Calder Cannons may have won just their fourth game of the season last week, but they remain firmly in the hunt for a TAC Cup finals berth.
With the evenness of the competition coming to the fore more than ever before this year, the Cannons are now just percentage adrift of the top eight, and two games away from a home final with five games to play.
Calder coach Andrew Johnston said the side was seeing the benefits of finding some form as the season has gone on.
“We struggled a bit early on, probably only one win in the first half of the year,” Johnston said.
“But the last couple of months have been a lot better, and the whole competition is about improving and that’s come through for us in recent times.
“It now gives us an opportunity to maybe sneak into the eight, the sides aren’t far ahead of us now, but we can’t really look too far past Oakleigh in the next game.”
The final game before the bye gave fans a chance to see what the Cannons were capable of, running over the top of top four side Murray Bushrangers on their home deck. Johnston said it could be a turning point for his side.
“It gives the boys some belief,” he said.
“If the boys play like that more often, in games and then week on week, then you give yourself every opportunity of making an impact. We knew we had a strong bottom-age group, and in the TAC Cup it’s all about how quickly you learn and adjust, so we knew if things started to click that we could be around the finals mark and that’s the way it looks now.”
While the side is focusing on getting one of the coveted finals places, AFL recruiters are gearing up for another busy draft season.
Johnstone said there were a number of players he believed would be picked up in either the national or rookie drafts in November, chief among them Noah Balta, who is predicted to go high.
“His [Balta] athletic ability is very good, and he can play up forward, down back, and in the ruck so his versatility is very high,” Johnston said. “He’s a sensational player, so if he’s not picked in the top 20 then recruiters don’t know what they’re talking about.
“Guys like Brad Bernacki, with his contested ball winning and leadership, stand out to be at least rookied, and Aidan Tilley as a 19-year-old has really come on this year and we think he’s got the pedigree to handle AFL.
“And then there’s Mitch Podhajski who played Vic Metro and showed his run and defensive attributes against South Australia, and has shown he can go forward with us so he’s versatile too.”
Calder Cannons will resume their season against ladder leaders Oakleigh this Saturday.
