Tara Murray
Tullamarine believe the results don’t give justice to where the team is at in the Essendon District Football League division 1.
This season was always going to be one of reset for the club, but injuries and unavailability has hit the club hard.
Last season’s preliminary finalists, have won just two games from the first nine this year.
Demons coach Ben Tankard said it had been difficult so far.
“It has been a tough start to the year,” he said. “We knew what was coming this year, a bit of a transition year.
“We’ve played nearly 40 players with an extensive injury list. About a month ago we had 13 of our best 22 missing,.
“We’ve still got about 7-8 out. We should get half a dozen back in the next fortnight.”
Tankard said while it had been hard with so many out it had fast tracked their plan of playing youth, which had been a focus this year.
Five under-18s have played already this season, while another five or six players who are in their first or second year of senior football have also played.
“It will hold us in good stead for the future,” he said. “We need to win a couple of games and consolidate our spot in the division.
“That is our main focus and to continue to improve and get better. We are nowhere near as bad as the results show.
Tankard said they had been good in patches of games but were struggling to put together four quarters of good football.
It was the case on Saturday against Rupertswood.
The Demons were in the match until quarter time, before the Sharks blew them away, winning 20.12 (132)-8.5 (53).
“We started well, which has been a trend for us,” he said.
“Rupo opened us up in the second half, they were too fit and too fast.”
Tankard said they would take some positives out of the final quarter when they kicked six goals and he said hopefully it would build their confidence which is low.
Jarrod Stephens, Dylan Watts and Thomas Jackson kicked two goals each for the Demons.
Tankard said 19-year-old Austin Warden was the standout, his third best on ground performance this year.
Tim Matson in his first game for the season coming off a broken ankle was another one of the standouts.
Tankard said it was good to have someone like Matson back in the side.
The Demons this week host Keilor Park at Jacana Reserve.
Tankard said it would be a big day for the club.
“Jack Burns and Jonathan Hardman both play their 300 games,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of premiership reunions.
“ Hopefully our form turns around.”
In other matches, Roxburgh Park beat Westmeadows, while Craigieburn lost a thriller to St Albans.
In premier division, Greenvale beat Airport West.
