Lancaster coach Nick Ryan admits finishing as the minor premiers isn’t the Wombats’ priority, preferring a fit-and-healthy side putting in a good shift against Stanhope in round 18.
“Obviously, it’d be great to finish on top, but it’s not a massive priority for us, there is no real advantage whether you finish first or second,” he said.
“It’s more about getting through unscathed and making the adjustments we need to give ourselves the best chance when we get into the finals.”
Travelling to the fortress of Avenel Recreation Reserve, Lancaster was the heavy favourite going into the contest and made a good account of itself in the first quarter, nailing five majors to the Swans’ two.
As the Swans continued on the steady path with two more majors, Lancaster created a solid lead of 25 points at half time after adding three more goals to the tally.
The Wombats tightened the screws on defence after the major break, completely shutting down any attacks by Avenel, which allowed Lancaster to flourish in front of goal, slotting seven majors.
While Avenel (3.2) outscored Lancaster (2.4) down the stretch, the Wombats’ dominant third quarter meant they cruised to a 17.18 (120) to 7.9 (51) victory.
Ryan outlined some of the major contributors in the contest for the Wombats.
“Flem (Matthew Fleming) had a great day, in that second half it was more about those defenders that stood up for us,” he said.
“Cameron Simpson came back in and played the first half forward and then came back into the middle and was able to get his hands on the ball a lot.
“Declan Hallett managed to find his way around the goals while still getting plenty of touches in the middle.”
With just one game remaining against Stanhope, Ryan forecasted an “interesting” test for the last home-and-away fixture.
“We are trying to get our full side on the park, we are getting pretty close to it now, a few of the boys just adjusting back into roles and finding the best fit for everyone,” he said.
“Stanhope is always an interesting one, it all depends on the side they dish up at the start of the day. At their best they are competitive, so we aren’t going to walk in there and take them easy.
“That being said, if we can get the game on our terms early we will try and implement a few things so we are ready for finals.
“We are starting to get everyone healthy now, so that is really good, all the boys are excited and there’s a great energy around the club.”
