Around the grounds - round 13
Wangaratta coach Ben Reid can already feel the intensity building as the run towards finals gathers pace.
Reid’s side host reigning premiers and ladder leaders Yarrawonga on Saturday, chasing a third straight win against one of their challengers for a top-five slot.
Following victories over North Albury and Wodonga, the Pies sit fifth and they are level on points with Albury with near-identical percentage.
With so much to play for over the next six weeks, Reid knows the blue touchpaper has already been lit in the race for the 2024 OMFNL premiership.
“It feels like every game’s a big game at the moment and what that will do is set the standard of the finals series up to be cracking,” Reid told O&M Live.
“Whether teams are playing for a top-three spot or a top-five spot, the rivalries, all those sort of things, it sets it up for a really special end to the year.”
Wangaratta had to manage without Callum Moore against the Bulldogs, eventually prevailing by 11.9 (75) to 10.8 (68) after a proper tussle at John Flower Oval.
“I don’t think Cal has missed a game for us to be honest,” Reid said of the Doug Strang Medalist.
“I’m pretty sure he has played every single game since he got here so it is probably a different feel and even with someone of his aura, if you want to say that, around the group, I knew it would be a little bit different for some guys because he’s a bloody good player.
“But I was really proud of the way we got back to playing some good footy after half-time.
“That first half was as bad as footy as we’ve played for a little while.
“Our first quarter wasn’t too bad but in the second quarter we got a little bit boring, taking marks and going back the same way it came in and weren’t really waiting for the game to flush out at all.
“If I’m being brutally honest, I thought the second quarter we got completely out-worked around the footy.
“(Josh) Mathey is turning into a bloody good player and he had two or three centre clearances when he just walked out of them and, no matter who you play, you just can’t let centre clearances happen like that.
“There’s some young guys that are really learning and today was finals-like in a way because Wodonga are trying to play for a top-five spot so we knew they were going to come out breathing fire.
“But we’re trying to get somewhere too so it was a gritty game, that’s for sure.”
Reid also hailed the influence of Harry Smart after the Pies avenged their Round 3 defeat at the hands of Wodonga.
“Harry’s been fantastic,” Reid beamed.
“Since Mark Anderson’s gone out of the side, he’s really had to step up – and he has
“I don’t think he’s been beaten for about three weeks now and he’s starting to turn into a really solid small defender for us.”
