By Tyler Lewis
It’s far from the race Berwick Football Club is used to being in at this time of the year, but the final two rounds for the Wickers are as important as ever.
Despite the picture-perfect conditions on Saturday, the Wickers overcame Blackburn in a collective –nine-goal slog.
While the Wickers will very much take the 5.8 (38) to 4.5 (29) win over the Burners, the truth is, Edwin Flack Reserve has seen better days.
“Our drainage at the moment isn’t great,” Berwick coach Clint Evans said.
“We had a meeting down at the footy club on Friday and that’s when it was really coming down, the ground was just water.
“We knew it was going to be wet and we actually picked a side for it on Thursday night, which was good.
“On Saturday it was just wet and slippery, both goal squares were just mud and the wing was chopped up.”
Though the condition of the ground resulted in some ugly footy at times, Evans is happy to concede that grinding games out is far more suitable for his side, which is lacking its typical artillery.
“100 per cent,” he said of the conditions suiting his side.
“Put it this way, the last time we played them, Harry (Money) kicked six goals, which we didn’t have, and Gunny (Tim Gunn) kicked three, so there’s nine out of 12 gone.
“You look at that, we just don’t have the firepower unfortunately.”
Despite Berwick’s win, bottom-placed North Ringwood is keeping the pressure on in the relegation battle, defeating Doncaster, 13.9 (87) to 6.15 (51) to make it two in a row for the Saints.
The Saints have been notoriously poor keeping live scores updated online, leaving Evans with a nervous wait after every match.
But that concern has since been met with a solution, as the Wickers have been sending a set of eyes to send regular updates on North Ringwood’s performances.
“Don’t worry, we knew, we sent someone down to their game,” Evans revealed.
“We knew the whole way, at three-quarter time I think North Ringwood were five goals up… this week was like our grand final.
“I had a feeling North Ringwood would beat Vermont and Doncaster, both at home and not travelling that well.
“They were five goals up at three-quarter time and in my speech at three-quarter time, I think we were three points up, so I sort of said to the boys ‘North Ringwood have won, we have to win’.
“The boys’ last quarter was fantastic.”
With six points still separating Berwick and North Ringwood, a pair of losses for both clubs, or a Berwick win this week, will keep the Wickers in the top flight, and avoid the ‘win and in’ contest in the final round, when the two teams face off.
While he never wants to think wishfully on another club’s misfortunes, Evans is confident in the side playing North Ringwood this week – Noble Park – after a bad loss on Saturday.
“I think probably the best thing for us – and I hate saying it – is Noble (Park) losing, they have to win now to finish second,” he said.
“They have a heap to play for… but you just never know, so credit to Robbie (Saints coach Nahas) on how he has got the boys up and about.
“As a coach, you just never know, but it’s a two-horse race now isn’t it… we will go out all guns blazing this week against Rowville.”
In Saturday’s win, the Wickers welcomed back a typical performance from Travis Tuck, who has missed a lot of footy with concussion.
“It was huge,” Evans said of Tuck’s return.
“His first half was a bit more forward, less on ball, and when I spoke to him at half time he said he was a bit lethargic in the legs.
“But in the third quarter, Bryce Rutherford got carded so we had to throw the gauntlet and say ‘Tucky, we need you in there’.
“His second half was unbelievable, I think once he threw himself back in there he was back to his old self.
“He just willed the side along, put them on his back and said ‘follow me’, it was inspirational.”
