Fitzroy facing a fight to stay in VAFA Premier B after roller-coaster campaign continued in loss to Ajax
NEAR unstoppable one week, easybeats the next. Fitzroy’s VAFA Premier B season has been a tale of two very different teams.
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AT ITS best, Fitzroy has been near unstoppable this year.
But at its worst, the Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier B outfit has played like a side a long way from finals contention.
The Roys sat fifth with a 4-6 record after 10 rounds, having lost five of their opening six games.
An upset victory over fellow finals aspirant St Bede’s/Mentone Tigers in Round 7 breathed life into the club’s campaign, sparking a run of three consecutive wins.
“We had a slow start, some poor losses,” Roys coach Michael Pickering said.
“We had a really good win against St Bede’s at home which has triggered some good form.
“The past month has been really good.”
Fitzroy was far from disgraced against unbeaten ladder-leader St Kevin’s last week, going down by 25 points at Brunswick Street Oval.
“(St Kevin’s) have got a very strong playing list,” Pickering said. “Their depth is really strong, their reserves are undefeated as well which says something.”
Pickering acknowledged the Roys had left themselves with an uphill battle to feature in finals this year, but if they can replicate the form they showed against St Bede’s, Fitzroy knows anything is possible.
“We’ve really got to win all our home games and beat a couple of teams above us on the road,” Pickering said.
“It will be tough but it’s possible.”
Greg Hesse, Corbin Stevic, Sam Baker, Rory Angiolella and Daniel Bisetto have been Fitzroy’s most reliable contributors this year.
The Roys’ faint finals hopes took another hit on Saturday after a 48-point loss against Ajax at Gary Smorgon Oval.
Fitzroy went goal-less in the opening half, trailing by 54 points at the main break, before a more competitive effort in the final two quarters.
The Roys return to action against Caulfield Grammarians on July 18.
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