Border Mail |
OVENS and Murray coach Matt Pendergast admits the league may have underestimated Peninsula after going down by 45 points on Saturday.
But the Lavington star said people expected too much from the O and M.
Despite missing a host of stars, most thought the highly revered O and M would have little trouble accounting for the Peninsula league at Visy Park.
The O and M lost to the MPNFL by less than a goal when they met in 2011 but that league has since disbanded into three divisions.
It proved to matter little as Peninsula sent the O and M plummeting back down to the 5 v 6 match-up next year.
“It’s disappointing but you can’t question our blokes’ commitment,” Pendergast said.
“We were beaten by a top-class side.
“Maybe we under-estimated them, I don’t know?
“Across the board they were really even and didn’t have a weak link.
“I just think they gelled better at the right time.”
With the Ovens and Murray stealing most country football headlines following the arrival of former AFL stars such as Brendan Fevola, Jason Akermanis and Jason Gram, Pendergast said people had perhaps neglected the strength of football outside the O and M.
He said the league’s historic past, as great as it was, had little to do with the state of the competition.
“There’s quality football across the board,” Pendergast said.
“I think a lot of people still get caught up in the history and that.
“The Ovens and Murray is one of the top leagues but there are some really good footballers running around country Victoria.
“We’ve got the headline players like Fev up in our competition and the comp is really good but full credit to the other comps, too.
“They’re really talented.
“I think people expect too much from the Ovens and Murray.”
Pendergast, who remains unsure whether he’ll coach the league for a fourth year next season, said interleague football no longer gave an accurate reflection as to which league was the best.
“The rankings don’t mean a lot any more but what can you do about it?” he said.
“Our players are always going to have a dip but maybe we are falling behind?
“That’s going to happen but the wheel will turn.”
However, the Lavington champion did reveal his concern for the longevity of representative football.
“It’s a losing a battle, really,” Pendergast said.
“In 10 years’ time I don’t know where it will be at.”
