Tara Murray
Burnside Heights went back to school last week and it paid off as the Bears returned to the winners list in the Essendon District Football League division 2 competition.
Coming off their first two losses of the season, the Bears needed to get back on the winners list against Coburg Districts.
Playing under lights in cold conditions, the Bears were able to set the match up in the first half, keeping the Lions goal less.
While the Lions showed some resistance in the second half, the Bears showed their composure in the second half, winning, 11.8 (74)-5.7 (37).
Bears coach Cole Harvey said it was nice to get back on the winners list.
“It was a pretty good win,” he said.
“We’ve played some quality teams in Westmeadows and Taylors Lakes and you look at the margins there isn’t much between the top three or four teams.
“We haven’t been disappointed with the calibre of players out of those games.”
Harvey said they studied both of those games the last couple of weeks to see where they went wrong and where they needed to improve.
He said you don’t lose matches, you have opportunities to find ways to learn and get better.
“We executed a lot of things we worked on during the week.”
Harvey said he thought they could be in for a long night in their warm up against Coburg Districts, with the group flat during the warm up.
He would be wrong.
“We had come to play,” he said. “We changed a few things up as against Taylors Lakes and Westy we went away from what we had been doing well.
“We got back to playing zone and put on that pressure.”
Harvey said they knew the Lions would come in the second half, but was pleased with how his group was able to respond.
He said they were able to run the game out really well.
“We were able to absorb that sort of pressure,” he said. “We got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter and were able to wrestle momentum back.
“The last quarter we changed our rotation and our mids were on top and we kicked away.
“I was pretty happy.”
Nick Gregson kicked three goals for the Bears, while Adam Sullivan kicked two goals.
Harvey said Tyson Iglesias continued his good form and said he’s the best full back in the competition,
Dion Lawson also had a good game, while Lachlan Evans won the battle in the ruck.
The Bears remain in second spot, a game behind Taylors Lakes.
The run of big matches continues with games against the Sunbury Kangaroos and Northern Saints the next two weeks.
Both teams sit a game outside the top four.
In division 1, Hillside proved too strong for St Albans, winning 15.6 (96)-10.7 (67).
