By Marcus Uhe
With no Outer East Football Netball in the region over the weekend, it’s time to look back at what has transpired so far in Premier Division, team-by-team.
PAKENHAM
Ladder position: 8th
Win-loss record: 3-5
Leading goal kicker: Jai Rout (16)
Individuals impressing: Jai Rout, Rhys Clacy, Sam Kors, Josh Haggar, James Harrison
Points per game: 74.5 (5th)
Points against per game: 84.8 (10th)
Big games to come: R10 v Upwey Tecoma (H), R15 v Officer (A), R16 v Olinda Ferny Creek (H).
Predicted finish: 8th
Relative to preseason anticipation, it’s been a poor start to the season for the Lions.
Paul Carbis set the expectations over Summer by declaring they should be aiming for the top three in 2024, but injuries, a lack of continuity and form will instead have them battling to make the finals.
Let’s deal with facts; Pakenham’s only wins have been against the sides in the bottom three, in Emerald, Berwick Springs and Monbulk, the latter courtesy of a Sam Kors miracle after the siren.
While games against teams likely to finish around the same mark as them – in Mt Evelyn, Olinda Ferny Creek and Officer – netted zero premiership points, an unaffordable outcome in such a close competition – just four points separate fourth and seventh.
Injuries to key figures, including skipper Jake Barclay and forwards Tom Gamble and Bailey Stiles, haven’t helped the Lions’ cause, but to boil their form exclusively down to injuries would be giving them an out.
Sam Kors has been a find as a key figure in their forward line, having spent much of his time in previous years higher up the ground, while Under 19s Ryan Martini, David Sollberger and Josh Trembath have each held their own at senior level.
The adjustment to Carbis’ game style is taking its time, and it’s defensively where the pain is most being felt, where lapses and breakdowns in structure simply make them too easy to score against.
A solid performance against Narre Warren in round one, where they took the contest right up to a likely premiership contender, showed plenty of promise, but ultimately left them wanting where it mattered most.
Carbis said after their last contest against Wandin that the side had not yet reached the heights he expected them to, but said there was “no panic stations just yet”.
“I thought we’d be a bit higher,” Carbis said.
“I thought we’d win the games against the teams that we did, but I think that comes down to the personnel that we had on the park – everyone at the start of the year goes off what their best side looks like and we had that against Narre (Warren), and I thought we played some good footy against Narre (Warren) and that’s probably when we played our best footy for the year, and that’s probably the best team that we’ve had.
“Since then it’s gone up and down like a yo-yo, and results again today, there’s a few big ones and a few close ones.
“I said that to the boys; whether we win or lose, even against Woori Yallock, we’ve just got to keep trying to play the way we play and things will start to turn.”
A loss against the Tigers on Saturday will see them slip to 3-6, with return clashes against both Woori Yallock and the Magpies still to come in the run home.
Clashes against Upwey Tecoma, Officer and Olinda Ferny Creek, therefore, only heighten in their significance in the fight for a place in the bottom half of the top six.
Barclay’s knee injury will see him miss the remainder of the season but the club is hoping to see Zac Stewart return from injury this week, having made it through his first full game since week unscathed in the reserves, after missing the entire season in 2023.
