‘Best we’ve played’: Heathmont coach’s endorsement of rival following EFL Division 2 loss

Heathmont felt the brunt of the EFL Division 2 team to beat on Saturday according to the coach, but it remains in the finals race.

It’s been a “rollercoaster season”, Heathmont senior coach Nick Rutley says, but his charges remain in the hunt.

The Jets are within striking distance of the EFL Division 2 top five ahead of a crunch-game this weekend following a 63-point loss to Ringwood on Saturday.

They sit 5-7 in seventh spot – just two points from fifth – occupied by The Basin after it upset Boronia.

Rutley declared the second-placed Redbacks as the “best team we’ve played” following the weekend’s match.

The second-year Jets mentor pointed to Ringwood’s team defence, ball movement and ability to spread from the contest as standouts among the division’s contenders.

Heathmont coach Nick Rutley says Ringwood is the team to beat in Division 2. Picture: Davis Harrigan

“I think we’re all chasing Ringwood, talent-wise there could be other teams in the comp that could argue that they’re pound-for-pound better, but on a team system and how they play, I was actually really surprised,” Rutley said.

“They’re going to take some stopping.”

It’s been a collective effort in attack this season through necessity for the Jets, with Fin Brown and James Rippingale leading the goalkicking at 15 apiece while Bailey Stevens is next-best with 12 – but is set to miss the remainder of the campaign with a back injury.

Injuries and illness to key players have been a familiar tale of Heathmont’s season, with the coach describing the team as “a week-to-week proposition”, lacking in continuity.

Rutley said a move of the magnets might be in order to find a focal-point up forward as his side looks to keep pace with the top five.

“We don’t have a significant go-to at the moment, but that might have to change in the next month or so because the teams I see that continue to win games have focal points forward,” he said.

“We spoke about that this week around how we score and who we score through, and it’s just been due to continuity in games – we haven’t had it (but) it’s not an excuse, it’s a reality.

“The reality of what we’re living is a team that’s fluctuating with two-to-five changes, week in, week out.”

Heathmont senior coach Nick Rutley says a move of the magnets might be in order to find a focal point in attack. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Heathmont faces Mulgrave (sixth) this weekend and a victory could launch the Jets into the top five.

They play Boronia (fourth), Knox (ninth), Oakleigh District (10th), East Burwood (third) and Templestowe (eighth) to round out the run home.

Mulgrave also holds a 5-7 record but has dropped its past three matches, with losses to Boronia, Ringwood and East Burwood.

“They’re looking to bounce back from a not-so-successful month after a really good start to the season, and they’ve still got very good players,” Rutley said.

“We win and we could find ourselves fifth … that’s the nature of the beast at the moment – it’s going to be week-to-week until we get to the last or second-last game of the season.”