The Roosters season has been one clouded with off-field uncertainty and has had its fair share of forgettable performances on the field, regularly reigniting the debate of – can North Ballarat reach and maintain a level of competitiveness to warrant its spot in the VFL competition?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Roosters sit at the bottom of the ladder, alongside Coburg as the two winless sides, ahead of its round 7 bye. Losses of 188, 124 and 91 points have been low points of North Ballarat’s season and have led to a concerning percentage of 40.2.
However, if the intensity and mindset shown in its most recent performance can be bottled and reproduced a breakthrough victory is not far away.
After trailing by 29 points early in the last quarter, the Roosters fought back to go down to sixth-placed Werribee by just five points – and you could easily mount the case it should have overrun the Tigers.
So how do we assess the first six rounds?
Many thought 2017 would be a disastrous year from a club on its last legs – and at times that has been the case. But while much of the Roosters environment has shifted in the last 12 months, the playing group has shown that when its brings the desired attitude it can match it with quality VFL teams.
The assessment will be made in the coming weeks as the Roosters’ performances continue to outline what is its true identity and what are the impostors.
Internally, the hope and expectation will be that last Saturday’s display is be the benchmark for the rest of the season and that the miserable thrashings in the early stages of the year will be looked upon as a by-product of what was a distracting and toxic pre-season.
It is no secret the Roosters are not littered with household names or blessed with the talent and class of its opposition. While its lack of key forwards, Andrew Hooper (172cm) leads its goal-kicking, is something that has hurt the club for some time.
But the challenge awaits for the Roosters. The demise of Frankston’s VFL involvement played out last year. The debt-ridden Dolphins clearly had immense off-field trauma, but equally its long stint in the bottom four – every year since 2011 and just 16 wins – did it no favours. North Ballarat must keep its head above water on the field to allow it the extensive period of time required to get its financial workings in order.