EFL 2019: Park Orchards squares its season at 4-4 in Division 1

Park Orchards has moved back into the Division 1 top five with a 4-4 record, but coach Dennis Armfield has detailed where his side needs to improve in the second half of the year.

Park Orchards coach Dennis Armfield. Picture: Fabiano Giagnacovo

Park Orchards remains in the finals hunt at the midpoint of the Eastern Football League Division 1 season after a 17-point win over Wantirna South on Saturday.

The Sharks responded from a disappointing effort against the previously winless Mooroolbark in Round 7 to hand the Devils their fourth defeat since Round 3.

Scores were level at halftime before Park Orchards pulled away in the second half.

Four unanswered goals in the third quarter set up the 10.12 (72) to 7.13 (55) win, moving the Sharks back into the top five for the first time since Round 2.

Wantirna South won its first three games of the season but its only premiership points since have been from the Round 5 draw against Mooroolbark.

“Wanny South came at us and they’re a very hard at it team and sometimes you just have to win ugly and I thought we did that,” coach Dennis Armfield said.

“We had patches where it almost wasn’t going our way but I thought we were able to dig deep and beat a quality side.”

The experienced pair of Will Debney and Brendan Weinert won plaudits for their leadership, while Tom Livingstone and Jacob Price-Inglis were also strong contributors.

Park Orchards is one of five teams separated by just one game on the ladder, but the Sharks have had mixed form in the first half of the season.

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They suffered narrow defeats against top-three sides Croydon and Lilydale and challenged Doncaster East, but have also been inconsistent.

“The record reflects exactly how the year has gone if I’m brutally honest,” Armfield said.

“We haven’t been able to close out games. Sometimes you need to be able to win the close ones and we haven’t been able to.

“We have been inconsistent but I also think, and I’m happy to say it, our best footy is up with the best and our worst footy is probably worst than the worst.

“It’s just about making sure we try to level that ledger a little bit more to the positive side than the negative.”

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