Dubbo Demons coach Will Bunt is at a loss as to why his side slumped to a heavy 65-point loss to the Orange Tigers on Saturday.
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After two straight wins to open the season and the advantage of playing at South Dubbo Oval, many fancied the Demons to maintain the unbeaten record.
But inaccuracy in front of goal and an inability to stick to the gameplan Bunt and his assistant Shayne Wilesmith set led the Demons to suffer a 15.20.110 – 6.11.47 defeat.
“We were the better side in the first quarter and but we just couldn’t convert so we went in behind,” Bunt said.
“And then we just fell away and I don’t know why.
“I was talking to Shayne and a few others and we couldn’t work out why it happened. I’ve been trying to rack my brain since and we’ve got a couple of ideas that we’ll just need to work on at training this week.”
The loss may have been the Demons’ first of the season but it saw the side fall from top spot on the ladder down to fourth, with both Bathurst Bushrangers side also winning on the weekend.
And Bunt stated his side can’t make a habit of poor performances, with the Central West AFL season quickly becoming far more competitive than many expected.
Much of the talk during pre-season was on the Bushrangers Outlaws and Rebels as well as the Demons but Orange has now won three from four and the Bathurst Giants continue to come on in leaps and bounds.
“It’s very competitive this season to make the top four so we can’t afford to drop out of there,” he said.
The Demons started well on Saturday but six behinds and just two goals in the first quarter meant the Tigers were able to claim a nine point lead heading into the second stanza.
Dubbo could only manage one goal in a disappointing second quarter while the Tigers soon found their groove and led by 31 at the main break.
That lead grew to 46 points by the end of the third quarter with the match as good as decided at that stage.
After shifting to the Canberra and Wagga competitions Josh Bubnich and Chris Rothnie both donned black and gold again – until June 30, players are allowed to transfer between clubs – and led the Tigers to victory.
Bunt said the Tigers were worthy winners, stating the visitors were “better on the day” and his side never recovered after some wayward shots at goal in the first quarter.
“We’ve got to forget about the weekend, work on a few things we’ve identified, build the confidence back up and look forward to the next game,” he said, with a trip to take on the Bushrangers Outlaws ahead.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
