SFNL: Highett eliminates Hampton Park from Division 2 premiership race

Highett’s disregard for home-and-away results has coach Clint Einsiedel confident his side is peaking at the right time. Here are the reasons behind his thinking.

Highett FC Pictures: Cam Mitchell

Highett’s steady improvement has coach Clint Einsiedel confident his side is peaking at the right time.

The Bulldogs went down to Hampton Park to the tune of 69 points in Round 6, trimmed that margin to just one point in Round 15 and dismissed the ledger in Sunday’s elimination final with a 15.16 (106) to 9.9 (63) win.

And it’s that improvement that has Einsiedel happy with his side’s trajectory.

“It was probably our season’s peak in terms of performance, it’s good to do that in a final,” he said of the Dogs’ 43-point win.

“We had a slow start (to 2023), we had a new group getting together at the start of the year.

“What’s sort of happened is we have worked on internal improvement and our results throughout the season have improved.

“Yesterday (Sunday) we were able to come away with the win, so we feel we are coming good at the right end of the year, which is handy.”

Highett is peaking at the right time. Pictures: Cam Mitchell

The win advances the Dogs through to a semi-final against Murrumbeena, which lost the qualifying final to Doveton.

Einsiedel has noticed a trend in Highett’s results this year and hopes it continues.

“Again, they (Murrumbeena) belted us earlier in the year and we got pretty close to them a month ago,” he said.

“We probably feel we have a similar game style to them, good in the midfield and some forwards to kick a score.

“It will be won and lost in the middle of the ground so that’s what we will be focusing on.”

Joel Jones gets a tap away. Pictures: Cam Mitchell

Pictures: Cam Mitchell

Among the Dogs’ best was Tom McCarthey, who left the ground with three majors and a Sherrin imprint on his hands.

Einsiedel was full of praise for his star onballer.

“That’s nothing new, he always finds a lot of the footy,” he said.

“I thought he was slow out of the blocks, I don’t know if that was a bit of nerves or whether it was them putting some attention into him.

“But after quarter time he was able to spread and run, his coverage of the ground was first class.

“It was a top performance from him.”

Einsiedel also called the back six “enormous” after keeping the Redbacks to 36 points to three-quarter time.

The winner of Murrumbeena and Highett will face the loser of East Brighton and Doveton.