Consistency is the key for Mernda in the second part of the Northern Football League division 3 season.
While the Demons sit fourth and are just percentage off second spot, they have struggled to put together four full quarters.
Now coming off a two-week break due to the Queen’s Birthday weekend and a bye, coach Paul Derrick said they were ready to go again.
He said the double bye couldn’t have come at a better time.
“At the start of the season we didn’t think a two-week break was ideal, but it worked out to be at a good time,” he said.
“We’ve had an injury list of 15 the last few weeks. We’ll have eight players available this week, who haven’t been available the last few weeks.”
The large number of injuries has meant the Demons have had nearly 40 players go through the senior side so far.
However, Derrick said they were happy with sitting fourth with a 5-2 record at this stage.
“We have got out of jail a couple of games,” he said.
“We haven’t played our best football since round one consistently.
“We’ve played a quarter here and quarter there … we haven’t had the consistency of players being out there.
“Players are coming in and doing jobs they are used to.”
The injuries have meant the Demons have had to blood a number of under-19 players in the seniors. Derrick said he was pleased with they way the younger players stepped up, considering they did not even have an under-19 side last year.
“We’ve used seven or eight first-year under-19 players and we played an under-17 player in our last game.
“It’s fantastic to go from not having under-19s to having 36 of them now.
“They’re good kids and they’re pretty keen.”
Derrick said Adrian Stefanile, captain Josh Delaney and Matthew Campbell had been three of the standouts this season.
Derrick said they wanted consistency with their return to the field this week against Kilmore.
He said he didn’t realise he had such a young playing group when he took over the role and it would take time to develop the team.
“I have said from the start that we would get better and better,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll be more consistent with the list … our injury list for the seniors has been at least seven or eight each week, now hopefully it’s just one or two.
“The guys have been working pretty hard. We want to play finals.”
St Mary’s took the points against Heidelberg West in the stand-alone division 3 match on Saturday. St Mary’s won 15.21 (111)-8.8 (56).
Division 1 ladder leaders Macleod defeated North Heidelberg 20.14 (134)-11.6 (72) in the only match in that division at the weekend.
