IF THE start to the season is anything to go by, it is safe to assume Thomastown loves Dean Sinclair as much as Sinclair loves the Bears.
Sinclair, the club’s 2008 premiership coach, rejoined Thomastown in December after its 2013 boss, Steve Krstevski, defected to rival side Watsonia.
After a change at the top halfway through pre-season, most would have forgiven the Bears for making a slow start to the Northern Football League Division 3 season.
But Sinclair and the club’s leadership group have inspired a brilliant opening to the campaign, with Thomastown securing four straight wins.
The Bears vanquished premiership fancy Reservoir by 83 points in Round 3, beat last year’s runners-up Watsonia in Round 2 and will be out to claim five wins on the bounce against the improving Heidelberg West this weekend.
The early results have catapulted Thomastown to the top of the ladder, two games clear of its nearest rival.
Sinclair said the unity in the club’s playing group could not be questioned after its barnstorming start.
“Considering we’ve played Reservoir, Watsonia and South Morang, three sides we expect to be up there at the end of the season … we’re pretty happy at the moment,” Sinclair said.
“The talk around was that (Reservoir) had recruited pretty well and were the side everyone was going to be looking to knock off.
“It was definitely one of the better results I’ve been involved in for a while.”
The Bears’ strong form continued on Saturday as they accounted for South Morang by 70 points.
Michael Di Battista kicked five goals in the win, while Jacob Osei-Duro continued his fine goalkicking form with three.
South Morang led at quarter time before Thomastown blew the game open, with the Bears rarely threatened in the second half as they ran out eventual 20.13 (133) to 9.9?(63) winners.
This article of Leader Newspaper.
