Rupertswood chalk up another win in “tough struggle” against Sunbury Kangaroos in RDFL

ALL the talk in the Riddell District Football League in recent weeks has been about Romsey. It has meant one team — Rupertswood — has been flying right under the radar.

Sunbury Kangaroos’ John Baker is crunched between Rupertswood opponents Niall McGovern and Austin Cicero on Saturday. Photo: Angie Basdekis.

ALL the talk in the Riddell District Football League in recent weeks has been about Romsey.

The Redbacks remain ­undefeated atop of the table, seemingly with one hand on the premiership cup.

All the attention has meant one team in particular — Rupertswood — has been flying under the radar.

New to the competition last year, Rupo finished sixth with an 8-8 record ­before it fell at the first hurdle in the finals.

But in an impressive rise the club’s 2013 win tally was eclipsed two weeks ago.

The side sits third on the table and looks capable of having an impact come ­finals.

Rupo’s latest scalp was local rival Sunbury Kangaroos on Saturday in what was a strange game.

The two sides had managed just nine goals between them to three-quarter time, at which point the Kangaroos led by a point at Boardman Reserve.

But, in a five-goal-to-none final term, Rupertswood took the points, 9.17 (71) to 5.9 (39).

“It was a bit of a tough struggle,” Rupertswood coach Ben Jordan said.

“We’ve played a few games like that this year where it’s been a bit low-scoring and we’ve been inaccurate in front of goal.

“But we managed to pull away in the last quarter which was pretty pleasing because we’ve lost a couple of close ones this year.”

Rupertswood’s three losses have been by 18 points (Sunbury Kangaroos, Round 1), one-point (Riddell, Round 3) and five points (Romsey, Round 11).

It is that most recent narrow loss to the Redbacks that has Jordan confident the runaway premiership favourite can be beaten.

But he is also acutely aware it will take something special to complete that ­assignment.

“I’ve been around footy a long time and you never say a team’s unbeatable,” Jordan said.

“But they are very, very impressive.

“We threw the kitchen sink at them a few weeks ago and they stood up to it and you walk away from that game thinking, ‘If we took our chances, we could have stolen it’.

“But they are really ­experienced, they don’t rely on one of two players, they’ve got an even spread across the board.

“So someone’s going to have to play really well to beat them. But we’d love to get another crack at it.”