Saturday was always going to present as a danger game for the seniors.
Old Camberwell are seemingly targeted by opposition clubs as a winnable game should you bring you absolute best effort to the match, and our previous month of footy has exacerbated this belief amongst opposition clubs.
 
With Banyule fired up and at full strength and Old Camberwell having several senior players taking extended holidays, the game started with Banyule kicking the first 2 goals of the match and the chasm between our efforts and theirs was at either end of the spectrum.
A late fightback saw us take a small lead into the huddle but we were far from convincing.
 
The second quarter was better in effort, but it still seemed as though we were playing in second gear and always waiting for someone else to turn the game in our favour.

The message at ½ time was to really put the foot down and close the game out even though we only took a 3 goal lead in, the players felt like they had control of the game.  
This feeling soon soon changed as Banyule kicked the first 3 goals to take the lead on the scoreboard and control of general play, on all accounts the quarter went the way of  the visitors.

Down by 5 points (much brought about by our own doing) we rallied, settled and discussed the need to work harder. There was no panic but we just needed to focussing on ensuring it was a team effort.

A late goal broke the deadlock and the intensity for the remaining 90 seconds was outstanding (where was it for the first 3 quarters?)
 
As pleasing as it is to win, no doubt opposition coaches will highlight our second ½ fadeouts so “we” must remain vigilant for 4 quarters as efforts like weekends won't cut it in the coming weeks against side vying for a crack at the finals.
 
Confidence is huge in football and although we haven’t got the results we were seeking in the last fortnight, it could be said that 12 months earlier we would have found a way to lose both matches, this year we fought them out for a draw and win.

A small consolation but it still breaths life into the next 5 matches and as the results show, the league is consistently inconsistent, so as a group we need to decide what we want to make of the year.

I know the coaching staff are driven to  make sure we’re in the mix at the pointy end of the season – we now need to ensure all the players are too.

A stronger commitment by all players may just lead to an opportunity to achieve something special. 

Goal Kickers: D. De Sanctis 2, R. Campbell 2, S. Romanin 2, S. Killworth 2, C. Hillier , A. Clarke , G. Tolson 
Best Players: R. Kapoor, A. Clarke, P. Bennett, G. Tolson, J. Le Cerf, B. Hart