EFL 2022: Templestowe upsets Ringwood to reignite finals hopes

The Dockers staged one of the upsets of the EFL Division 2 season on Saturday, setting up a monster run home with a raft of sides vying for the fifth and last finals spot.

It pulled off one of the upsets of the season – and reinvigorated its finals hopes in doing so.

Templestowe is within striking distance of the Eastern league Division 2 top five following its victory over second-placed Ringwood on Saturday.

The Dockers’ 8.7 (55) to 6.9 (45) win lifts them to within two points of fifth spot on the ladder, occupied by The Basin.

They join a raft of sides in pursuit of the last finals position with four rounds to go, including Mulgrave (seventh) who they clash with this weekend.

MORE: ‘Best all year’: Driving force behind Mulgrave upset

Templestowe coach Anthony McGregor. Picture: Davis Harrigan

“We’ve looked at the run home a couple of weeks ago and how we need to go about it … we nearly got over the line against East Burwood as well going down with the last kick of the day, which would have been very handy right about now,” Templestowe senior coach Anthony McGregor said.

“We competed well against Ringwood in the first round and we had a lot out that day, and we knew we could match them.”

Templestowe also pushed top-three outfit East Burwood recently. Picture: Davis Harrigan

The Dockers won the first three quarters on Saturday for a 31-point margin at the last break, before the Redbacks hit back in the final term with the aid of the breeze.

“It was a monstrous wind, and it seemed to get heavier and heavier,” McGregor said.

“They (Ringwood) actually rolled the dice a lot of the times … they’re a very good side of keeping possession and they very rarely turn the football over and in the first three quarters we hampered their ball flow and put a lot of pressure on the bloke at the end of the chain.

“In the last with the wind, they had to roll the dice. Our boys just dug in, ground away, made it stoppage after stoppage and wound the clock down.”

Mathew Zukiewicz finished best afield with McGregor lauding the swingman as “phenomenal” in defence, capping an “amazing” past month.

“We needed some surety down back a few weeks ago, someone who can read the play, calm under pressure and can use it well,” McGregor said.

“He’s a genuine forward, but he’s actually a very composed backman … he competes and very rarely gets beaten.”

The coach is under no illusions the final four weeks are set to test the Dockers with Boronia (fourth), The Basin (fifth) and Heathmont to come after Mulgrave this weekend – the latter three also sit two points outside the five.

The Lions knocked over ladder-leader South Belgrave on Saturday, setting the scene for a monster clash.

“They’re all around us, and if we make it (finals), we deserve to be there,” McGregor said.

“We put it up on the board a number of weeks ago about what we need to do and how we need to achieve it.”