MORE clinical, more efficient, more effective.
That’s how VFL coach Gary Ayres viewed the 17-point victory by the WAFL, which overhauled the VFL’s 14-point three-quarter time lead to claim victory.
Ayres said he was proud of how all the players went about their task, but noted full credit went to the victors who kicked 5.3 to 0.2 in the final term.
He praised his Port Melbourne premiership player Chris Cain, who was awarded the Frank Johnson Medal for the best VFL player in a State match.
“Chris has really elevated himself to another level and it was terrific for him to do it on a stage like this,” Ayres said.
“Kane Lambert had a good game, so, too, Evan Panozza and Marcus Marigliani and Sam Lloyd had a good game with four goals.
“There was some very good players for us. It is just unfortunate that we didn’t have a high enough contribution level.”
Ayres said a hip injury in the first quarter to ruckman Michael Sikora, who had been providing the midfielders with first use of the ball, hurt the team.
He added the WA fitness and ability to spread proved telling in the last quarter.
He said the host State’s “construction of play” when they entered the forward 50 was better in the pivotal last quarter.
“They had better separation with their key forwards, hence (Wayde) Twomey kicking five goals,” Ayres said.
“We certainly never gave up – as you know the Big V would never do that – but in the end they were a bit more clinical, more efficient and more effective.
“We just didn’t have that composure they did when we got the ball inside the forward 50 in the last quarter.
“We certainly had the better of them in the first half, but by three-quarter time we had not done enough with the momentum we earlier had.”
Ayres said that the VFL several times were just one goal away from breaking away, but to WA’s credit they remained in the contest with telling goals at telling times.
He said that ability to kick goals when needed not only kept WA in the match, but also kept the local crowd in the match and that played its part, too, in fuelling that self-belief.
“Full credit to the WA team. I’m aware it had been a long time since they had defeated Victoria (1991), but they certainly finished far better than we did,” Ayres said.
“We really failed to get the ball further than our half forward line and because we couldn’t get any deep entries they were able to rebound and hurt us on transition.
“They were able to win 50/50 marks or contests better than us in that last quarter and it showed on the scoreboard.”
Last Modified on 15/05/2013 14:28