Mandurah Mail football writer Justin Rake takes on the ups and downs of our Peel Football and Netball League in his weekly column ‘Rake’s Rave’.
Local footy is an unpredictable game.
Ask coaches who tear their hair out trying to make a side of 22 every week because their players are on shift work, or holidays, or maybe they’re injured or have family commitments.
Three of those four things (with holidays being the exception) can’t be helped, and 99 per cent of the time they’re worthy causes to miss a game of footy.
But while it might be necessary for a bloke to miss, it’s not making that coach’s job any easier.
That’s why this year’s Pinjarra squad needs to be applauded.
Ask premiership Tigers coach Troy Vidovich what makes local footy clubs tick and you’re likely to hear him utter the word “depth” at some point, and his club has nailed it.
Every week they seem to be running out with a handful of players who weren’t in the side last round, but those players are delivering as if they’ve been playing league footy for years.
Pinjarra debuted three fresh faces (Logan Martin, Adam France, Shane Cole) in their win over Waroona in round eight, and all of them played a part.
The week before they brought Ryan Budd up from the reserves, and he booted a pair of goals in a massive drubbing of Mandurah.
Earlier in the year Michael Hansen debuted with seven goals, and they also welcomed back Lloyd Beever after two seasons in the South West Football League with the midfielder in great form.
Regulars like Dean Beswick, Rory O’Brien, Brendon Coxon and many more are still holding down the fort, but having guys playing in the colts or reserves ready to step into league footy when called upon has them sitting pretty.
Sure, a team with flag aspirations like Pinjarra would probably like to be higher than third on the ladder at this point, but the fact they boast a 6-2 record after dipping into their depth so often is a comforting thought for the supporters in black and gold.
That same thought is probably not-so-comforting for opposing teams, who are likely to have an almighty task on their hands when the Tigers can finally muster their best 22.