Tara Murray
Injuries have put pay to the Sunbury Jets hopes in the Big V men’s championship this season.
The Jets have been in all but two games but have suffered seven losses nine points or less.
It’s left the side down towards the bottom of the table.
Coach Nathan Heywood said it had been a tougher season than they would have liked.
“We’ve been struck down with a few injuries at the same time,” he said. “It’s impacting how we are finishing games.
“Josh, Ben, Jeremy Wragg and Sonny Maxwell are four key players who have been missing the last couple of weeks.
“We’re missing our leading scorer for the season and a couple of starters, it has challenged us.”
Heywood said morale was still strong within the side despite the results not falling their way.
He said for the most part they had been in the contest.
“Against Melbourne Uni, we could not get anything right,” he said. “Wyndham are a really great outfit, that result is nothing to be ashamed about.
“I’ve been super proud of finding different ways to score and different guys stepping up.”
Heywood said with so many players out, some guys have been getting minutes they wouldn’t have been expecting
He highlighted the performances of Owen Stephens the last couple of weeks, while Zak Martinez has come up for the youth league side.
Dylan Cheyne is another that has impressed Heywood.
Heywood was also full of praise for their leaders.
“Nathan Marshall, Nathan Baker and James Weston have been helping the young kids feel comfortable in the side.”
Heywood said that they were still a mathematical hope of making the top five but knows everything would have to go their way.
“The season is pretty much done,” he said.
The mindset with five games to go is that our best is good enough to compete and give ourselves a chance.
“It will drive us for the rest of the season.”
The Jets on Saturday night had just seven players as they took on the Shepparton Gators.
Heywood was also not in attendance, with former coach John White coaching the side for the night.
The Gators blew the margin out in the middle two quarters before the Jets came home strong in the final quarter.
It wasn’t enough with the Gators winning 78-68.
Koby Skenderis scored 25 points for the Jets in the loss.
The Jets women also fell short in their match, losing to the Pakenham Warriors, 83-78.
Outside of the third quarter which the Warriors won, 25-16, the other three quarters were all within one goal.
It would be the third quarter that would prove the difference.
Veronika Mirkovic top scored with 22 points.
With the loss the Jets slip out of the top four, now in fifth spot.
