VAFA: Coach Simon Williams on how Caulfield Grammarians turned around their season

Caulfield Grammarians is the in-form team of the VAFA. Coach Simon Williams on how his team went from cold to boiling.

Caulfield Grammarians coach Simon Williams.

Round 3 of the VAFA Premier season.

At Brighton Beach Oval, Old Brighton defeats Caulfield Grammarians by 52 points.

It puts the Fielders 0-3 in their return to the top division of amateur football.

But as GC coach Simon Williams sees it, from that bayside towelling came a turning point for his club.

After it, Williams said, Caulfield Grammarians had not a crisis meeting, but a “fairly stern discussion’’ about its progress.

“It was a wake-up of what the level is like in A grade and what you need to do and how hard you need to work,’’ he said.

“I don’t think we were working hard enough.

“So we said, ‘What do we want to do with the year, just try to stay up or fold up?’ And to their credit the boys are like, ‘Nah, let’s get into it, we know what it takes now, that was a pretty big lesson’.

Gun forward Julian Dobosz bursts through for Caulfield Grammarians. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“We had Trinity the following week and Xavier the week after that.

“The Xavier win gave us a lot of belief. They were 13 points in front in the last quarter and we came back and won.’’

On Saturday Caulfield Grammarians made it seven wins on the spin when they defeated Old Brighton at Glenhuntly. The Fielders haven’t lost since that day at Brighton.

Even without gun forward Brett Eddy (nursing a finger injury, the former AFL player and Eastern league best and fairest ran water for the seniors and reserves), they won 13.5 (83) to 10.9 (69) over a plucky opponent.

Caulfield Grammarians celebrate a Sam Dorevitch goal. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Ex-VFL player Julian Dobosz was the best forward on the ground and kicked three goals.

Williams sent him to the backline as the home team protected its lead in the last quarter.

With Port Melbourne having a bye in the VFL, Borough captain Tom O’Sullivan took the chance to play for Grammarians, and he did it well, winning the ball and using it sharply. It was his first outing for GC since 2012.

Ruckman Declan Reilly, a one-time Collingwood rookie, was an outstanding contributor too.

“He’s a barometer for us,’’ Williams said. “He’s a great clubman.’’

Forward Will Lewis marks for Old Brighton. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Old Brighton captain Harry Hill and his midfield sidekick Nick Pavlou never stopped boring in for the visitors, and Tom Fisher and Tom Yorgey showed their customary vigour.

Williams, of course, played more than 200 games for Old Brighton, featured in a senior premiership under the coaching of Dale Tapping and then coached the Tonners to a flag in 2013.

On Saturday he coached against one of his premiership players, Michael Karayannis.

Williams said OB was a strong and competitive team.

Caulfield Grammarians coach Simon Williams at the huddle. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“After I left there, a lot of the guys playing for them now were just coming in,’’ he said.

“So they were all young. And they’ve built up and now they’ve got big, hard bodies.

“Even ‘Sully’ (O’Sullivan) said it, just how many big boys they’ve got and they hit hard and run hard. If you have a look at a blueprint in A grade, we want to be like them in terms of building from school and nurturing the young guys and have them come through together, which is what I think we’re doing. And then you can add someone like Brett (Eddy) or a Jono O’Rourke for some experience.’’