Greenvale faces missing finals after EDFL Premier Division season hampered by injuries

REIGNING Essendon District Football League premier Greenvale faces the prospect of missing finals as it continues to battle through a season hampered by injuries.

REIGNING  Essendon District Football League premier Greenvale faces the prospect of missing finals as it continues to battle through a season hampered by injuries.

The Jets sit two games outside the top-four in sixth spot on the ladder heading into the final six rounds of the season following another disappointing loss to Airport West on Saturday, 14.18 (102) to 13.9 (87).

Greenvale does have one thing on its side — a softer run home which sees it play each of the bottom four.

But with “five to six” key players still on the injury list, president Bruce Kent conceded last week the side would have its work cut out to make the four.

“I think it’s fair to say we had a very slow start to the year and we’ve not yet been able to get our full side on the track,” Kent said.

“We certainly don’t see ourselves out of finals contention but obviously when you’re not in the four it doesn’t take many hiccups to miss out.

“We’ve got to keep winning and obviously some other sides have got to drop a couple of games.

“We’re hopeful that we can have out best side in within another (three) weeks. Whether that will be too late, I don’t know.”

Kent said given the evenness of the competition this year, no draw was soft.

“I’m a bit hesitant to use the words softer draw because I think the one thing about A Grade this year is that most teams — even teams near the bottom of the ladder — have got the capacity to knock off the top teams on any given day,” he said.

But the president did cite that the Jets had beaten five of the six sides they have still got to play in their first meetings earlier in the season — something that will need to be replicated if Greenvale is to earn a tick to the finals.

The Jets have a bye due to a split-round this weekend before returning to the field to host Northern Saints on July 19.