SPOTSWOOD leapt back into the Western Region Football League division 1 top two before the Queen’s Birthday break, but only scratched the surface of its full potential in a 46-point win over Sunshine Kangaroos at Kinder Smith Reserve on Saturday.
The Woodsmen have struggled to find consistency in the past fortnight, producing moments of their best football alongside periods of sloppiness you would not associate with a side that wants to give the premiership a shake.
On the bright side, the Woodsmen are on track nearing the midway point of the season to claim a double chance.
Woodsmen player-coach Chris O’Keefe said victories on the road at Sunshine should be savoured because it is a hard place to get four points, but he stopped short of lauding the performance as the best of the season.
“It was certainly not our best performance,” he said. “We were scrappy early on, we made mistakes and we over-used the footy in the wet, but then we came out after half time and played two good quarters of footy.
“We’re looking for four-quarter performances, certainly not two quarters’ worth.
“We’re still happy to come away with the win – Sunshine at Sunshine is a really hard game to win – but we’ve still got improvement to come and some areas to sort out.”
Spotswood started with a goal-less opening quarter to trail by 17 points at the first change and took longer to adjust to the slippery conditions than the home side.
Once the machine clicked into top gear on the back of ferocious onballers Justin Dorwood and Michael Fogarty, the Woodsmen would prove hard to stop.
Five goals to three in the second quarter had them almost back on level pegging at the half time break, followed by a devastating four goals in five minutes to start the third term to spark a second half runaway.
Jason Cloke was used as a high half forward and presented well for the Woodsmen. The key position player roamed to break away from the double team that invariably comes his way. Murray Boyd was another Woodsmen tall used to good effect.
He, too, was used in a variety of roles – ruck, half back and deep forward.
“He’s big and strong around the ground and gives you a fantastic contest,” O’Keefe said. “His ability to take some really good pack marks and be so strong in the air is an asset to us.”
It was a day that Woodsmen defender Simon Pocervina will not forget, returning to the senior line-up for the first time since a sickening leg injury three years ago.
Pocervina went through a long rehabilitation after breaking his leg and tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the one incident.
He was promoted after showing good signs in the reserves on his comeback trail.
“We expect he would’ve been pretty nervous at the start, but he got through it pretty well,’’ O’Keefe said.
“He acquitted himself well at centre half back on Tom Millar, which will be a real confidence boost for him.”
In other division 1 games, Cameron Trewin snared five goals to spark Deer Park in a 40-point win over Port Melbourne Colts at Murphy Reserve.
Damien Fitzpatrick booted eight goals in St Albans’ 80-point mauling of Albion at Kings Park Reserve.
Altona powered to a 115-point win over newly promoted Yarraville-Seddon at the Yarraville Oval, while Hoppers Crossing pummelled North Footscray by 154 points at Hogans Road Oval.
