Garry Ramsay is confident Montmorency can pick up from where it left when football resumes in the NFNL, believing the Magpies best is yet to come.
After an inconsistent start, the Magpies got their 2021 campaign on track with consecutive wins over Heidelberg and Whittlesea, before the season was halted by Victoria’s latest lockdown.
Ramsay’s side currently sits in sixth place on the Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 ladder, with a 4-3 record – only percentage behind both Heidelberg and Bundoora.
Speaking to NFNL.org.au ahead of the Magpies’ expected return to footy against Hurstbridge on Saturday, Ramsay said a key focus for his side was to run out games better in the back half of the season.
“If last quarters only went for 14-15 minutes, we’d probably be 6-1,” Ramsay said.
“We’ve been overrun twice against Macleod and North Heidelberg. We led at the 15-minute mark of the last quarter and then got overrun badly.”
Having played just one match this year, former AFL midfielder Ben Kennedy won’t return for the second half of the season, with Ramsay confirming the 2018 best and fairest had returned home to Adelaide.
Despite losing Kennedy, Ramsay has been impressed by the impressive form of skipper Jesse Donaldson, Sam Binion and Jai Robinson.
“They’ve been our most consistent each week. Even when we’ve had a couple of not so good weeks, they’ve been consistently playing their role and are consistently in the best,” Ramsay said.
Ramsay has also been pleased by the development of young trio Darcy Wilmot, Bronson Hill and Blake Murphy.
“Bronson Hill has kicked 10 goals in his first three games of senior footy. That’s an amazing effort for a young player. I haven’t seen too many young blokes be able to do that,” he said.
“We had another young player Darcy Wilmot make his debut and he made a real impact in the first four games that he played.
“Blake Murphy’s been very consistent, I think he’s two best games have been the last two. I’m expecting some really big things from him in the back half of the year.”
Ramsay said he was confident his playing group had maintained their fitness during lockdown and would be ready to go when play resumes.
“All of them know pretty well what’s needed. I sort of kept them updated on what the situation was. They all train pretty well on their own,” he said.
Ramsay also mentioned that he is excited by the Magpies’ schedule for the remainder of the season, which includes two matches against reigning premier West Preston-Lakeside, as well as return bouts against North Heidelberg and Heidelberg.
“We’re sixth at the moment and we need to climb the ladder enough to finish top three and give ourselves a really good chance at winning it,” he said.
“I always thought we’d keep improving as the year went on with so many young kids.
“I’m really confident that we’re going to get better. I always thought our best was going to be played in the second half of the year.”
