EFNL 2021: Forward Ryan Phillips spearheads Bloods to 64-point win

They’ve hardly put a foot wrong in the opening month led by a star forward inclusion, but the Bloods are yet to hit their straps.

Lachlan Buckley (12) booted three in the weekend’s win alongside a boom Bloods recruit who kicked a bag. Picture: Dorey’s Footy Pixs

It has started the season with three wins and a loss by the barest of margins – but Warrandyte is yet to completely click, coach Paul Donahoo says.

The Bloods breezed past the Glen Waverley Hawks on Saturday by 64 points, following an upset one-point loss to Scoresby the week prior.

They sit second on the Eastern league Division 3 ladder behind only Ferntree Gully – with a game in hand due to their Round 1 bye – and a percentage of 156.43, superior to the rest of the division.

Warrandyte set the tone early on Saturday with a five-goal-to-one opening term, before a seven-goal blitz in the third blew the margin out to 60 points at the final change.

Donahoo said while his side had enjoyed a strong opening month, its starts to matches had been a key area of focus.

He pointed to the Whitehorse Pioneers clash two weeks ago, where the Bloods piled on six first-quarter goals to none, but lamented the opposition held much of the play.

A low-scoring first term against Scoresby followed a week later, with the Magpies edging ahead.

“Our focus into Glen Waverley was really around how we were going to prepare and start the game – it wasn’t necessarily about responding (following the Scoresby loss),” Donahoo said.

“I don’t think we’ve still hit our straps on starting games, but to come out with five goals in the first quarter and the pressure that came from our midfield that really got us going, we were really pleased from that side of things.”

New key forward Ryan Phillips has had no trouble hitting the scoreboard this season, booting 18 goals from the first four matches including a haul of six on the weekend to go with a bag of seven a fortnight earlier.

Ryan Phillips has booted 18 goals from four matches this season. Picture: Chris Eastman

Phillips made the move from Division 1 club Upper Ferntree Gully at the end of 2019 following his only season at the Kings, with a return of 24 goals.

Touted as one of the top recruits of Division 3, he brings top-flight experience having debuted for powerhouse Vermont in 2015 where he made 26 appearances across four seasons.

Donahoo said he was still tinkering with the forward structure around Phillips, in part owing to numerous team changes each week due to injury. But the former Eagle has made quite an impression on his Division 3 opponents so far.

“The big fella’s started pretty well for the year,” Donahoo said.

“Probably 14 (goals) have been in general play and not from typical marks … the guy’s named ‘Buckets’ with those sorts of hands, and if we can get him clunking a couple more it’ll be really good.

“He’s just such a presence and the amount of time that opposition teams are putting into him and trying to work two or three defenders onto him, is really good for us if we can utilise our spares.”

Donahoo made the transition from playing to coaching this season following his appointment in August 2020, and it’s one the former Warrandyte and Noble Park player has enjoyed as the club hunts a second consecutive finals appearance.

The Bloods lost an extra-time semi-final to the Waverley Blues in 2019.

“I always wondered how I’d find out going from playing, but I’ve loved it to be honest – our win against Ferntree Gully in Round 1 was probably the most excited I’ve felt for a win in a long time,” Donahoo said.

“At the end of the day, if you can get 12 wins for the year (to play finals) which is what we’re on track for, anything can happen from there.”