When Western Crusaders start consistently winning the close games in the Grid Iron Victoria senior men’s, the rest of the competition better look out.
The Crusaders’ only two losses of the season have been by a combined total of 10 points, while their six wins have seen an average winning margin of 18.5 points.
Crusaders’ head coach Craig Wilson is thrilled with the 6-2 start and, with a bit more polish, can see his team at the top the league.
“We’re rapt with the start,” he told Star Weekly. “We’ve lost the games that were pretty tight for us. Fix a couple of mistakes and the next time round, hopefully they’re ours for the taking.”
The Crusaders are one of the hottest teams in the competition. In Tyson Garnham’s 100th game on Sunday, they notched a fourth consecutive victory, edging Geelong Buccaneers 15-13 on home turf at Henry Turner Reserve.
During its winning streak, the Crusaders have scored a massive 125 points, while conceding just 39.
Now well and truly in the playoff mix in third spot, the Crusaders have started to believe they are among the contenders for the Vic Bowl XXXII on October 16.
“As long as we keep on improving every week, and we do it faster than the other teams, I think we’re a red hot shot,” Wilson said.
“Every time we’ve had a win or a loss, we get in and review the film, and check out how we’ve gone and whether we’ve played our assignments, and what our techniques have been like.”
If the Crusaders are to win their first Vic Bowl since 2007, they need to conquer Monash Warriors, the powerhouse of the past decade.
The Crusaders have beaten last year’s champs Croydon Rangers twice this season, but the scalp of the Warriors – winners eight times in the past 11 seasons – has eluded them.
“They’re the team I don’t think we’ve beaten for a number of years,” Wilson said. “They’re the team we’d be keen to measure ourselves against.”
The Crusaders will meet the Warriors for a second time on September 4.
With the arrival of US import wide receiver cum defensive back DJ Battistella, and the return of defensive MVP Jnala Saluni after an ankle injury, the Crusaders will be in much better position to give the Warriors a good run.
Grid Iron Victoria will have a bye this weekend to give fans the chance to go to the NCAA college football game between the California Golden Bears and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in Sydney.
