A simple enough phrase but one with loaded meaning for Russells Creek. In attempting to break a decade-long finals drought this season, co-coach Danny Chatfield wants his group to stand up and be counted as it's search for an early season scalp continues.

"These sides have been up there for so long, and we're trying to drive the belief in our group that I consider them a good side," Chatfield said of the phrase he uttered in his team's first quarter huddle against Nirranda on Saturday. "If you're pushing through the season and you do get to a final, which obviously we've been down a bit and these opposition clubs have played a few finals, it's really driving them that the expectations are in these big games, we want to turn up for four quarters."

After falling agonisingly short of Panmure last week, Russells Creek was again flat-footed early in its contest against Nirranda, who ran out 17.3 (105) to 12.10 (82) victors in the wet. While the Creekers looked the better of the two teams after quarter time, they couldn't wrestle back enough momentum to eradicate their early woes.

Blues coach Brayden Harkness said his team's initial pressure, as well as straight kicking, gave them the breathing room needed for later in the contest.

"(Russells Creek's) a really good side, they stuck with us even though we got the jump in the first quarter," he said. "We felt we really could of gone on with it. Turned into a bit of a scrap there, we knew we had to wrestle momentum where we could. On the whole, we're reasonably pleased with our effort, just got to bridge the gap between our best footy and our worst."

With Blues midfielder John Paulin a late out, teammates Danny Craven and Ethan Harvey-Cleary stepped up with the inside possession, while the returning Mathew Lloyd's ability to intercept off half back was central to his side's defence. Cody Wagstaff's rolled ankle was the only injury concern for the day, while Macauley Clark made his senior debut for the Creekers, with Chatfield impressed by the under-18 talent.

"Everyone got around him, he's done some exciting things and was up and about," the coach said.

With the Blues still undefeated, Harkness said "tough, gritty" wins now would go a long way later in the year.

"To beat sides around us and get that early jump on them, especially at home - we've got to bank our wins here - we're pretty happy to still be undefeated," he said.

Meanwhile, in a tough month of football, Russells Creek will again be tested test against a resurgent Kolora-Noorat next round.

"It's where we want to be, playing the best to really see where we're at," Chatfield said. "I think we can match it with them but we've got to tweak a few things. To our playing group, we just stick together, next week is another big game."

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