NEWTOWN & Chilwell coach David Wojcinski says it is premature to be talking premierships after his side thumped Leopold on Saturday.
The Eagles surged into flag calculations with a stirring 40-point upset win over last year’s grand finalist, but Wojcinski was quick to temper the excitement.
“I think our form’s been pretty good over the last six weeks. Obviously we had a hiccup against Grovey but I think we’ve been pretty good,” Wojcinski said.
“But at the same time we haven’t been in the five yet. I read somewhere that we’re a premiership contender. You can’t really say that when we haven’t been in the top five yet.
“I think that’s a bit premature but our form has been pretty good and in a couple of weeks we’ll really know where we’re at when we play Joeys, who are the best team in the competition and undefeated.
“We’ll know where we’re at against them, but I’m happy with the way we’re going.
“We need to improve a few areas and we’re striving for improvement. That’s all we can do if we want to knock off the top teams and hopefully we can make the finals.”
The undermanned Eagles, who were without Jarrod McCorkell, Matt McMahon and Hayden Smith after they were injured in the clash against Grovedale, turned the tables on the Lions.
“I was really happy with the boys’ performance on the weekend,” Wojcinski said.
“We were good against Grovey for the majority of the game as well, and a few injuries late cost us, and that was part of the reason we couldn't get over the line.
“On the weekend against Leopold, we were undermanned and played some really good footy. Some of the guys came into the side to play a role and they did exactly that. It was Cam Lewis’ first game for the club at senior level and he was fantastic. He didn’t look out of place out there and he really played his role to help those guys in the midfield.
“Jordan Crerar was good and Jacob Bruhn was fantastic down back. Those guys came into the side and the senior guys lifted a little and we were able to get over the line, so we’re pretty happy.”
The Eagles are set to be further boosted in the coming weeks, with star trio Luke Forbes, Ryan Gamble and Jay Bett nearing full fitness.
“Forbesy’s going really well. He got a full week of training under his belt last week and he’ll get a another full week under his belt this week with the aim to play in the reserves on Saturday, which will be a huge boost,” Wojcinski said.
“He’s up and about and excited about being able to play again, but at the same time, we’re going to be smart with him and not rush him back.
“When you rush blokes back and they don’t get enough match conditioning, that’s when other injuries start to occur.
“We’ll be smart with that because we need him back out there.”
Best is yet to resume training but is making steady progress from concussion issues.
“He’s getting better and he’s improving every week but it’s slow improvement, so we just have to keep monitoring him and keep talking to his specialist,” Wojcinski said.
Last Modified on 05/07/2015 20:33