Gloom to boom: Winless Yarra Junction set for exciting inclusion in Outer East league

Yarra Junction has endured heavy defeats in Outer East league this season but coach Leigh McCombe says his side is ticking off key aims, and he reveals a boom addition to the side.

Yarra Junction Eagles coach Leigh McCombe remains steadfast in his belief the club is flying in the right direction.

The Eagles will soar again.

That’s the firm belief of Yarra Junction coach Leigh McCombe, who insists his side is going a lot better than its 0-6 record in OEFN Division 1 indicates.

In the past two games the Eagles have conceded 50 goals while kicking only two themselves.

Last Saturday, Yarra Junction — decimated by illness and injuries — lost to Pakenham 25.14 (164) to 0.1 (1).

“A lot of things we’re doing in terms of our footy is pretty good,” McCombe said.

“We’re getting numbers on the track, the club’s in a positive space, people are enjoying being there. We’re just not getting wins on the board.

“Last week we had seven or eight changes because of illness and injuries.

“It’s pretty tough but we’re hanging in there and the club’s definitely in a better place than what it was three years ago even though the results don’t show it.”

Prime Train playing for The Basin. He will lace up with Yarra Junction in Round 10. Picture: Leesa Clarkson

In a boost, fitness influencer ‘Prime Train’ will play for Yarra Junction in its Round 10 match against Powelltown on Saturday, June 21.

The social media sensation, whose name is Thomas Baulch, has amassed a following of more than 300,000 on TikTok through his programs while playing local footy across the country.

His Yarra cameo will be in a night game, kicking off at 6pm, at Yarra Junction Reserve.

“Hopefully we can get a massive crowd down there and make a night of it,” McCombe said.

McCombe played in Yarra Junction’s 2018 premiership and has seen good and bad times at the club.

He’s adamant this current group of players will turn things around and have success.

“I was talking to a player who plays with us and one of his mates was giving him shit about the results and he said, ‘but we’re not that bad’,” McCombe said.

“And I was like, ‘I know’. We know that but no one else does.

“I said it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

“We’ve gone about improving some small things, adding layers to our game, we’ve focused on small things at training, we’ve narrowed down our focus.

“And I think a lot of those things are working. It’s just a matter of continuing to tick away at them I guess.

“Even on the weekend, yes, we lost by 150 points, but there were bits when we saw the good things we were doing.

“Oscar Moreton, from Healesville, he’s just turned 18…the impact he’s having on our group, he’s performance on the weekend was exceptional.”

Oscar Moreton has been exceptional for the Eagles. Picture: Facebook

McCombe said it was crucial the Eagles “stick together’’.

“There is success on the horizon for that group if they stick together, and I think they know that,” he said.

“As a coaching group I think we’ve done really well making sure they understand that, you may be losing games this year but it can turn.

“In the first year I got there we got smacked every week and then we won the flag the next season.”

Yarra Junction is measuring its success in other ways than wins.

“We’ve created our own scoreboard,’’ McCombe said.

“Our scoreboard is around effort, contest, attack and defence and we’ve ticked those things off every quarter. We feel that in those areas our scoreboard looks pretty good. That’s what we’re focusing on as a club.”

Yarra Junction hosts Alexandra on Saturday at 2.20pm.