A STRONG leadership group is being credited for ladder leader Kolora-Noorat’s emphatic start to the Warrnambool and District league season.
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The Power extended its winning run to five on Saturday, easily accounting for a much-improved South Rovers outfit at Walter Oval.
Kolora-Noorat coach Danny Finn said the Power’s leaders – skipper Joey Conheady, vice-captains Scott Judd and Paul McSween and experienced trio Ben Kenna, Matt Harkin and Sean Bourke – were playing integral on-field roles.
Five of them – Harkin was a late withdrawal on Saturday – were crucial in the 18.10 (118) to 8.9 (57) win over the Lions.
“We’re able to have those older guys there and bring up that next crop of leaders and I think that is where our improvement has come from from last year,” Finn said.
Finn said Judd and McSween had embraced new roles this season.
Judd has slotted into a midfield role where he’s using his run and carry to set up attacks, while McSween has settled in at full-back.
“Scotty is doing those defensive skills,” Finn said.
“We worked together last year and put him off half-back and he learned his craft there and now he’s able to go through the midfield.
“Last year Paul was probably thrown around a little bit, up forward and in the ruck, and never really held a consistent position and in the end missed out on the final we played.
“But in he’s come back and done pre-season and he wanted to play back.”
Kolora-Noorat restricted South Rovers to one goal against the breeze and went into quarter-time one point in arrears.
Finn said that steadfast performance – along with a midfielder masterclass from Jonathon Gleeson – set up the Power’s victory.
“I think our pressure acts we were really up and we continued that in the second quarter and were able to get some scoreboard pressure on them,” he said.
“They clogged us up really well early in the second quarter and we just changed our structures a bit and brought the tall forwards up and went small deep.”
South Rovers coach Nathan Isles was pleased with the Lions’ response after half-time, particularly given their depleted bench.
“It is a matter of giving others an opportunity – Dechlan Picken was super, Matt Dennis was fantastic,” he said.
