Greater Western Victoria Rebels failed to make the most of its chances with the breeze and ultimately paid the price against Calder Cannons.
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The Rebels were not without chances in its second-last TAC Cup match for the season, but struggled to put the final touches on its good work or find its method with a strong breeze.as it went down 13.9 (87) to 9.12 (66).
The Rebels’ chances were done no favours as it lost three players in the first half of the fiery encounter – by the final term it had no one left on the bench.
At half-time, with the Rebels trailing by a point, the question was put to the playing group – who was going to step-up?
Kicking with the breeze, the Rebels could not cash-in, losing the term by three points as Calder finished over the top of what was a tired-looking Rebels outfit in the latter stages of the game.
Coach Gerard FitzGerald said it was disappointing to not utilise the scoring-end and while the lack of rotations was clearly a factor, FitzGerald said there were no excuses.
“I thought our method into the wind was really good,” FitzGerald said.
“I felt that if we could get things right in the third quarter, the game was ready to be broken open.
“We didn’t capitalise with the wind.
“I was just disappointed that we didn’t win enough ball in the third quarter and didn’t work hard enough without it.
“The game-time loads are probably, on average, 75-80%. Today the load would’ve gone up another 10%.
“But under no circumstance did we allow our boys to use the three-down (as an excuse) in any way.”
FitzGerald said there were some positives to take from the game.
The Rebels had to work hard to get the game on its terms, but under difficult circumstances it dug deep to wrestle back the momentum.
“As a coach, I always look at what we can learn from it. Coaches can sometimes look at the two options, you win or you lose, but I tend to think there is another one – you learn.
“I thought we were in the game right up until the last moments, we had some chances to score in the last quarter which would’ve got us back in the game.
“I thought some of the changes that we swung during the game had some good effect, both structurally and personnel-wise. And I thought that our method of football in the second quarter and the fourth quarter, into the breeze, was very very good.”
Captain Callan Wellings was outstanding, gathering 43 possessions in his usual workman-like fashion, as well as controlling play behind the ball at stages while Aiden Domic had 25 touches and 10 inside 50s.