The Eagles surged clear after half-time to post an 18.13 (121) to 10.9 (69) victory, a result co-coach Mitch Wareham said was important for building momentum heading into September.
“I suppose it’s confidence,” Wareham said.
“We had a couple of tough games leading into Benalla and our first half yesterday was less than ideal, but we were able to flick that switch after half-time and really come in with some confidence into the final series.”
That switch came in the third quarter when Mansfield piled on 7.5 to the Saints’ 2.2, a turnaround Wareham put down to effort and respect for the contest.
“Regardless of the opposition, you need to respect them, and I felt we didn’t in the first half,” he said.
“We were probably second to the contest, giving them an extra couple of metres, just expecting that the win’s going to happen. And in footy, it doesn’t always work that way. So that was the messaging, get out there, be ruthless, first to the ball, and just be competitors really.”
The response came swiftly and Wareham said it was the kind of footy that had put Mansfield back among the contenders.
“Anyone knows that momentum is a really powerful thing in football,” he said.
“If you walk away just scraping over the line, you can second guess or think what could we have done better. But to bounce back after half-time and showcase the footy that’s got us to a point where people are talking about us, it was good to get back to that.”
It capped a strong season for the Eagles, who finished with 14 wins, a sharp rise from last year’s eight.
Wareham said the growth was a combination of greater maturity and better luck with injuries.
“Anytime you finish inside the top six, if as a coach you’re not filled with confidence, then realistically you probably don’t deserve to be there,” he said.
“Last year we debuted 11 players and were riddled with injury. We acquired a few more this year and injuries have probably played more in our favour this year. We’ve got a lot of local young talent, only five or six blokes haven’t come through our junior system. It’s maturity in games under players’ belts that probably helps that luck as well.”
That development will be tested immediately, with Shepparton first up in finals.
The Eagles beat the Bears by less than three goals twice this season, including a fortnight ago, but Wareham knows the script can flip quickly in finals.
“It’s quite cliché saying that finals is a different ball game,” he said.
“But you get back to how we played yesterday and take that momentum. There’s a lot of confidence growing within our leaders and younger guys, so it’s about acknowledging each individual’s strengths and how we can utilise them against the Bears.”
The finals schedule is yet to be confirmed by the league, but Wareham knows that time and place shouldn’t matter.
“At the end of the day it is what it is and you’ve just got to beat whoever’s in front of you,” he said.
“It’s obviously a massive week for the club. I think it’s only the second time in Mansfield history that we’ve got all three sides in finals, so it’s shaping up to be a good year from a Mansfield point of view.”
5°C