The Shepparton side is currently enjoying an unbeaten run stretching back over three months, with one of the best winning streaks in the club’s history propelling them into contention for the premiership title.
The boys in navy blue have benefited from the faltering form of VPL 2 pacesetters Malvern City, after the long-tine ladder leaders fell to three defeats in five outings over the past month.
By contrast, the Suns have dropped points in just one of their last five games, following victories over the Eastern Lions, Essendon Royals, Whittlesea United and Box Hill United Pythagoras, only punctuated by a draw against Altona City.
Heading into the battle against Moreland at John McEwen Reserve in round 19, the Suns will have the chance to put further pressure on frontrunners Malvern, who face the Eastern Lions that day.
Following the postponement of the planned June 20 fixture against Keilor Park, the Goulburn Valley troops then had a bye week during round 18, meaning they will have gone 14 days without a game by the time they return to the field on July 4.
Since then, coach Carley has looked to bolster his squad with some fresh additions in the transfer market, as he captured the signatures of Xavier Black and Stefan Pigatto to assist with their promotion campaign.
Sitting in second place in the table, the Suns are currently just four points adrift of main rivals for the championship Malvern, while also boasting a game-in-hand on the first-placed side.
Giving his verdict on whether the recent pause in proceedings will prove beneficial for his players, the Suns boss was positive that his players have had time to rest up ahead of the business end of the campaign.
“It’s been a really good week, it’s given us the chance to give the boys the whole week off training,” he said, following the postponement against Keilor Park.
“We’ve got quite a thin squad, so in terms of looking after boys that might have had some little knocks or injuries, it’s been a good opportunity to reset.
“The rest is good for the players carrying knocks into games to recharge and it’s a good opportunity to just stabilise with what we’ve got and just re-charge the batteries for the promotion push.”
Previewing the week leading into the Moreland game, the coach confirmed that the players would return to training in preparation for the clash.
Sizing up the opposition ahead of this latest test, Carley provided some insight into what the Suns’ coaching set-up is expecting form Moreland - as he revealed his admiration for two plays in particular.
“They’re a team that’s really starting to pick up a couple of wins,” he said.
“They’re very experienced, with some really good players in Josh Rees and Corey Thomas.
“They’ve been around the block and played at the highest level in Victoria for a long time.”
Intriguingly, Carley’s charges kicked off their current unbeaten spell against their next opponents back on March 21 in the form of an impressive 5-2 victory on the road.
“Obviously, they’re battling away again towards those relegation places but they’re closing the gap on the teams above them so we know every game is a tough one,” he added.
“They’re fighting for their lives, we’re fighting at the right end of the table at the moment and we know we’ve got to be picking up maximum points against teams in order to finish in those top two automatic promotion spots.”
The GV Suns will face off against Moreland City in round 19 of the VPL 2 at John McEwen Reserve on July 4 from 5pm.
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