Make no mistake it was absolutely gut-wrenching to give up a 32-point lead at three-quarter time and lose a game we had controlled on Saturday at Gillon Oval against St Mary’s Salesian. But, the simple fact of the matter was that we couldn’t sustain the great effort and execution we had displayed and – not for the first time this year, but the most dramatically – ran out of players and legs.

Our start was brilliant. Seven straight goals at quarter-time which grew to twelve. Key forwards Matt Keown and Chris Ford were on fire, marking everything and kicking goals, fed by a dynamic mid-field, where strength of Jarred Wade, Lachlan Ezard and Gerrard Bence was complimented by the run and carry of Jake Kerr and Andy Roberts. Down back Mick O’Donoghue was again the general and Dean Beaumont was back to his best. Pat Kelly and Chris Colman were also playing out of their skin.

After half-time St Mary’s shifted up a gear and quickly reduced the margin to 20-points before we hit back with three straight goals, including the goal-of-the-year by Kelly running and bouncing along the wing and kicking from outside 50. St Mary’s clawed one back before the final break when, even though we had key talls Peter Shepherd and Matt Close out of the game with ankle injuries, there was a cautious optimism we had the game in hand.

Unfortunately it was not to be as St Mary’s kept running and our luck ran out. As more players limped off to our bench we were on the receiving end of a series of shocking umpiring decisions which proved to be the last straw. We ended up conceding nine of the last ten goals of the game in a heart-breaker.

Nevertheless there were plenty of positives to take our the game and we can still finish the season strongly, starting with Yarra Valley next week.