Tara Murray
Macedon’s start to the season is reflected in its results in the Riddell District Football League according to coach Al Meldrum.
The Cats sit 2-2 after five rounds, having also had a bye and find themselves sitting in fifth.
Meldrum said it had been an interesting start to the season for the side. He said they had played some good football in patches, but at times had been poor.
“We have been in every game, but we’ve let the opposition be in every game,” he said.
“We felt against Lancefield that we might have got away with one.
“We’re sitting where we should be at the moment. We’re getting what we deserve in the games we’ve lost and we’ve got no excuses.
“We’re not playing our best footy and the wins and losses reflect that.”
Meldrum said the biggest issue for them had been defensively this season. He said they believe their problems date back to the pre-season.
“In the pre-season we prioritised how we wanted to move the ball,” he said.
“Last season we focused on defence and it was an aspect we felt like we were pretty strong in.
“It’s now an aspect of trying to balance both sides.
“Against Diggers Rest we were getting opened up in the contest. We weren’t in the defensive frame of mind, which has to be part of your DNA each week.
The Cats like several other teams in the competition have had a number of injuries to key players.
Karl Staudt, Matt Dick, Jack Kernan and Jason Cooke have missed games. Cooke was set to get scans this week after playing injured in recent weeks.
Meldrum said it was frustrating for Cooke, not to be able to play the way he would like.
He said while they were keen to get those players back, the positives outweigh the negative in terms of the impact of the injuries overall.
“We’ve continued to blood the kids,” he said. “We don’t want to harp on about the injuries as it’s provided opportunities to five under-19s to get that experience and it’s invaluable for the guys.
“It’s the highlight of the season and a great sign for the future. There’s a lot of positives to work from.
“You’re never as good as you think and never as bad as you think. We think we’re somewhere in the middle.”
Meldrum said there was still plenty of improvement for the side going forward.
The Cats are set to face Romsey at Romsey on Saturday.
The Redbacks sit in sixth spot, with one win.
Meldrum said they were expecting a tough match.
“They lost to Riddell by seven points and Diggers Rest by one point.
“They’re been impressive but they haven’t got the win. They have top liners every year, some of the better ones in the competition.
“It’ll be a pretty big ask to go there and win. We’ll have to come up with a plan to win.”
