Diggers Rest digging deep to find its best football heading into RDFL finals

DIGGERS Rest doesn’t believe it has found its best form yet. But it is hoping to do so soon as RDFL finals loom.

RDFL footy: Diggers Rest V Lancefield. Diggers Cole Laurie over Tim Vandervalk.

THEY say timing is everything.

Diggers Rest might not have found its best in the opening half of the Riddell District Football League season, but the side is flying high at the right time as finals fast approach.

The Burras proved too good for a Sunbury Kangaroos side fighting to keep its spot in the top-six on Saturday, winning 13.13 (91) to 7.6 (48).

The result came a week after Diggers Rest demolished Kilmore by 129 points, leaving coach Shaun Sims pleased with his side’s progression.

“We’ve just got to keep trying to improve each week and I think we’re doing that,” Sims said.

“We’re starting to play some good footy at the right time of year.”

The home side expected the Kangaroos to come out firing at Bloomdale Oval on Saturday and brought their A-Game to counter it.

What eventuated was the best quarter of football the Burras have displayed this year, a seven-goal-to-two opening term setting them on their way to victory.

“When the game’s on the line you want people to stand up, and they did,” Sims said.
“It really set the game up. We were in control and I thought we played well in the second quarter, too, we just missed some opportunities to kick some goals. But overall the way we played and moved the footy was pretty good.”

Thomas Gleeson was “excellent” for Diggers Rest in defence, while at the other end Jamie Lobb booted five goals to take his season tally to 17 majors, with nine coming in the past fortnight.

“He doesn’t need too many opportunities, but he took them,” Sims said of Lobb.

“He used the ball quite well and he’s very good one-on-one for his size.”

The weekend’s result left the Burras in the mix for a top-two finish, just four points behind Rupertswood, Romsey and Riddell, who are equal on 48 points at the top of the table.

Sims said he was not looking too far ahead just yet.

“I don’t think people know what’s going to happen, really. It’s so close,” he said.

“If we win our remaining games, the ladder will look after itself.”

In other results on Saturday, Romsey had a 13-point win over Macedon, Rupertswood thumped Lancefield by 98 points, Broadford overcame Wallan by nine points, Riddell defeated Melton Centrals by 63 points and Woodend-Hesket overcame a 14-point deficit at three-quarter time to knock off Rockbank by 14 points.