Southern league: Clayton defeats Ashwood to end long run of losses

Clayton has done it, winning its first game since Round 18 of the 2016 season. The Clays ended their losing run of 38 matches by defeating Ashwood at Meade Reserve.

Clayton’s Darcy Kingsbury at full stretch against Ashwood.

Last week it was Nunawading in the Eastern league.

On Saturday it was Southern club Clayton’s turn to end a long run of losses, claiming its first win in three years when it held out Ashwood by 10 points in the Division 3 match at Meade Reserve.

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The victory set off stirring scenes as success-starved supporters clapped the players and first-year coach Jason Smith off the ground.

Clayton had lost its past 38 games.

Its last win had been in August 27, 2016 in Division 1, a 49-point success over Cheltenham in Round 18.

The Clays finished fourth that season, but they went without a win in 2017 and were relegated to Division 2.

Four points eluded them again last year, shunting the proud club into Division 3.

“They (players) really want to turn things around,’’ coach Smith said on the eve of the season. “There’s a pulse and there’s a heartbeat.’’

Jason Smith calling the shots on Saturday.

And there was much cheering on Saturday after Clayton held off a hard-finishing Ashwood.

“Amazing day for the club. Just amazing,’’ Smith said this morning.

“For me it was more relief than anything, only because we dictated the terms for three quarters and didn’t put them (Ashwood) away.

“So more relief for me, but just elation for the players. A lot of them have been there the last two years and not won a game. So for them some success was a long time coming.’’

The Clays sped away to a five-goal lead in the first quarter and led comfortably at each break, but Ashy surged home with five goals to two in the final term.

It wasn’t enough as Clayton claimed a drought-breaking victory.

Former coach Jayden Gilmour, although troubled by a hamstring injury, booted five goals, including a nerve-settler in the last quarter, and Chris Morrison was best-afield.

Darcy Kingsbury, sent to defence, gave a lot of dash and Jesse Henderson dominated in the ruck and took two telling marks in the final term.

Lachie Caine, the son of Clayton president Bob, gets away a handball for the Clays.

The win came after the Clays scrounged only 1.2 (8) in Round 1 and were thumped by 140 points against Hampton Park.

Smith admitted the result came as a shock.

He said he and his assistant coaches “stripped it right back’’.

“Despite that (the heavy loss in Round 1), everyone stayed ultra-positive,’’ Smith said. “Everyone drew a line in the sand and was positive in every situation, every training drill, and the players took ownership. There was a steel in the group. Before the game we put on the board, in big letters, the word ‘Ownership’.

“And they owned it from the first bounce, the first inside 50, the first score. From that point it was just a different mindset.

“As coaches we stripped it right back after the Hampton Park game, simplified things, brought it back to effort and pressure, all those basics things.’’

Smith said he had taken confidence from Nunawading’s rousing performance last week.

“I did read that and to be honest I thought we might be next,’’ he said.

“That’s the great thing about footy. You can have a really bad loss and seven days later have a great win.’’