By ADEM SARICAOGLU
TAYLORS Lakes coach Steve Burns believes his Essendon District Football League Division One side has gone under the radar so far this season.
The Lions will go into the Queen’s Birthday break second on the table after securing their fourth successive win on Saturday against a struggling Craigieburn outfit at Lionheart Reserve.
Despite that run of four straight, Burns told Star his Division One rivals should be more wary of his Lions.
“I think we’re definitely in the mix in the top group of sides,” Burns said.
“I reckon people haven’t really rated us highly because Glenroy beat us by six goals early in the year, but I think they’ve dropped off.
“I think we’re sitting perfectly.
“Second’s good, but people don’t rate us and I think we’re in a really good position at the moment.”
Taylors Lakes was in cruise control from start to finish against the hapless Eagles, who could only manage 6.9 (45) for the day in response to the Lions’ whopping 23.21 (159).
At quarter time Taylors Lakes was already out to 28-point break before extending that buffer to 45 by the half.
Craigieburn improved in the third quarter but still found itself down by 53 at three-quarter time, before Taylors Lakes stormed home with 10 final quarter goals to eventually score a percentage-boosting 114-point win.
Despite the scoreboard suggesting it was a comprehensive thumping, Burns was still adamant more improvement and consistency is needed in certain areas of Taylor Lakes’s game.
“We kicked 10.3 in the last (quarter), which makes it look a bit better than what it was, but Craigieburn were OK,” Burns said.
“They played pretty well and put us under a bit of pressure and our guys were just off the boil a little bit.
“But, to their credit, they got it right and finished the game off really well.”
While Burns was happy with the Lions’ contested work, he highlighted inaccurate kicking as the key area his wayward side needs to improve.
“The only thing lacking was our scoreboard pressure and, unfortunately, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day,” he said.
“You’ve got to beat sides on the scoreboard and we kept them in it a little bit by not finishing off our work.”
Small 21-year-old forward Mark Xuereb was the clear standout on the ground with six goals for the game, while veteran Michael Di Pietro enjoyed a good day with four of his own.
Taylors Lakes will next face Westmeadows on the road on Saturday week.
