MARYBOROUGH co-coach Jamie Bond is far from content with a 0-5 record, but he can't question the endeavour of his Magpies in the Bendigo Football League.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"We're pushing sides during games, but just can't get it all together," Bond said.
"The effort of the boys is there and they are all trying their hardest, but our team is better on paper than what it's showing, so we need to start performing for four quarters.
"It just seems to be at the moment five-minute lapses during quarters are hurting us where teams cut us apart, so we need to get that out of our game.
"It's probably a mix of mental application and a bit of fitness, so we'll keep working away at it."
While the Magpies are at 0-5 and on the bottom of the ladder, they pushed ladder-leader Sandhurst for a half and outscored Gisborne for three quarters, while they coughed up an 18-point half-time lead against Castlemaine on Good Friday.
Maryborough travels to Golden Square on Saturday to take on the sixth-placed Bulldogs, who are coming off back-to-back losses to Kyneton and Gisborne.
"We've added some leg speed this week (Riley Herd, Tom Cahill and Ash Noonan), and we'll also try to restructure our forward line because we've been getting it down there, but it has been coming out too easy," Bond said.
The Golden Square side features the inclusion of versatile tall Matt Tyrell for his first senior game for the Bulldogs since 2008.