Border Mail |
WANGARATTA Rovers’ star Karl Norman says the Hawks’ recent form will catch up with them if it doesn’t change soon.
Rovers got out of jail against the struggling Wodonga Raiders on Saturday, trailing at every change before storming home late to run out less than convincing 22-point winners.
Norman, who put the Hawks on his back when moved to ruck-rover in the second half, said it was only a matter of time before the team dropped a game they should win, given their form.
Wangaratta Rovers have limped over the line in every game since the bye, accounting for Wangaratta by a goal and Myrtleford by just four points, prior to Saturday’s contest.
“We haven’t been playing the best footy lately,” Norman admitted.
“When the game is on the line we are playing like we did last year but we’re only doing it for a quarter, at best, and it gets us out of strife.
“It will catch up with us, at some point.
“We’re still trying to work out why it’s happening.
“I think we’re a lot better than what we are playing.
“We’ve still got the core group of players from last season.”
The Raiders were all over the Hawks early, with Dean Limbach putting All-Australian defender Tyson Hartwig to the sword. So much so, Hartwig, who is rarely beaten, was sent forward late in the game and Hayden Lowe moved onto the Raiders’ star.
Todd Bryant also gave the visitors headaches.
Raiders’ coach Ken Stevenson was proud of his team’s effort but admitted it simply couldn’t match the Hawks when it counted.
“When they needed to lift their guys were able to do that better than our guys, unfortunately,” he said.
“Everybody says we’re going nowhere but I’m absolutely positive we are.
“I said to the guys that every side we played in the first half of the year, I wanted to reduce the result from that game.
“That’s our aim and we’ve done that first up.”
