AFTER suffering four consecutive losses to open the 2016 Central West AFL season, the Dubbo Demons have defied to odds to now sit one win outside the top four.
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The side made history at the weekend, downing the Bathurst Giants 12. 9(81) to 6.6 (42) at South Dubbo Oval to record their third straight win - the first time they have achieved the feat since 2007.
Even more impressively, the side was missing about half of their playing squad according to coach Will Bunt.
"It was a really big effort because we had about 15 blokes out and we had a couple of injuries early on in the game too," he said.
"It changed the set up of the team. That's the good thing about getting good numbers at training and everyone knowing each other and how they play - we were able to shuffle blokes around.
"We're sticking to the structure and our game plan and just carried it out. The second quarter probably wasn't our best one, a few things weren't going as good as what they should have but we talked about it and they really pulled away in that second half."
The game was still alive for the Giants at half time, as they trailed by just 13 points after a stand-out defensive effort.
In the first quarter, the Demons took the ball inside their forward 50 no fewer than 20 times but the Giants' backline held firm, limiting them to five scoring shots.
They trailed 3.2 (21) to a single goal, but they hit back in the second term with a couple of majors, keeping Dubbo to two themselves, and went to the sheds behind 34 to 21.
Dubbo piled on four goals to one in the third quarter and that effectively put the result beyond doubt as they went to the last change 30 points clear.
"We were still right in with a shot at half-time, to be trailing by a couple of kicks was a big effort and I thought at that stage that it was a game we could win," Giants coach Mark Kennedy said.
"There were a couple of pretty harsh decisions I thought, near our own goal. Dubbo got three goals from 50m penalties and that really killed our momentum.
"I think we were probably lacking a few targets up forward, too.
"Still, the result was further proof that the Giants are getting better with every game."
n DUBBO DEMONS 12.9 (81) (Trevor Green 3, Bailey Delaney 3, Joseph Hedger 2, Johnathan Naden 2, Chris Sewell, Jack Foley) def BATHURST GIANTS 6.6 (42) (Darren Carter 2, James Kennedy, Kyle Dashington, Shane Broes, Greg Reid)