EFL 2022: Mulgrave provides injury update on star Jaxon Gervasoni

Mulgrave has provided an update on one of its star players following an injury in Saturday’s EFL Division 2 loss, as the coach remains optimistic his side’s season is far from over.

Mulgrave isn’t done yet, senior coach Ryan Webster says.

The Lions’ 36-point loss to Heathmont on Saturday turfed them from sixth spot to eighth and a game out of the Eastern league Division 2 top five with five matches to play.

They play South Belgrave (first), Templestowe (seventh), Knox (ninth), Oakleigh District (10th) and The Basin (sixth) to round out the home-and-away campaign.

“We’re only four points out of the five still – obviously we would have loved to have won the game and still been in the five or thereabouts … if we win enough games of footy between now and the end we’ll still be a chance to sneak in,” Webster said.

“We want to make sure we’re not relying on other teams, we want to make sure that we finish the season better than what we have done – that’s our biggest goal, making sure we keep improving.”

But Mulgrave is set to be without star midfielder Jaxon Gervasoni for the foreseeable future after a tackle left him with a shoulder concern in Saturday’s loss.

Mulgrave star Jaxon Gervasoni is set to miss this week’s clash with South Belgrave. Picture: Craig Bonney/Rhonda Tilyard Eddy

The coach said the 2019 Division 2 league best and fairest would miss this week’s clash with ladder-leader South Belgrave – but would return to action this season.

“He came up sore with his shoulder – he definitely won’t play this week, so he’s had it assessed, there’s no breaks or fractures, or structural bone damage or ligament (damage), it was more the impact side of things of hitting the ground pretty hard than anything,” Webster said.

“He’ll definitely be playing footy again this season … (but) it’s going to impact us greatly anyway because he’s been really good for us.”

Saturday’s result consigned the Lions to a fifth-straight defeat after beginning the season 5-3.

Inconsistencies in matches have proven costly, Webster believes.

“Heathmont are a really good side … they just played much better footy than what we did and were able to adapt quicker to how we were playing footy, compared to how we were able to adapt to how they were playing,” Webster said of Saturday’s loss.

“I don’t want to make excuses, but we still have quite a young list and they’re just a little bit inconsistent quarter to quarter which we need to get better at.

“Since we started this year, every game’s an elimination final for us because the way we play and the teams we play against, they’ve always been effectively arm-wrestles.”

Mulgrave coach Ryan Webster says inconsistency has been his side’s undoing this season. Picture: Craig Bonney/Rhonda Tilyard Eddy

It’s all about managing expectations for the Lions’ coach, and while Webster’s been left to lament close losses to top-three sides Ringwood (10 points) and East Burwood (12 points), the glass is half-full.

The club won two matches from 12 last season after four wins apiece across 2018 and ’19.

“I would have preferred to have had the improvement we’ve had and lost some close ones rather than not have improved at all – we can definitely be in a better position, but the improvement asked of the players has been great,” Webster said.