EFL 2018: James Taberner surprises with a 10-goal haul in Waverley Blues’ 110-point win

WAVERLEY Blues forward James Taberner had kicked just four goals for the Eastern Football League season until a huge haul against Chirnside Park helped his side to a 110-point win.

JAMES Taberner had kicked just four goals for the season before Saturday.

But he enjoyed a performance to remember in Waverley Blues’ 110-point win over Chirnside Park, booting an incredible 10 goals in the 28.15 (183) to 11.7 (73) thumping.

Remarkably, Taberner had not kicked multiple goals in a game before the weekend’s outing.

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“He probably spent maybe 65 per cent, 70 per cent of the game up forward, he was up on the ball and ruck roving, rucked for a little bit but he was terrific,” Waverley Blues coach Bryce McGain said.

“When the ball was in the air he just owned it wherever it was and just grabbed it, he was fantastic.

“I think he kicked 10.3 but he handed off another three or four, he was really influential in the whole game, he had 13 marks and was terrific everywhere.

“One minute he was intercept marking in the backline and the next minute he is shooting for goal.”

It was Waverley’s highest score in more than a decade since kicking 31.27 (213) against Warrandyte in Round 2, 2008.

The victory also squared the Blues season at 6-6 with six rounds remaining ahead of a crunch game against fellow finals contender Templestowe this weekend.

McGain heaped praise on the development of his younger players, with Jaye O’Connell, Ryan McNamara, Kyle Viccars and Jack Strongman (playing as his surname suggests) among those to impress throughout the season.

“We’ve got better and better as we are doing things so I’ve been really pleased with the growth and improvement in the way we play,” he said.

“It’s time for us, now we’re in a good position, to challenge a few teams above us and teams right on us.

“Our balance is great so I’m just looking forward to us finishing the year strong and I just have a sneaky suspicion, and some real belief, that we might really challenge some of these teams and might find ourselves pushing up and stealing some places (above us) that they may think they’re pretty settled up above.”