Newcomb coach Tony Mirabella says the club’s first win of the season was a reward for those who contribute off the field.
Having gone through the opening six rounds without a victory, the Power broke through to beat fellow winless team Ocean Grove by 17 points at Grinter Reserve.
It was their first win at 2 o’clock since beating Queenscliff in Round 15 last year.
“I’m probably happier for the volunteers and the club,” Mirabella said.
“The footy results haven’t gone our way, but I have to sit back and reflect on those people who put so much time into the club, and we just haven’t got the results that give them that reward.
“We’ve got so many good people and volunteers that are there week in, week out.”
Mirabella paid tribute to his leaders, including star forward Jake Duke, who finished with seven goals.
It was his best return in a Newcomb jumper, passing the six he kicked against the Grubbers in Round 11, 2022, giving him a share of the lead in the race for the Bellarine goalkicking award alongside Geelong Amateur’s Paddy Dowling on 27.
“He should have kicked ten,” Mirabella said with a laugh. “He was unbelievable; he’s that dangerous at the moment.
“He deserves to be renowned as one of the top two forwards as we speak.”
“And probably the most pleasing thing, the other forwards around him are not hunting for goals.
“They’re aware of how dangerous he is and willing to do all the unselfish things to give him the looks.
“Andrew Steele is just being so unselfish at the moment. (He’s) playing further up the ground to allow ‘Dukey’ to have his looks.”
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Mirabella is confident the win over the Grubbers will be a solid base for Newcomb heading towards the second half of the season, starting with Modewarre at Mount Moriac this week.
“I think so, given that we still didn’t have guys like Tom Webster, Nathan Andrew, Tom Courtney, Charlie Harvey,” he said.
“We had four really good players not play on the weekend.
“A guy like Kye Annand for Ocean Grove – you look at Tom Webster and go, ‘That’s the perfect matchup’.
“For us still to be able to go out and win with the team that we had is really important.
“It does give the boys the belief to go, ‘Ocean Grove has had a couple of close results as well this year. They haven’t been far off the mark. Let’s go and launch the following week’.
“We’ve got a great opportunity against Modda now.”
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