on individual programs. We still have four sessions before our next game.”
The Magpies this Saturday face Point Cook.
Muratore said they would be set to welcome a few players back from injury having not pushed them before the break.
Hudson Barrett and Ethan Langwell are among those.
“They played off in last year’s grand final and we lost to them in the last couple of minutes in round one.”
Tara Murray
