EFL 2022: Why best is ahead for drought-breaking Chirnside Park
The Panthers are set to break a lengthy finals drought in the EFL’s Division 4, and the coach says the best is on the horizon. Here’s why.
Eastern
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Chirnside Park is set to break a longstanding finals drought – and senior coach Dave Newlands is confident his side’s best is yet to come.
The Panthers claimed their 10th win of the season on Saturday with a 16.17 (113) to 11.9 (75) victory over Croydon North-MLOC to move 12 points clear in second spot – and 20 points clear in the top four – with five weeks left of the Eastern league Division 4 campaign.
They’re set to feature in finals for the first time since 2009, after threatening to snap the drought last year before the season was called off.
Despite holding a 10-2 record, Newlands expects his best side to take the field in the run home, with a host of names due to return.
Among those is full-back Trent Russell (collarbone) who is due back in “two or three weeks”, while half-back Jimmy Wells is said to be around four weeks from a return. Midfielder Austin Sutherland played his first match since Round 1 on Saturday.
The club’s only losses this season have come against ladder-leader Silvan, to the tune of 72 points (Round 3) and 179 points (Round 10).
It is fixtured to play the Cats again in Round 17 before a bye rounds out its home-and-away campaign, with the coach confident his charges can better acquit themselves.
“We haven’t been able to get our best side on the park, so I definitely do (think our best is ahead) … we’re warming up to it,” Newlands said.
“With Silvan, it’s been two good reality checks, you are going OK but the best is still a fair bit ahead of you – but it’s been good to reset and look at things … we threw a lot of things differently at Silvan just to see how they would react … obviously they reacted pretty well.
“The last two rounds we should have everyone back which should be good.”
Reigning Stephen Jones medallist Ben Slattery turned it on with a best afield performance through the middle on Saturday, as the Panthers kicked away from the hosts after quarter-time.
Newlands said Slattery was recapturing top form after a recent bout of illness, while small forward Sam King headlined the scoring blitz with seven majors alongside Daniel Beddome with two.
“(King) was pretty consistent, he missed a couple as well but he was really good as a small forward, he was quick and he’s got a good leap on him,” Newlands said.
Meanwhile, Bailey Cheong bagged six goals for Croydon North-MLOC to finish best for the hosts, who sit sixth on the ladder with a 3-9 record.
Chirnside Park hosts Nunawading in Round 14 while Croydon North-MLOC is away to Surrey Park.
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