General News
8 July, 2021
Bloods seeking victories
TERANG Mortlake is hoping to finish the Hampden league season on a winning note.
TERANG Mortlake is hoping to finish the Hampden league season on a winning note.
The Bloods, which return against Camperdown this Saturday, are aiming to win more games than they lose in the run home.
The Bloods won just two of their first nine matches in the first half of the year, but coach Ben Kenna said his playing group was eager to better its ledger when games return.
“We had a meeting and set a few goals that we wanted to achieve out of the season and another four wins is something we want to achieve,” he said.
“It may be a challenge if the season is shortened but when we’re in a winning position we need to put more pressure on at the right time and finish games off where in the first half (of the year) we let a couple of those slip.”
Kenna said in an ideal world the Bloods would be higher-placed on the ladder.
“We would have liked to have won a couple more games,” he said.
“We had some disappointing games in the first half of the year but there was also three or four where we had opportunities but we either couldn’t put sides away or hang in there for long enough.
“It would have been nice to have one or two more wins but we are where we are.”
The first-year coach attested his side’s record to momentum swings, with the Bloods often unable to maintain its promising patches.
He said when his side produced its best footy, confidence built within his group, but was equally shot when opposition teams got on top of them.
“In games we’ve either won or had good quarters the guys gained confidence from the way we played,” Kenna said.
“The flipside to that is we don’t sustain that enough and past habits have probably crept back in.
“That’s what we’ve identified and taken out of the last 10 days but the players are probably driving that more than me.”
Individually, the form of emerging forward Will Kain, intercepting defender Joe Arundell and creative midfielder Gus Bourke have pleased Bloods fans.
Kenna said he did not have a standout player in particular, but said the trio had all enjoyed their moments this year.
“There’s some who have had good parts in three or four games and while I’m not sure who would be leading our best and fairest there hasn’t been a (definitive) standout or shining light,” he said.
“Will Kain has had a strong year, there’s been a few games where he kicked fours and fives and that type of thing and he’s probably been pleasing in most games and in others he’s been quiet but that’s partly because of delivery of the footy and the opportunities he’s had.
“Joe Arundell and Gus Bourke at different stages have been reasonably strong but they would probably like to be more consistent.”