Tara Murray
A new season and but the result was the same for the Western Crusaders in the Gridiron Victoria men’s competition.
The Crusaders, who have won the last four titles and won both division 1 and 2 last season, are again expected to be among the contenders this season.
With only one division this year, both Crusaders teams are playing in the same division. They’re the only club to have two sides.
They started the year in fine form with wins against the Northern Raiders and Melton Wolves respectively.
Player and committee member Tyson Garnham said were glad to get back out on the field.
“It went well,” he said. “We started the season off with two wins.
“They were two of the lower teams, but it was good to still get out there and play.”
The division 1 side won 52-0 against the Raiders, while the division 2 side won 42-14 against the Wolves.
It was a big weekend for the club with one of their captains Dennis Battistella Junior playing his 250th game.
With the only club with two teams, Granham said that it was hard at times getting all the numbers and might hurt results, but it was the best thing for the club.
“Everyone gets game time,” he said. “Other clubs have large numbers on the bench.
“We have struggled to put the two teams out there and we’re still trying to recruit more players.
“We do the work as we think that it will work out better in the long term for the club.”
The two teams will combine into one for finals which is where the Crusaders are aiming for yet again.
After a big first week, the Crusaders top side players the Croydon Rangers in a rematch of last season’s grand final.
Granham said it would be good to test where they are at.
“I’m sure it will be a heated battle and they’ve gone out and recruited a lot of players,” he said.
“They’ll be seeking revenge.”
Granham said about 70 per cent of last year’s squad had returned, while there was a number of new players who had come to the club.
He said it would take a bit of time for the two sides to get the cohesion going.
Having had the success that they’ve had previously, the Crusaders know what they need to do to continue being the benchmark of the competition.
“Every year we go out there expecting to win it,” he said. “We don’t try to compare ourselves with anyone else in the league.
“We benchmark against ourselves. As long as we get better each week we’re happy and finals are the focus.”
The Crusaders second team faces the Monash Warriors in round two.
The club also has an under-16 team. They start their season on Sunday against the Croydon Rangers.
Garnham said they were the future of the club and excited to build on last year.
