SFNL: Keysborough realigned its season with an emotional win

Keysborough coach Chris Smith used the league-wide bye and some advice from a rival coach to steer his side to an “emotional” win on Saturday. Here’s what the coach said.

Keysborough FC

Keysborough coach Chris Smith has seen few more emotional wins.

After a tempestuous start to 2023, the Burras found a way to secure an upset win at the weekend, defeating Hampton Park 10.7 (67) to 4.8 (32).

According to Smith, his side was in need of a “circuit breaker” and found it in the league-wide bye.

“I think it was probably more emotional than I have ever been involved in,” he said.

“They’re a good side, they’re third on the ladder; playing a really good side with really good players in it.

“This whole week feels like it’s been a weight lifted off everyone’s shoulders, you know, that’s me speaking to committee saying ‘is this the right direction, do you want me here’.

“Then the playing group themselves, we were like ‘alright we’re all in’, we did that and then we trained really well, we reviewed Hampton Park and got that right.

“To be able to sing the song after the game, see the smiles on the faces, and we had our first function on Saturday night, it rolled in together.

“You wake up Sunday morning and be like: alright fellas, this can be a one-off, or it can be something – the bye saved a lot, to be honest, we needed that mental break.”

The Keysborough rooms were packed after the win on Saturday.

After bowing out of the Division 2 finals race without a scalp, Keysborough endured a mini exodus of experienced players.

Smith said it took the fun out of footy.

“It hasn’t been fun, nothing has been fun since basically November last year,” he said.

“We went out in straight sets and I think I built the group up that we were going to be different and then you lose 8-10 blokes out of the senior side.

“We thought we had recruited well but it hasn’t clicked because we haven’t had the numbers.

“Round 1 came, we didn’t know much about Highett, they made us look stupid, then Round 2 obviously happened the way it did, so it hasn’t been enjoyable from November.

“That’s what the last week has been based around, let’s start enjoying each other’s company and be a footy club.

“There’s been little fractures here and there, we haven’t had the buy in whereas now we’re saying ‘let’s have fun’.”

Tom Shaw kicks during a match in 2022. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Tom Shaw was a driver in the Burras’ 35-point triumph, booting three majors.

His position at centre half back – where he was playing due to a back injury – was adjusted after Smith too received a circuit breaker.

Unlike the playing group, Smith didn’t get his circuit player from a fortnight off, he received it through advice from a rival coach.

“I had a conversation with (Michael) Cardamone from Doveton and picked his brain a bit,” he said.

“Leading into the bye, he told me what they hate playing against Keysborough and what we were dishing up.

“We had Tom Shaw at centre half back and he (Cardamone) said to me ‘you just can’t do that, when he’s back we are rubbing our hands together saying whatever he might have 15 intercept marks but he doesn’t hurt us’.

“We put him forward in the last quarter against Doveton and I think he kicked two or three, and he just said to me, you have to play him forward because when he’s forward, we’re all nervous.

“He gave me an insight into how we played and what we did well and what we didn’t do well, it was being able to pick his brain a bit, it helped me a lot.

“He is a good person, honest, up front, if you want to talk to him he will give you feedback. He became a circuit breaker for me as a coach and it was what we built on during the week.”

The Burras have Highett, Skye and Caulfield bears in their next three matches.

Despite speculation, the match between Keysborough and Skye – at this stage – will go ahead as normal on July 1.