2014 HAS been a tough year on the field for the Parkside Football Club, sitting outright bottom on the Division 3 ladder.
But after losing their opening 13 games of the season by an average of 88 points, the Devils finally broke through for their first win of the season with a gripping three-point win over St Mary’s last Saturday.
NFL media manager Samuel Zito chatted with Parkside coach George Lattouf following the side’s breakthrough victory.
SAMUEL ZITO: What did you make of the win?
GEORGE LATTOUF: The way I see it, we’ve had one of those years but the playing group has kept on persisting. We worked really hard during the week to get this side going. It was the first time this year we picked a side on Thursday night and it was the same side that played on the Saturday. There are usually been three or four changes. We played pressure football all day. Our ability not to stop was great and we only had a lapse in the third quarter, where they kicked four goals. If that happened in the past, they (St Mary’s) would have kept on going and we would have lost by a big margin which is a credit to my boys. I’ve been trying to keep a positive attitude at the football club the whole year. In our senior side there are probably 13 or 14 players who it’s the first time they’re playing senior footy. The comradery between the boys is building and it was just a good win.
SZ: What was the group’s reaction when the final siren sounded?
GL: It was like we won a Grand Final, that’s what the feeling was like. The joy from the coaching staff and the joy from the players, it was like we won a premiership. The reaction typified the way we played.
SZ: You’ve generally had a good record against St Mary’s. Did that give you added confidence going into the game?
GL: Definitely and we really set ourselves for this game. We knew we needed to use a game plan based on relentless pressure that will create plenty of turnovers. St Mary’s is a side who likes to run and spread and we contained that, aside from that third quarter when they kicked four goals straight when we had a lapse in concentration.
SZ: What was the key message at three quarter time when the boys were behind but within striking distance?
GL: I asked them ‘do you think as a group you can win this game?’ and every one of them looked me in the face and said ‘yes’. I told them they could win the game as long as they continued to pressure, zone and work the switch when we had to. It was all about having faith and belief in one another. There are no individuals in this team, if we were going to win we were doing to do it as a team together.
SZ: How have you kept the group galvanised after such a tough season?
GL: Every football club, even those who are successful at the moment, have gone through a tough period like this. No club can maintain success forever. It’s an evolution. Players come and they go, but the key for us is belief and hard work. Even in hard times the boys are still coming to training after work and train and work for one another. In tough times like these, it’s not all about winning and losing. Even in life in general, in tough times people bond together and success does come after a period of time. You just have to stick fat.
SZ: Who are players who you’ve seen real leadership from in trying circumstances?
GL: Nick Burton has been absolutely fantastic and his leadership skills on the ground have been exceptional. He used to be a half back flanker, but halfway through this year I’ve chucked him in the middle and he and Shane McLaren have led the way. Wellsy (Adam Wells) is another in our leadership group who has been outstanding every week. We had a young kid Corey Salvador who kicked four goals for us in the win. He’s only 18 years old and came to us six weeks ago. He hadn’t played for three years and asked to train with us. As soon as I saw the way he could mark and kick, I knew he’d be outstanding.
SZ: You have just two games left in 2014. Are you hopeful the win at the weekend will give the boys the confidence to cause another upset?
GL: When I addressed the boys after the game, I said that we just had to continue doing what we did (against St Mary’s). It doesn’t matter who we play, even if it’s Thomastown or Reservoir, we just have to play that kind of football and on the day anything could happen. We’ve got two games to go and it won’t just be about the scoreboard. I want to see how the players respond and develop. Whether we win or we lose, as long as the boys give 100 per cent will be my focus for the next two weeks.
