Whittlesea continues strong form with victory over NFL Division 2 finals contender Diamond Creek

Whittlesea picked up its third straight win over a fellow NFL Division 2 finals contender with an impressive away victory over Diamond Creek despite missing two key stars.

Jaron Murphy in action for Whittlesea. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Whittlesea coach Blair Harvey is excited about his team’s potential to make an impact later in the season, pointing to his club’s depth.

The Eagles have produced three impressive wins on the trot against fellow NFL Division 2 finals contenders Thomastown, Eltham and Diamond Creek.

Scores were level at half-time on Saturday, but Whittlesea powered away from the Creekers after the main break to triumph by 23 points, 10.11 (71) to 6.12 (48).

Making the win more meritorious, star midfielder Xavier Dimasi (back spasm) and defender Paul Higgins (shin) were late withdrawals.

Harvey said it was a pleasing position to be in when he couldn’t guarantee returning players a place in the senior team.

Jaron Murphy in action for Whittlesea. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“The boys (in the team) have really stood up and are playing really good football and putting a lot of pressure on those guys,” he said.

“As long as those guys are playing good footy, they might find themselves in the reserves.

“It’s a great position to be in when we’ve got experienced senior guys playing reserves due to the younger boys flying the flag.”

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Half-back Jaron Murphy was dominant and finished with two goals while providing the highlight of the day with a six-bounce run down the wing to set up a crucial goal.

Harvey also praised the work of ruckman Nathan Stefanile, who rucked solo for much of the day.

The Eagles remain in third position but are equal on points with Eltham in second with seven games remaining.

Paul Higgins was a late out for Whittlesea. Picture: Josie Hayden

Xavier Dimasi suffered back spasms before Whittlesea’s win.

Whittlesea will take on Epping this weekend, with Harvey targeting a percentage-boosting win to make up ground on the Panthers.

Elsewhere in Division 2, Thomastown was upset by St Mary’s by 13 points in a major blow to the Bears’ finals aspirations and Epping came back to earth with a 58-point defeat to Eltham.

In Division 1, Bundoora were upset at home by Northcote Park by 19 points, the Cougars breaking a six-game losing streak.

And in Division 3, South Morang got its campaign back on track with a strong 86-point win over Lalor.

Undefeated Laurimar made it 11 straight with a come-from-behind 12-point win over Eltham Collegians and Mernda was no match for Panton Hill, losing by 66 points.

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