It has been a long time since we have put a side away and in my time here, it is a first. Leaving the field last Sunday was a very satisfying experience, mainly due to our second half efforts.
We started hesitantly in the first and worked our way back in the second quarter. Our third seen us kick 10 goals and the last we finished off with 9 goals. This is evidence enough that our 4th quarter fade out to Mildura was mental and nothing more.
Our 1%'s were through the roof and we have now raised the bar in this area.
The tackling, smothering, chasing, harassing and spoiling was superb. When we set ourselves the task of doing all that unrewarded work and everything else looked after itself.
For the majority of the match we stuck to our plan and we are getting reward for weeks of perseverance in that department.
There is still so much to gain and I look forward to what we can put together as long as we are all striving for that same goal.
Hard work is the only way to reverse form, or to start achieving success. Tuesday we trained hard, we did our 50 x 50m sprints, Thursday we trained well in our squads and Saturday morning we were actively part of our community attending the dawn service. Finally there were about 6 - 8 players who did some extra training Saturday, working on weaknesses in there game.
Our preparation was good, we knew we had done the work; it was just a matter of application.
All in all a fantastic team effort, with everyone contributing.
A special mention to Isaiah 'Magic' Johnson who played his first senior match.
This week we play Merbein at home, Merbein will beat a side this year and we need to prepare well so we can be at our best come Saturday.
Some may think after a great win like last week we can cruise along now. This is not the case, we have to work even harder, on the track and come game day. We have set ourselves a benchmark and anything less will not be good enough.
We all need to lift in all aspects of our game, from on the field in respect to discipline and talk, to off the field with our match day uniform, seeking feedback or advice through the right channels and being punctual. No excuses.
Congratulations go to the following players who were successful in their nomination to be part of the 2009 Leadership Group. Richie Handreck, Steven Denaro, John Jackson, Jim Ryan and Mark Farnsworth. Thank you to those who applied for the positions.
Being part of the Leadership Group is not about being liked, but about being respected.
Players in this group will adhere to our standards all of the time and help steer our club in the direction we need to go to ultimately have the desired success we are after. It is a difficult job and I wish these players all the best with the challenges ahead of them. We are always on the lookout for players who show Leadership quality and who can help create a great club culture.
Also our player reps this year are Christian Gorman and Peter Zappia, thank you to these players for taking this role on. If you have any issue it is to be taken through these players.
Finally, this Saturday is Ladies Day! Please encourage all Ladies to attend and so they can enjoy themselves and be recognised for their efforts. This is another first for the RFNC and the ladies want to make sure it is an annual event.
There are many ladies that are significant stakeholders in our club, so this Saturday be sure to say thank you to each and everyone of them!
In support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation the seniors will play with a pink Sherrin which will be signed and auctioned off after the match.
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