EFNL 2021: Where the Waverley Blues must improve according to coach Tom Langford

The Blues declared lofty goals for 2021, but the season hasn’t gone to script. Coach Tom Langford details where his side must lift before it’s too late.

Waverley Blues co-captain Ben Turner. Picture: Field of View

Waverley Blues coach Tom Langford isn’t shying away from his side’s slow start to the season, declaring a lack of endeavour needing to be addressed ahead of a “massive” fortnight.

The Blues sit 1-2 following a 59-point drubbing at the hands of Ferntree Gully last Saturday to go with a narrow loss to Donvale in Round 1 and a big win over Scoresby the week after.

Langford boldly declared his premiership expectations during the pre-season after a grand final appearance in 2019, but said there had been a common trend in the Blues’ losses so far this season.

“It all starts with effort, and without sounding like it’s all about us, we feel as though our players have turned up with the right mindset and effort in one out of three games,” Langford said.

“It’s obviously a disappointing start, and we’ve had two losses in games where we were convincingly beaten, irrespective of the scoreboard – well and truly beaten by Donvale and Ferntree Gully.

“If we had won that (Donvale) game, we would have felt we would have pinched it and been an undeserved winner.

“If we don’t turn up again, we’ll lose again, and I don’t think anyone’s going to win a game of footy if you don’t compete at your best.”

Ryan McNamara was one of the Blues’ best in their win over Scoresby. Picture: Supplied

Langford said Ferntree Gully had taught his side “a real lesson” on Saturday, in the pair’s first meeting since the 2019 preliminary final.

“We were absolutely smashed in the midfield, and credit to them, they had a really good balance between their inside work and their outside midfielders and just the way they were able to move the ball from the stoppage,” he said.

“We didn’t have an answer and it was a real lesson for us and hopefully we were able to learn a bit from it because it showed a few significant deficiencies.

“They were winning it at the source, and they were able to translate that into scores.”

But the coach says there’s no hiding from the weight of pre-season flag expectations, adding that exposure to higher pressure matches early in the campaign could benefit his side in the long run.

“We haven’t hidden back from that, even though most teams would have the same expectation, we’ve obviously voiced it publicly and I guess that puts a target on your back, but that’s fine,” Langford said.

“Just because we spoke about it publicly, doesn’t mean we’re any different to anybody else, but obviously the tall poppy syndrome exists, and teams want to take you down.

“The reality is, if we’re going to achieve our goals, play finals and win finals, then they’re going to be big games and with a lot of pressure.

“If we’re able to get exposed to more of those early in the season because of little things like that where teams are setting themselves for us because we spoke a big game in the pre-season, then even if we’re losing a couple now, that’s going to surely hold us in good stead later because we’re more experienced in those high-pressure situations.”

A demanding fortnight awaits the fifth-placed Waverley Blues, with the sixth-placed Whitehorse Pioneers to come this week followed by top-of-the-table East Burwood sitting 3-0.

But Langford said the losses have provided a platform to improve, as the Blues look to steady their season.

Premiership name Tom Miles is expected to return to the senior side this week. Picture: Field of View

They’ll also welcome back gun names Nathan MacDonald, Tom Miles and Luke Gogis this week.

“At the moment we’re failing in those (high-pressure matches), so it gives us a strong reference point of where we need to improve,” he said.

“Even though the results haven’t been there, I think there are plenty of positives for us leading into the back end of the season.

“We can’t afford to get too far behind the ledger, and the next two weeks are massive for us.”