Grubbers gain belief

OCEAN Grove coach Elyse Howard says there is a belief within the Grubbers that they can make a serious finals impact after upsetting Geelong Amateur on Thursday night.

The Grubbers sent shockwaves through the BFNL with the 41-40 victory in the rescheduled game, moving to equal top on the ladder ahead of today’s games.

Howard said the win was significant in helping Ocean Grove establish itself inside the top three as the finals race heats up.

“We always have that belief and know we are competitive and not here to fill the numbers,” Howard said.

“We do think we can really push for a flag. But as a group, it’s having that consistency (with availability) and that depth where we have lacked.

“For us, (Thursday) was about saying, ‘OK, we have a full team and this is what we are able to produce’. So even if we don’t have a full team, we know we have what it takes and we know we can push those better teams.”

Ammos caught Ocean Grove on the back foot early, surging to a 13-5 quarter-time lead. However, the Grubbers made a number of key changes at the first break, shifting from a focus on speed to a more physical approach, and worked their way back into the match.

The margin was back to four goals at halftime and then a 16-goal-to-10 third term had them up at the final change. In a tense final term, the Grubbers were able to hold on, despite a mistake on the scoreboard that showed them further ahead than what they actually were.