Premierships are not won in October, but the foundations can be built.
The vibe about Altona is a stark contrast to the one it experienced 12 months ago.
This time around, the A’s got the first-up win they desired in the Bowls Victoria premier division, beating Clayton 82-72 at Civic Parade on Saturday.
“It’s huge,” A’s skip Brett Dodd said of the opening-day win.
“This time last year, we lost the first one to Clayton and were sort of chasing our tail, whereas this year we’ve got that one under our belt and we’re off and running.”
The positive energy is not all about the win-loss column.
The A’s are undoubtedly a more settled unit than the one that came together at the start of last season.
Their four skips – Dodd, Brad Peck, Brenton Coad and Brett Foley – are entrenched and a strong pre-season campaign carried over to the opening match.
“There’s a lot harder edge about the side this year,” Dodd said.
“Last year, there were a lot of new blokes getting together and getting to know each other, but this year it’s all business.
“We’re a year down the track, so we’re definitely a better side now than we were this time last year. The boys were champing at the bit to get it under way.”
Dodd’s rink was the only one that went down for the A’s. In a tight struggle, he lost by six shots.
Peck’s rink was the most impressive, delivering a nine-shot thumping.
Coad was victorious by seven, while Foley made it three out of four with a three-shot margin.
The A’s come up against big rival Moonee Ponds in a second-round blockbuster away at Queens Park on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Yarraville-Footscray had a narrow 76-75 loss to Mentone in its first game back in the premier division.
