SOME wrote Diamond Creek off for 2015 after fighting relegation in 2014.
But the sleeping giant of Division 2 has re-asserted itself as a genuine finals contender after eight rounds.
Diamond Creek president John Woolcock has seen his Demons quietly go about reviving their fortunes this season.
With a new coach in Craig Hayes and an exuberant young list, the Demons currently sit sixth on the ladder – a position which could be better but for a handful of close losses.
“We’ve stuck with playing the kids, and the new coach has certainly brought a whole new vision,” Woolcock said.
The Demons lost Josh Whitehouse Summers, Luke Simpson (both Bundoora), Brent Gutterson (East Burwood), Tyron Loader, Ryan and Chris Burton (all Hurstbridge) over the past 12 months.
But it has provided the kids with great opportunity, according to Woolcock.
“You can look at it two ways, we were disappointed to lose a few of the guys but they had been around and tested and tried,” he said.
“We had four 17-year-old kids in the (senior) side in the last four weeks.”
Jack Prosser and Lochlan Brannelly are among the young up-and-coming stars at Diamond Creek, where they have been given an opportunity to shine by the new coach. New ruckman Andrew Oliver has also fitted in well.
Woolcock says new senior coach Craig Hayes is ticking all the boxes after the departure of David Calthorpe last season.
“He (Hayes) has been fantastic. One thing that was lacking was communication and he does that sort of job being a police officer,” he said.
Despite a 3-1-4 record after eight rounds, Diamond Creek has been on the receiving end of its share of close losses.
Although, to this point in the season, Woolcock isn’t complaining after last year.
“If you look at where we were this time last year to where we are now, we’ve come a long way.
“At the start of the year, if you were going to give me where we are at (I’d have taken it),"Woolcock said.
Clichés are common in footy, but the close losses for Diamond Creek have been simple, Woolcock says.
“Our kicking has let us down and bad kicking is bad footy.
“To be honest, we’ve been in every game except Round 1 (against Whittlesea), so we could have had a different situation,” he said.
The improved form of Diamond Creek, while a surprise to many, has been of no surprise to the folk at Coventry Oval.
“We were sort of trying to go about things quietly and we have shocked a few people on where we are at.
“We believe that on our day we are capable of beating anybody, but we’re going to have to kick straight and use the ball well,” Woolcock said.
Proving the Division 2 pundits wrong has become a recent habit at the Demons.
Diamond Creek had to defeat Epping at the end of last season to survive relegation.
The senior coach had been sacked after Round 8, and a Club with a long, proud history had been in unfamiliar territory.
But the Demons continue to prove the doubters wrong.
“A lot of people picked us to finish last (this year) and be relegated,” Woolcock said.
“The club wasn’t proud of what happened last year.
“We had our backs to the wall and had to win Round 18 (last year), and they did that."
And, as the sleeping giant is awakening to a successful 2015 campaign, the Club and Woolcock has its sights set on September – where it had been for a number of years prior.
“You never know, if you get into the four, anything can happen.”
