Tullamarine has turned its focus to peaking at the right time of year after being starved of a premiership since 2003 despite making the finals in every season since 2005.
In the past 13 full seasons, the Demons have also made it as far as the grand final on five occasions but haven’t picked up a flag.
Their last grand final was in 2018 where they lost by 13 points to Airport West.
Coach David Connell says they have planned this year so they can peak at the right time.
“The positives are we’re not overly sort of wrapped about the way that we’re playing but we’re really excited as a group that we know there’s still like a heap of improvement in us and we’re still winning,” Connell said who has been senior coach since 2018.
“In the past, like I know in 2018 the year we lost the grand final, we were playing terrific footy in rounds one to nine, in hindsight, we probably peaked by round nine and then we tapered off as the rest of the season went.
“So even in terms of our prep this year with practice matches and things like that, we might normally play three or four [practice games], we only played two this year.
“So we sort of knew that we’d build as the as the season went.”
In hindsight, Connell has learnt from the past for his team to time their best footy so his team can peak at the right time of the season.
“I think we just timed it wrong [in 2018], I think it’s really hard you’ll have a window when you’re at your best and things like that and how big that window is, I don’t really know,” he said.
“But we definitely sort of peaked too early then.
“When we planned preseason, when we plan our practice match schedule and things like that [this season], we did really plan to be sharp enough by round one, but we knew that we didn’t have to be at our absolute best before the start of the season in round one.”
The Demons have started this season strongly winning in its first three games including its most recent round three win over Hillside by 33-points.
Despite the strong start Connell said there have been areas to work on.
“In terms of the performances so far, we’ve been a little patchy but been good enough to get the job done.
Connell said his team is still needing time to improve connections into the forward line with a lot of new players still getting to know each other.
The club recruited Shaun McKernan fresh from his AFL retirement last season, who kicked four goals against Hillside for a best on ground performance.
Connell said McKernan, who has played 91 AFL games across Adelaide, Essendon and St Kilda, has lifted the team’s confidence and belief that they strive for great success this season.
Max Hatzoglou
