EFNL Division 2 2024: Resurgent Heathmont eyes finals berth
It banked just one win from its first seven matches – but a victory over a fellow finals aspirant on Saturday has in-form Heathmont back in the September conversation.
Eastern
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It has barely missed a beat for two months.
Heathmont toasted a sixth win from its past eight matches on Saturday in its 9.10 (64) to 5.15 (45) victory over fellow Division 2 finals aspirant Mulgrave.
But Jets coach Scott Hamill declared there was no secret to his side’s resurgence, as it sits a game and percentage from the top five after banking just one win from its first seven matches this season.
The club contested the grand final last year.
“I think with all the recruits from the start of the year, we probably took a lot longer to gel and get our cohesion going as a group,” Hamill said.
“We were depleted with injuries early on, and we played a few games where we didn’t even have an actual permanent forward … we had a makeshift forward line.
“To the guys’ credit, they’ve hung in and now we are where we are.”
Liam Douglas fired on the wing on Saturday with two goals, while Bailey Stevens kicked three early majors to propel the Jets to a 28-point quarter-time lead – as the hosts went goalless in the opening term.
“They’re (Mulgrave) well-coached and well-drilled, but we got ourselves off to a really good start and in the conditions we got ourselves out to a lead that was sustainable,” Hamill said.
Heathmont is pitted against reigning premier and ladder-leader Boronia, East Burwood (ninth) and Croydon (second) in the run home.
“Three big games to finish the year, and the pleasing part is, it’s (a finals berth) in our hands, but the top sides all play each other as well, so it could be an interesting run home,” Hamill said.
“Confidence is definitely up, everyone’s got the trust in each other now, the confidence throughout the whole club has never dropped off.
“We always knew our best footy was good enough.”
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Finals accelerated in local footy with plenty of grand final winners as elsewhere there were stunning results as teams looked to qualify for the decider. Here are the talking points from Saturday’s football.
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