EFNL 2023: Waverley Blues shooting for record-breaking win in Good Friday blockbuster

They hold one of local footy’s longest current winning streaks – and this week’s Good Friday clash offers the Waverley Blues a shot at breaking a longstanding record.

IT’s been more than a year since they’ve lost a match.

And the Waverley Blues will be out to etch a club record when they run out for a Good Friday blockbuster against Mulgrave in the Eastern league’s Division 2.

The newly promoted Blues took the Division 3 premiership last season off the back of 17 consecutive victories – and equalled a longstanding feat of 18-straight on Saturday in their 12-point win over Templestowe.

They last lost in Round 1, 2022 (April 2) in a two-point nail-biter – with the 2023 outfit matching the Blues’ 2005 premiership side which won 18 in a row that season.

The Waverley Blues haven’t lost since April 2, 2022. Picture: Davis Harrigan

The Lions stand in the way of a record-breaking 19th victory on Friday, and are searching for their opening win of the season after falling to East Burwood as they debuted former AFL Bulldogs Lin Jong and Fletcher Roberts.

Dual Waverley Blues premiership player and club historian Glenn Hislop declared the current crop might have the heavy-hitting sides of yesteryear covered, which took home flags in 2000, ’05 (Division 4) and ’08 (Division 3) following the club’s inception in 1999.

Hislop featured in the 2000 and 2008 triumphs – missing ‘05 – but says the current streak is a throwback to the halcyon period of the early 2000s.

The 2005 Waverley Blues celebrate the premiership win. Picture: Supplied

“It’s a very familiar feeling to the early days when we were winning in 2000,” Hislop said.

“I think the competition now is a bit stronger so it’s a bit harder – those early years it was a similar division.

“In 1999, 2000 we were winning most games by big margins which isn’t so much the case now as the competition’s a bit tighter.

“(Senior playing-coach) Tom Langford brings another level of professionalism that wasn’t around back then … it’s an exciting time.”

And the feat certainly isn’t lost on Blues president Steve Pewtress.

“We’re incredibly proud of what Tom Langford and the players are doing – the fact that we’ve just equalled the club record from 2005 with a longest stretch of successive wins is just a wonderful reflection on the entire club but specifically the coaching staff and playing group,” he said.

“But of course we hope we can continue to achieve successive wins and see how far we can take that record – we know we’re up against some stiff opposition, but we’re going to give it our best week in, week out.”

Langford lauded his group’s achievement but is under no illusions about the challenges ahead in the club’s first season in a higher division – no less than the hurdle of Mulgrave looking to avoid an 0-2 start this Friday.

“It (the winning streak) is not really spoken about as a motivator,” Langford said.

“It’s also the fact that we’re in a higher division playing against new opponents that we haven’t seen for various years, (and) that takes priority.

“The record and overall streak is nice … I’d be lying if I said last year that it wasn’t ever brought up in conversation, especially once we secured a top-two finish.

“But where the streak ends up, in the end it’ll be what it’ll be.”

The Blues return to the Good Friday stage for a second consecutive season and a bumper crowd is expected according to Pewtress.

“Regarding public holidays which are deemed to be somewhat sacred in religious terms, it’s the club’s view that life has shifted with people looking for entertainment and last year the decision to play on Good Friday proved to be a good one,” he said.

“Our gate was up, our revenue was up, and the overwhelming feedback from our supporters was that they wanted to support it and hence we’re playing again.

“We’re really looking forward to it.”

Waverley Blues v Mulgrave – Friday, April 7 at Mt Waverley Reserve, 2.20pm