WRFL 2018: Corey Salvador’s season-ending knee injury gives Yarraville-Seddon added motivation

Yarraville-Seddon is sitting pretty on top of the Western Region Football League Division 2 ladder, but it will be without its leading goalkicker for the remainder of 2018.

COREY Salvador’s season-ending knee injury will provide added motivation to Yarraville-Seddon’s Western Region Football League Division 2 premiership quest.

Salvador sustained his ACL injury in the opening term of his side’s clash against Manor Lakes on July 28 and will miss the remainder of the year after kicking 51 goals from 13 games.

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The imperious Eagles have wasted no time finding a replacement, with utility Liam Murray booting nine majors in the past fortnight.

Corey Salvador will spend the rest of the season on the sidelines. Picture: Mark Dadswell

“That was very disappointing for Corey,” Yarraville-Seddon coach Vinnie Turcinovich said.

“He’s done it pretty tough the last few years by all accounts and for that to happen to him gives us something else to drive for now as well.

“These boys are probably hurting more than Corey is, and that’s the mentality of the team. The door closes for someone and opens for someone else.”

Murray bagged six goals in his team’s thumping 102-point victory over reigning premier North Footscray on Saturday, 21.19 (145) to 6.7 (43).

The Eagles led by 30 points at the main break before piling on 14 goals to three in the second half.

Jordan Robinson, Lachlan Longmire and Blake Green also fired for the winning side, while under-17 player Zach Pritchard impressed in his senior debut.

“He’s a bit of a swingman. He was playing up forward, back, on the wing and pinch-hitting in the ruck,” Turcinovich said of Murray.

“I identified a couple of weeks ago the way he led at the ball … and his reading of the play really early makes him like a true forward.

“No disrespect to Corey, but he has filled that role pretty good.”

Yarraville-Seddon has scored 14 wins and a draw from 15 games and sits eight points clear on top of the ladder, with Point Cook, North Footscray and Parkside making up the top four.

The Eagles were hammered by the Devils in last year’s decider, but have won the past two clashes between the pair by a combined margin of 185 points, underlining their dominance.

“They’ve just got that fire in the belly,” Turcinovich said of his players.

“We keep talking about belief and the team come first, all those things that make a good side. They’d rather have their teammate getting the ball than themselves.

“They’re a very selfless group and the way they play, they play bold and risky footy. That’s how you win games, playing that style of footy.”

Yarraville-Seddon will next tackle Parkside on Saturday.