EFL 2018: North Ringwood tumbles out of finals contention after promising start to the season

NORTH Ringwood’s push for its first top-flight finals appearance in more than a quarter of a century will have to wait until at least 2019.

North Ringwood coach Brett Moyle. Picture: Davis Harrigan

NORTH Ringwood coach Brett Moyle returned to Quambee Reserve wanting to take the Saints to finals football.

But Moyle’s plans for North Ringwood to become a Division 1 premiership contender will have to wait until at least 2019.

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Injuries have cruelled the Saints’ campaign with Michael Locco, Mitch Keedle, Josh O’Brien and Matthew Cullinan among those to watch from the sidelines, while Dylan Van Unen (Port Melbourne) and Harry Nolan (Coburg) have both been regulars in the VFL.

North Ringwood reached 4-2 after a win over Norwood but have dropped seven of its past eight games to tumble out of finals contention.

“Didn’t want to be 5-8 after 13 weeks and to be honest, I think we had a squad together, a top-five squad, but we just haven’t been able to have that side out there really since Round 3,” Moyle said.

Daniel Wood looks for options. Picture: Davis Harrigan

“Injuries aren’t an excuse but it’s just a bit of reality, I think most have to cop with four, five or six of their best out but I think we’ve had a couple of weeks where we’ve had 12 or 13 of our best 22 missing.

“We were 5-4 going back three or four weeks, we’ve had Montrose, Balwyn, Noble Park and Rowville and you think, ‘if you want to be a finals side you’ve probably got to win all four of those’ and we haven’t won any.”

The injury toll has forced North Ringwood to blood its next wave of talent, with junior products Jack Murfett, Liam Taylor, Jake Ireland and Darcy Harris among those getting a taste of senior football.

“I think we’ve got some talented kids that we’ve played but we’re almost exposing them in a too confronting fashion and they’re not surrounded by enough senior players,” Moyle said. “That’s just going to make them better players next year and beyond.”

Moyle said North Ringwood would be in the market for a “VFL quality centre half-forward” in the off-season — only small forward Jayden Hoegel has kicked more than 20 goals this year — to help the Saints push for finals.

“I guess my idea when I came on board was to try to put a squad together that could play finals this year, get the experience of trying to play finals and then try to seriously contend next year,” he said.

“I think the end goal is still there, we just need to add two or three (players) in the off-season and get our squad together fit and healthy.”