Coach deflects favourites talk

GEELONG Amateur co-coach Rowan McSparron is refusing to buy into talk his side is the premiership favourite, despite outlasting Barwon Heads in Saturday’s top-three showdown at Queens Park.

The three-time reigning premier jumped above the Seagulls on the ladder after coming from behind in the final quarter in gusty conditions to win by 15 points.

But despite winning 12 of its past 13 matches, including recent wins over Torquay and Barwon Heads, McSparron said the team to beat was not his, but the ladder-leading Tigers.

“I don’t think we are (premiership favourites),” he said. “Torquay are on top and Barwon Heads have been right at their heels all year.

“We get one back at Barwon Heads on our home deck, they beat us quite easily on their home ground. I would say at this stage Torquay are still the ones to beat.

“It’s a long way from over and, as Modewarre showed last year, you can come from fifth quite easily if you get on a good run.”

In a gripping contest, Barwon Heads kicked five goals to one in the third quarter to turn a 17-point halftime deficit into a 10-point buffer at the final change.

But Ammos set up brilliantly behind the ball in the final term, hardly allowing the Seagulls a forward entry and took control to run out 15-point winners.

“You always have confidence after playing a good side and grinding out a hard-fought win,” McSparron said.

“We’ve come 10 points down coming into the last quarter and to end up winning by 15 . . . it’s pleasing that the boys were able to stick to their tasks and get the job done when it mattered.”

A drawn-out 40-minute first quarter fighting against the wind did not stop the Ammos, who took a crucial five-goal advantage into the first break.

“I thought our pressure in the first quarter was a lot better than it was in the second and third quarter,” McSparron said.

“Just right across the ground, our pressure in the first quarter was what we wanted it to be for four quarters, but we just didn’t sustain it.

“Sometimes when you don’t have that wind, you work that little bit harder.”

Nine Ammos players kicked goals in an even spread. Goalkicking leader Mitch Day banked two goals to raise his count to 61 for the season. Ben Bucovaz, Ross Fagan and Daniel Grose played outstanding roles for the day. McSparron paid credit to the Seagulls. “Barwon Heads were holding the footy really well, so they were hitting their targets,” he said.

“I thought they were really good, their transition from half-back through the middle is pretty impressive and we knew that was going to be the case.

“When they’re hitting targets, they’re really dangerous and they’re really quick, so it makes them a tough team to match up against”