By MICHAEL ESPOSITO
A SIGNIFICANTLY under-strength Spotswood will be better for the run despite being knocked out in the first stage of the Betstar Champions Cup on Sunday, according to coach Chris O’Keefe.
The Woodsmen lost both their games in the round-robin pre-season tournament featuring the best teams from around Victoria, but showed enough, in the second game at least, to give O’Keefe confidence in the lead-up to the opening round of the Western Region Football League.
Geelong Football League premier Bell Park was crowned champion after defeating Goulburn Valley Football League premier Shepparton United by eight points in the final.
Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League champions Cranbourne stunned Spotswood in the first game with a 9.2 (56) to 3.2 (20) win, but Spotswood was much more competitive against Northern Football League premier Bundoora, but went down by seven points in the 40-minute hit-out. Bundoora beat Cranbourne by 18 points but both sides advanced to the semi-final
Adding interest to this match was brothers Jason and Cameron Cloke lining up at opposite ends, with brother Travis, the Collingwood power forward, watching from the sidelines.
“I just don’t think we were prepared for what was going to happen,” O’Keefe said about the first match.
“Without having played any of these teams before we came out and were a bit shell-shocked early. They (Cranbourne) got the jump on us and were just a bit more hard on the ball and just a bit more desperate and willing to win in that first game.
“We addressed that and the change in attitude from the first game to the second game was very good. I was pretty happy with the way we fought out that second game and the way we really took Bundoora right to the last few minutes.
“We had a fair few players missing today and it was a really good opportunity for some of the younger kids to play some footy against different guys in different competitions so it was really good hit out.”
O’Keefe said he was particularly impressed with new recruit Ben Perry, who played at both ends of the ground, while Matthew Fogarty, who played in Spotswood’s 2007 premiership side but has not played footy since, looked sharp.
Essendon and Districts Football League champion Strathmore narrowly missed out on advancing to the semi-final of the nine-team tournament after losing to Romsey by eight points and defeating Shepparton United, also by eight points.
