Rosebud stuns Frankston YCW in MPNFL Division 1

His team knocked off the ladder leaders, but Rosebud coach Nick Jewell says the MPNFL should not have played on Saturday. He explains why.

Rosebud coach Nick Jewell. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Rosebud stormed into finals contention with a stunning 39-point win over ladder leaders Frankston YCW in MPNFL Division 1 on Saturday.

But Buds coach Nick Jewell is adamant the game should not have been played, believing the MPNFL should have delayed its return to from lockdown by a week to allow players more time to condition their bodies for play.

Most clubs had only one training session to prepare after the season was paused for a couple of weeks.

Rosebud’s rousing win came at a cost, with key players Nick Batsanis and Matt Baker tearing hamstrings.

“We had a couple of hamstrings which I knew we’d have after one training session,’’ Jewell said.

“We shouldn’t have played yesterday, I don’t think.

“We had two blokes do their hammys. That’s a shame for us at this time of the year leading into finals. Who knows if their seasons are done now.

“Anyway, we played and we won, but we shouldn’t have I don’t think.’’

Rosebud’s Nick Batsanis (left) injured his hamstring on Saturday.

A red-hot Keegan Downie slotted 7.3 as Rosebud bolted away to win 17.13 (115) to 11.10 (76).

It was a 108-point turnaround on the sides’ Round 7 clash when YC won by 69 points.

Jewell said a plan to play chaos football was behind the win.

“We just tried to play a different style to what we played the first time,’’ he said.

“We were a bit slow with the ball the first time, so we just tried to play on and run and move it a bit quicker.

“It probably played into our hands being very windy.

“The first time they flogged us in the air so it was a chance to get the ball to ground and go to work.

“We marked the ball as good as we have all year in tough conditions yesterday, that was probably the difference certainly from the first time we played them. We got a bit of aerial control and kicked goals.’’

Downie capitalised on the quick ball movement by marking strongly and kicking beautifully, and he also laid several strong tackles.

Sean Downie was also superb, his work rate sky-high.

Brendan Fevola congratulates teammate Greg Bentley after a Carlton win in 2009.

And Jewell said the return of skipper Greg Bentley, the ex-Carlton and Port Adelaide player, from injury was vital.

“Having Bentley back in the side…he’s always a huge bonus to the rest of the midfield,’’ he said.

“When Greg goes in there he takes his fair load of contested footy and sort of frees up the others a bit. He’s so important to us. We’re a different side when he’s in the midfield.’’

Jai Hardwick, Blake Kuipers, Stephen Cumming and Reid Nanscawen also impressed for the Buds, who are sixth but equal on points with fifth-placed Dromana.

Rosebud faces Red Hill and Edi-Asp in the remaining two rounds, and two wins could lift it into finals.

The Buds narrowly missed finals in 2019.

“We’ve got to play good footy in the next couple of weeks,’’ Jewell said.

“We’ve got to do everything right now.’’