Geelong Advertiser |
IT was little more than 18 months ago that Grovedale’s two teams ended the 2012 season firmly entrenched at the bottom of the ladder.
Its senior team finished three games behind 11th-placed St Albans, having scored its only win for the season against the Supersaints by nine points.
Even more startling was its depth, or lack thereof.
The Tigers’ reserves team finished winless on the bottom of the table, with a staggering percentage of 12.50.
It scored 354 points for and conceded 2832 for the season. That is rock bottom.
How quickly things can change. Four rounds into the 2014 season, Grovedale sits among five teams with a 3-1 record, having knocked off ladder leader Newtown & Chilwell last Saturday.
Grant Tanner’s team is proving last year’s fairytale rise from wooden spooner to grand finalist was no fluke.
It comes as league powerhouse South Barwon sits in the unusual position of ninth, having lost its past three games to St Mary’s, St Joseph’s and Colac. It faces Newtown at home this weekend.
It is far too easy to write off South Barwon, but Grovedale’s transformation does prompt the question of a power shift in the league, and whether or not there is a new power south of the river.
This weekend’s games have taken on huge importance, with South looking to snap its three-game losing streak against premiership contenders Newtown & Chilwell.
Grovedale, on the other hand, has another tough assignment ahead of it when it plays the emerging St Joseph’s, which are also 3-1 and have taken down South this year.
