Riley Kershaw knows the path Geelong Amateur is on after overcoming Torquay at McCartney Oval on Saturday.
Barring absolute calamity at Queens Park over the next three weeks, and the remaining home-and-away matches going as predicted for Queenscliff and the Tigers, the Pegs will face yesterday’s opponent in a qualifying final.
However, the third-year co-coach will only turn his attention to the last Saturday in August when the siren sounds on the Round 20 meeting with Surf Coast.
“It’s a funny one,” Kershaw said. “You always have an eye on that, but at the same time, you’ve still got a month of footy to get through and make sure that you’re not flirting with form.
“You just have to take it week by week at the moment, even though you probably do have an eye on what it looks like in the long term.”
After trailing by three points at quarter time, Geelong Amateur outscored Torquay nine goals to five from that point on to claim a 11.11 (77) to 7.19 (61) victory.
Kershaw says a couple of slight adjustments at the first change were crucial.
“The Tigers probably had us a bit in the first quarter, just around contest and forward chaining out,” he said.
“And we probably allowed Ben McNamara to do a fair bit of work early, albeit he played pretty well throughout the day.
“But we just adjusted to that after quarter time. We started winning contests, we started using our one-on-ones up the field where we could, and we started to make them pay for turnovers that we could cause from contests.”
It’s a rare occasion that veteran forward Mitch Day would appear in the best players without kicking a goal.
However, Kershaw says Day is playing a slightly different role with co-coach Sam Lloyd dominating inside forward 50.
“He’s just been playing a little bit higher throughout the year,” Kershaw said
“His contested work yesterday was second to none for a big fella, even on the ground level,
“He’s super fit at the moment. He’s probably the fittest I’ve seen him in the course of the 10, 15 years I’ve known him.
“He’s just a tackling machine at the moment and supporting us where necessary.”
Lloyd finished with four goals to take his season tally to 70, while Jai Sheahan kicked a season-high three majors.
Ammos next face Barwon Heads at Winter Reserve, home of GDFNL club Belmont Lions, with Riley Ferguson (ankle) the only injury concern out of the contest.
Jonti Wylie (two goals) was Torquay’s only multiple goalkicker in what was the Tigers’ second-lowest score of the season.
Tynan Smith and Nathan Mifsud were named their best.
Torquay remains at home next week, hosting Anglesea.
Minor premiership-bound Queenscliff (1st, 14-2) has posted its highest score and biggest win since 2015 in handing Ocean Grove (10th, 3-12) a 192-point hiding, 36.15 (231) to 6.7 (43) at Queenscliff Recreation Reserve.
The Coutas score was its highest since posting 37.28 (250) in beating Newcomb by 221 points in 2015.
They kicked 26 goals to two after halftime.
Five players kicked five goals – Sol Bowtell, Kai Keenan, Jayden McHenry, Jordan Monahan and Nick Rippon, while Max Annandale contributed four in his first senior appearance for the club in five years,
James Paterson kicked two goals for the Grubbers.
Drysdale (7th, 7-9) remains in the finals hunt for another week after a thrilling three-point win over Newcomb (6th, 7-8) at PlasterCom Oval.
The Hawks led by as much as 17 points during the final term before consecutive goals by Power star Tom Webster gave the home team a chance.
However, Drysdale was able to hold on for a 10.10 (70) to 9.13 (67) victory that kept it one win behind fifth-placed Anglesea.
Joel Watson kicked three goals for the Hawks, with two apiece from Jake Hargreaves and Ben Fennell, with the reigning joint Ash medallist best for the winners.
Webster finished with five goals, while Newcomb midfielder Logan Wagener further enhanced his claims on this year’s Ash Medal.
Forward duo Connor Joseph and Tom Hornsey combined for 11 goals as Modewarre (9th, 5-11) upset Barwon Heads (4th, 9-6) by 31 points at Mt Moriac Reserve.
Joseph finished with six goals, and Hornsey chimed in with five in the 17.10 (112) to 12.9 (81) victory.
Cooper Ward was best for the Seagulls with a second five-goal haul in three weeks.
Anglesea (5th, 8-7) is in the box seat to claim an elimination final after holding off Surf Coast (11th, 1-14) by 54 points at Summertime Pools Oval.
The Roos started the better, kicking five goals to one, laying the foundation for an 18.16 (124) to 11.4 (70) result.
Ayden Gras was the best of ten individual goalkickers, finishing with three majors, with Charlie Lawless and James Fulton best for Anglesea.
Luke Cartelli (four goals) and Tim Lee (three goals) were standouts for the Suns.
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