With 23 unavailable off the senior list due to Covid and injuries, 8 debutants and a11 senior players missing from last years GF team, I think it was a terrific effort to get so close to Souths. We lead for all but the last 10 mins but lacked the experience and poise in that last qtr to stop Souths falling over the line. They were bigger and out marked us consistently and made just enough better decisions to get the W. We blew it in the 3rd with wasteful forward line work. The younger players and even Sok going for shots from deep in the scoreboard pocket where is was all but impossible to score a major with that gale force southwesterly, where as in the last qtr, Souths centred the ball to 25 out in front of the goals where they took a couple of critical marks and snaps resulting in goals. Before the game I would have taken a 7 point loss as I expected we would get done by at least 30+. Wardmans coaching was very good given that more than half the team were regular ressies players or debutants, it was quite defensive which frustrated a usually free-wheeling attacking Souths side and almost caused a massive upset.
Some of the youngsters coming in aquitted themselves very well but we desperately need a real ruckman, Dela was beaten up and exhausted at the end of the game, Putt did little but is just 21 and a work in progress.
Souths should have won and won well even given they had about 8 missing from their GF side but they have had all their new players for a full pre-season whereas Subi's prep has been seriously compromised, very similar to what has happened to WC where the lack of continuity at training has had a major impact.
A red hot Claremont next week at Apartment stadium, they are coming off a win over flag favouties Joondy so will be a much tougher opponent than Souths, hopefully we will get some senior players back for that game but the covid affect on their fitness is an unknown.
