Tara Murray
Patches of play continue to hurt the Western Jets in the NAB League Boys season.
The Jets have been in every game so far, but sit middle of the table with a 2-3 record.
With a bye on the weekend, the Jets have the chance to reset ahead of a big second half of the season.
Jets coach Robbie Chancellor said they still had some work to do.
“We’ve been competitive in every game,” he said. “We’ve had chances to win every game that we have played.
“There’s parts of games that have let us down. Sides are getting away from us in those periods.
“We need to find a way when things aren’t going to plan, how to work through it.”
Chancellor said the game against Gippsland Power, the only undefeated side, showed what they could do when they were switched on.
They went from 40 points down to in front, before eventually losing the game.
Chancellor said you had to be switched on from the first whistle.
“It’s even a competition this year,” he said. “You have to show up to play each week and if you’re a little bit off, it will hurt you.
“You need to have consistency on the track and train strongly every session.”
The Jets start to the season hasn’t been helped by playing all away games so far. They’ve played in Morwell, Tasmania, Queensland and their next match is in Ballarat.
Chancellor said it hadn’t been the worst thing for the side.
“We have had a bit of a tough run, but it has galvanised us,” he said.
“At the end of the year we’ll have a good run of matches at the back end of the season. What we’re going through now will pay some dividends when we are playing home matches.”
While Chancellor said it was a very even side, it was co-captain Massimo D’Ambrossio who was leading from the front.
“He didn’t play on the weekend as he was playing in the young guns game,” he said. “He has been an absolute star.
“He’s got a good opportunity to be picked up in the middle of the year after a number of injury setbacks and then COVID meaning he hasn’t played a lot of football.”
Others to impress Chancellor include their other co-captain Jaelen Pavlidis, Jake Whybrow, Darcy Weeks and Logan Morris.
The Jets next week face the Greater Western Victorian Rebels on Saturday in Ballarat.
