AN IMPRESSIVE triumph by St Mary’s against ladder leaders St Josephs is just another twist in the tale that is the 2025 GFL finals logjam.<\/p>\n
The Saints led at each break and capitalised on starting with the wind, with the gap proving too much for Joeys in the 14.7 (91) to 6.7 (43) defeat at Herne Hill Reserve.<\/p>\n
The result of this match now means Joeys are just one game clear on top of the ladder, sitting at 11-2, with Newtown & Chilwell, St Mary’s and Colac all breathing down their neck being just one game behind.<\/p>\n
The Saints and the Tigers have played one less game, further tightening things up.<\/p>\n
For Saints coach Luke Rayner, the mental component pleased him the most in the win, particularly after losing a thriller against Joeys in Round 6.<\/p>\n
“It was probably their ability to bring such a strong positive mindset and for them all to be really solid contributors,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It was pleasing to see what we learnt from the first time around, and what we were able to bring into the second game against them was really satisfying.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, St Josephs coach Ron Watt was disappointed in his side’s performance.<\/p>\n
“We were substandard with our contest and game sense,” he said.<\/p>\n
“St. Mary’s played well and initiated play, thinking through elements of the game while we were somewhat reactive.”<\/p>\n
Joeys must quickly figure out what went wrong, as the side travels to Colac this weekend against a Tigers side who have only lost one game at home, and won five of the past six games.<\/p>\n
“I think you always learn more in a loss than you do winning,” Watt said.<\/p>\n
“I would never think that we have too much negative in our game but occasionally to get a reality check is a good thing, but only if we learn from things we could not execute on the weekend.”<\/p>\n
The matchup between Joeys and the Tigers could have huge ramifications for the rest of the top four.<\/p>\n
If the Colac can defend its home ground, and St Mary’s and Newtown & Chilwell both have wins, all four sides will have three losses and the Eagles could find themselves atop the ladder by percentage.<\/p>\n
Both Watt and Rayner admitted these calculation were in their minds with just seven weeks to go.<\/p>\n
“You always have to have an eye on managing the group, so they are getting the opportunities to play cohesively against the stronger teams, [but] then provide opportunities for them to manage their work loads and allow senior games for those playing well in the early game,” Watt said.<\/p>\n
“I think we have to [think about finals],” Rayner said when asked the same question. “As we know, it can change pretty suddenly and quickly, and sometimes it’s luck through injury, availability, form and so forth.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AN IMPRESSIVE triumph by St Mary’s against ladder leaders St Josephs is just another twist in the tale that is the 2025 GFL finals logjam. The Saints led at each break and capitalised on starting with the wind, with the gap proving too much for Joeys in the 14.7 (91) to 6.7 (43) defeat at […]<\/p>\n