Shepp News |
Once a business buzz-phrase, ‘‘key performance indicators’’ has well and truly entered the football dictionary.
At Deakin Reserve on Saturday, it was in full effect.
Despite scores being level between Goulburn Valley Football League rivals Shepparton United and Shepparton Swans, Demons coach Marc Quarrell was surprisingly upbeat at the quarter-time huddle.
He liked what he was seeing.
‘‘There was a lot of positive things that went our way in that first quarter,’’ Quarrell said.
‘‘The signs that we had seen that we hadn’t seen in previous games, all that is in-house stuff, but the indicators were pointing in the right direction that we would have a good game.
‘‘We knew the Swans were going to come out pretty hard, they’re an enthusiastic side, so we aimed to break even with them at quarter-time and if we thought we did that we could work them over from there.’’
The second term remained tight, but the Demons took control after half-time, showing those signs may have been accurate.
Once in control United was all too happy to silence any suggestions the balance of power in Shepparton may have shifted, with a 10-goal win.
‘‘You always do (want to make a statement) and no doubt if they had have been in that position they would have wanted to as well,’’ Quarrell said.
‘‘Whenever you get on top of a side you want to be relentless and you want to be ruthless and I thought we were to a degree in the end.’’
United also won the personal battle with former premiership captain-turned Swan Tyson Sidebottom.
Joey Perkovic returned from suspension in time to take on the silky Swans on-baller and lowered his colours.
‘‘We of all people know how good a player Tyson is, we’ve seen it first hand and we needed to shut him down,’’ Quarrell said.
‘‘I was quite surprised, I don’t think Mooroopna or the Bears tried to shut him down or even had a tag on him.
‘‘There was no way known we were going to let him go and I thought Joey was very disciplined in his approach.’’
