By Arian Odza
Knox have got their first win of the Division Two season, with a dominant second-half performance against the struggling Templestowe Dockers, breathing life into their 2021 campaign.
The Falcons dictated the match and much of the second-half in a manner that was full of confidence and buoyancy, coming from their midfield dominance and manic forward pressure.
Although the final margin was 34 points, the Falcons were having trouble breaking away in the first term, until sparks of brilliance from individuals such as Joshua Stefanutti and Mitchell Greaves uplifted the side with their standout moments.
The win puts the Falcons sixth on the ladder, four points behind fifth place Heathmont.
The win for the Falcons is the first for newly appointed senior coach Brendan Whitecross, ex Hawthorn defender, who replaced Wayne Van Der Ross for the 2021 season.
Whitecross explains that the win is important and it certainly boosts confidence for the side.
“The Dockers played some really good footy and challenged us specifically at the start of each quarter, so it was really good for our group to win.”
“We played some really good football within the first few games, but the biggest thing with our group is the lack of experience, we’ve got a lot of players within our senior list that haven’t played a lot of senior football at any level, so that maturity and experience we don’t quite have yet.”
“But when we do get it right and are able to play some consistent football, we can certainly match it with some of the best sides going around.”
“So the win is a massive confidence boost for us to reinforce what we are doing is good and is going to work, it’s just a matter of being compliant and adhere to what we’re able to do for four quarters of football.”
The Falcons were able to have ten different goal scorers against the Dockers, implying that the increase and focus in creating chances is a major focus for the side when attacking.
“I’ve tried to encourage the players to back themselves and just play on instinct wherever they can and if you’re a midfielder and think you can have a shot, have a shot and if you’re a back flanker and think you can make the distance, well then absolutely have a crack,” said Whitecross.
“It’s no surprise that we’ve got such a spread of goal kickers, specifically over the weekend because the aim is clear, which is just to back yourselves in wherever possible within the game.”
The Falcons are going up against a side that is similarly struggling to string together some consistent wins in Mulgrave.
Mulgrave are coming off of a loss to Ringwood, making the fixture against the Falcons an intense one where both sides will want to climb up the ladder and attain the crucial four points to increase their chances of playing finals.
“The mindset for us is making sure that we can come ready to play and not just get to the game, because we are not that experienced and don’t have enough matured bodies in our squad to just turn up and play without preparing for a fight against Mulgrave.”