ROCKBANK is delivering on its quiet confidence of being in the Riddell District Football League finals mix after a 17-point win against Kilmore at the weekend.
The Rams have three wins from the first five games this season to sit seventh on the table after the 10.8 (68) to 8.3 (51) win at Ian Cowie Reserve.
Rockbank lost a number of close games last season to ultimately claim sixth place.
It started the season with an 18-point loss to Woodend.
But a 102-point thrashing against Macedon aside, the Rams have won by eight, 14 and now 17 points, evidence that the tide is turning their way in close finishes.
Playing coach John Cott, new to the club this year from Laverton, said that outside the top five teams, the expectation was for a close contest every week. ‘‘We’re happy with the performances but we can’t forget that we have the likes of Sunbury, Romsey and Riddell coming up,’’ Cott said.
‘‘In the Macedon game … a few things didn’t go our way with injury and after half-time we had no bench. Two guys who basically couldn’t run were out on the ground.’’
Rockbank trailed by 12 points at quarter-time but reversed the situation to lead at the long break and turn up by 13 at the last change.
Cott said that in spite of the troubles against Macedon, list depth was good and morale at the club was high.
‘‘I thought in the last quarter Kilmore found ways to frustrate us. They had combinations on the flanks that were really working for them and I could see that they’ve improved a lot from the scores against them early in the season. What I like from our guys is that we played 120 minutes. No matter what time of the game you’ve got to give it your utmost.
‘‘We’ve got 22 solid footballers, not too many superstars, but the attitude is fantastic.’’
Cott praised Darren Hulett’s willingness to battle for contested possessions and the work rate of fellow onballer Bryce Hall.
Matthew Bellingham was Rockbank’s top goalkicker with four.
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ROMSEY’S never-say-die attitude has remained intact through the off-season, and it hauled in a four-goal deficit to beat Sunbury Kangaroos by seven points on Saturday.
The reigning Riddell District Football League premier made a number of stunning comebacks to overrun teams on the way to the 2011 premiership, and it showed its resilience again on Saturday in its 11.13 (79) to 10.12 (72) win.
The rolled Roos left top spot for Diggers Rest, the last unbeaten team in the competition at 5-0. But Sunbury Kangaroos still have the best percentage of the four-and-one teams, ahead of Macedon and Romsey.
Matt Davidson booted five goals, including the sealer on the run, for Romsey, while Blake Henderson’s ruck-roving, Stephen Burlak in the backline and onballers Brad Mitchell and Mitch Farmer were standouts.
Sunbury co-coach Chris Meacham booted three goals to lead the line for his team, while Shane Bishop, co-coach Jamie Cuffe and ruckman Leigh Fishenden were other better players.
But defending a 21-point lead at three-quarter-time against the wind-assisted end proved too tough a task for the Roos in the final quarter.
‘‘At half-time we had a talk about things, came out and started doing the hard work,’’ Romsey coach Mark Pederson said.
‘‘Sunbury are a good side and our workrate had to lift. I thought the backline was playing well, but the forwards had to work harder and start putting some pressure on when we didn’t have the ball.
‘‘After half-time our tackling was a factor. We are a strong side and that (physicality) came into play.’’
Romsey didn’t take the lead until about six minutes remained in the game. Davidson made it a two-score margin in the dying stages.
‘‘We got better as the day went on. I really believe the players know they can come back from any situation,’’ Pederson said.
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ROCKBANK chalked up a second win of the season in Riddell District Netball League Agrade on Saturday to continue its unprecedented winning run to start its season.
The 34-23 win against Kilmore has the Agrade team sitting ninth on the ladder and reaping some early rewards for new recruits and persistent players retained from previous seasons.
Sisters Amanda and Michaela Colahan have added a defensive presence on court for the Rams, while another recruit Jordan Will-Holland has formed a partnership with Natasha Spry.
Rockbank got an eight-goal break on Kilmore by quarter time on Saturday, extending the lead out to 11 at the last change and riding out a mini-comeback in the final quarter to restore the same margin at the finish.
The effects flowed on to Bgrade as well where the Rams enjoyed a first win of the season.
‘‘We’ve always wanted to be competitive and always wanted to win,’’ B coach Kate Van Liessum said.
‘‘But the skill level …age of the players hasn’t quite been the same as the rest of the league.
‘‘This year with a lot of the girls being under 21 it’s gone up a notch. There is a lot of positivity and encouragement around the court right now.’’
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SCOREBOARD
Melton Central 10.5 (65) lt Wallan 17.18 (120)
GOALS — Melton Central: Brett Payne 3, Paul Henderson, Ryan Nelson, Adam Fenton 2, Scott Matthews.
Wallan: Glenn Poorter 5, Joshua Barber 3, Ben Schraven, Todd Muldoon 2, David Cornish, Rhys Frost, Zeb Fleming, Matthew Robertson, Morgan Smith
BEST — Melton Central: Johnathan O’Brien, Scott Matthews, Christopher Carassellos, Shane Frederickson, Brett Payne, Chris Lock
Wallan: Brandon Hooper, Matthew Robertson, Shannon Galea, Harrison Trotman, Glenn Poorter, Todd Keenan
Rockbank 10.8 (68) d Kilmore 8.3 (51)
GOALS — Rockbank: Matthew Bellingham 4, Matthew Edwards, Russell Rich 2, Scott Bell, Jackson Spencer
Kilmore: Steven Kenna 3, Daniel Robinson, Trent Kelly, Oliver Duff, Robert Peckham, Sean Abela
BEST — Rockbank: Darren Hulett, Bryce Hall, Matthew Bellingham, Russell Rich, Matthew Edwards, Thomas Mainey
Kilmore: Michael Marrett, Thomas Snaith, Matthew Zanini, Travis Hede, Damien King, Brent Gordon
Woodend Hesket 4.4 (28) lt Diggers Rest 18.6 (114)
GOALS — Woodend Hesket: Chris Forde 2, Brendan Fennell, James Hepburn
Diggers Rest: Daniel McCabe 6, Brent Tuckey 4, Stephen Ruane 3, Craig Marshall, Joseph Piccolo 2, Tom Evans
BEST — Woodend Hesket: Matthew Quinn, Jesse Sheppard, Jesse Waters, Daniel Martin, Chris Forde, Luke Macklin
Diggers Rest: Daniel McCabe, Shaun Sims, Cameron Woods, Dylan Hannan, Brent Tuckey, Craig Marshall
Lancefield 5.4 (34) lt Riddell 27.11 (173)
GOALS — Riddell: Michael Allen 9, Matthew Darby 5, Brian Ruffell 3, Ben Sonogan 2, Jarrard Cox, Brayden Allen, Cameron Casson, Peter Robertson, Timothy Rowsell, Haydn Ross, Darcy Bedggood, Nathan Allen.
Lancefield: Ben Richmond, Christopher Burkett 2, Phillip Conway
BEST — Lancefield: Christopher Burkett, Aisea Fonua, Ben Richmond, Phillip Conway, Ben Richey, Matthew Bowden
Riddell: Matt Sammut, Michael Allen, Matthew Darby, Brayden Allen, Xavier Codd, Ben Sonogan
Romsey 11.13 (79) d Sunbury Kangaroos 10.12 (72)
GOALS — Romsey: Mathew Davidson 5, Bradley Mitchell, Cameron Dawson 2, David Henderson, Blake Henderson
Sunbury Kangaroos: Chris Meacham 3, Jamie Cuffe 2, Leigh Fishenden, Matthew Leonard, Lucas Dowson, Daniel Ellery, Jared Pretty
BEST — Romsey: Blake Henderson, Stephen Burlak, Bradley Mitchell, Mitchell Farmer, Leigh Erwin, Mathew Davidson
Sunbury Kangaroos: Shane Bishop, Jamie Cuffe, Leigh Fishenden, Kayne Murphy, Daniel Gregory, Matt Welsh
Macedon 9.13 (67) d Broadford 1.1 (7)
GOALS — Macedon: Peter Markworth, Chad Walker, Jonathon Nadin 2, Alistair Meldrum, Kristopher Preston, James Wright
Broadford: Michael Edwards
BEST — Macedon: James Wright, Jonathon Nadin, Clinton Burgess, Chad Walker, Thomas Walliss, Richard McCann
Broadford: Matthew Williams, Grant Wearne, Andrew Hibbert, Conan Dickman, Liam Collier, Matthew Smith
LADDER: Diggers Rest 20, Sunbury Kangaroos 16 (273 per cent), Macedon 16 (272), Romsey 16 (194), Riddell 12 (153), Wallan 12 (88), Rockbank 12 (78), Melton Central 8, Broadford 4 (56), Woodend Hesket 4 (56), Kilmore 0 (52), Lancefield
0 (15)
NETBALL A GRADE: Macedon 55 d Broadford 44, Melton Central 49 d Wallan 34, Rockbank 34 d Kilmore 23, Diggers Rest 47 d Woodend 25
LADDER: Melton Central 20, Broadford 18 (277 per cent), Macedon 18 (200), Romsey 16 (192), Riddell 16 (119), Wallan 8 (107), Diggers Rest 8 (75), Rockbank 8 (47), Woodend-Hesket 0 (50), Kilmore 0 (36)
ROUND 6: Diggers Rest v Broadford, Woodend Hesket v Lancefield, Wallan v Sunbury Kangaroos, Rockbank v Riddell, Kilmore v Macedon, Melton Central v Romsey
