EFL 2022: Templestowe remains in finals hunt following Mulgrave victory

It was another challenge Templestowe rose to in its bid to play finals. Senior coach Anthony McGregor explains how his side did it.

It was billed as yet another mini-final amid the hot race for the Eastern league Division 2 finals – and Templestowe did it in a canter.

The Dockers followed on from their upset of second-placed Ringwood with a 52-point win over Mulgrave in a significant boost to their finals hopes.

The sixth-versus-seventh clash presented the winner an opportunity to hold the gap to just two points on the top five, with the Dockers remaining in sixth spot and within striking distance behind The Basin.

The Dockers’ Toby Ryan finished one of the best afield on Saturday. Picture: Hamish Blair

Mulgrave, eighth, now has six points and percentage to make up on fifth spot with three matches remaining – Knox (ninth), Oakleigh District (last) and The Basin.

Templestowe senior coach Anthony McGregor said his charges “executed a plan” against the “very quick” Lions on Saturday, with the injection of speed and a point of difference at the contest.

Quick reserves captain Marcus Pillot received a call-up as did forward Will Rimmington in a bid to match the Mulgrave pace.

“We knew how they (Mulgrave) wanted to play, did our research and we sort of took their game away from them to be honest,” McGregor said.

“I think we were just a little bit cleaner around the contest, and we made them force the skill error which I thought was the difference.”

Defender Alex Brown continued his strong campaign with a best afield performance, while Cameron Cloke and Jeremy Sakkas kicked three goals apiece.

Brown leads a back six earning high praise from the coach.

“He (Brown) has been phenomenal all year – his ability to read the footy and make sure his opponent is beaten, and then be that third person up is quite incredible. His execution by foot is second-to-none,” McGregor said.

“But that’s not to say he hasn’t got some good help down there at the moment, they’re working well as a team within a team … most teams are struggling to kick a score against us.

“That’s not just from him, that’s blokes doing their bit together.”

Experience and youth have gelled well in the past month, the coach says. Picture: Hamish Blair

Templestowe boasts a 7-8 record, winning its past three. It clashes with fourth-placed Boronia this weekend, before dates with The Basin (fifth) and Heathmont (seventh, 7-8) round out its campaign.

McGregor said belief was starting to build at the business end of the season.

“The young fellas are starting to believe in themselves … we’re starting to believe we can match most teams if we take their game away but try and execute ours at the same time,” he said.

“Footy isn’t rocket science, it can be made quite difficult at times, but we’ve got a ‘keep it simple’ philosophy and I think we’re just working well together at the moment to be honest.”