By Arian Odza
The Mustangs started their season off with a triumphant win against local rivals Lilydale to get their much anticipated Division One campaign off the best possible start.
Mooroolbark Football Club secured its first win of the 2021 Seniors First Division season with a confident win over local rivals the Lilydale Football Club.
The emphatic win has placed Mooroolbark in second on the ladder with only the impressive Park Orchards ahead of them, through a greater percentage.
Mooroolbark’s ability to attain and recruit crucial players over the pre-season assisted the weekend’s performance, as they played in a positive and attacking manner.
The seventy-point win against Lilydale has effectively represented the strides the club made over the pre-season, which should see some performances of note, contrary to that of the 2019 season.
The recruitment of attacking players such as Samuel Baker (Lilydale) and Austin Smith (Yarra Glen) have ensured the Mustangs have enough quality players to remain at the pointy end throughout the season.
With significant efforts by Paul Hager booting five goals and Jesse Bates kicking two, the attacking and confident style of football Mooroolbark are look to play will hopefully ensure an intense, high scoring style of footy for the remainder of the season.
Senior Coach Bret Lavars says that the victory over the weekend has added a sense of belief to the football club.
“The victory has definitely added to the belief of the group that the game style that we are looking to implement is successful when executed correctly, the weekends match was definitely a lot tougher than what the scoreboard shows and Lilydale without doubt came to play early.”
Lavars continues to state that Mooroolbark’s attacking style of football was a large part of the pre season training.
‘Its actually something we worked on over the pre-season, to play a more attacking brand of football,”
“That said, we didn’t have any expectations to win by such a large margin and I suppose it’s a by-product of maybe some cattle that Lilydale have lost over the pre-season’.
Lavars says that the mustang fans at the ground were significant in helping the team to remain motivated throughout the game.
‘Definitely having crowds at the footy is an exciting thing, not only as something to spur you on during those close matches, but also just to see some smiles back on people’s dial after such a challenging time with the Covid experience’.
Mooroolbark finished the 2019 season in eighth position and are hoping to move up the table during the 2021 season.
The aim of achieving top four contention has not been discussed, as clarified by Lavars, with the aim a more general one of being as successful as possible.
“Obviously like every side you want to have success and what that means for each club is different, but at this stage it is just a week at a time and obviously we are a developing young group and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves in regards with where we’re at,”
“But look we would love to play finals.”
‘If we don’t play finals we would be disappointed but we have to give ourselves the opportunity to do that by winning enough games’.
Speaking on the recruitment over the pre-season that played a major part in the success of the team in Round One, Lavars said the new blood and the development of youth was the perfect mixture.
“I think it was a combination of both the recruiting, but also the development of our young list, with the twelve months off it’s been a good opportunity for our younger boys to build themselves up at the gym and obviously start to understand the game plan’.