Slick Russells Creek bank commanding win to stay undefeated in Warrnambool and District league

There's been so many attributes to Russells Creek and its hot start to the season which give reason to believe it has what it takes to be a genuine threat in the 2022 Warrnambool and District league season.

Following their 64-point win against Old Collegians on Saturday, 14.13 (97) to 5.3 (33), co-coach Dylan Herbertson told The Standard the side's slick style had been a huge work in progress.

"It's something we've put a really emphasis on - we want to win the ball first and run in waves. We also want to work back twice as hard," he said.

"In the last couple of games we've done well in it, we probably had a few moment swings in this one and didn't do it as well, but you take a win every day of the week."

The Creekers set the game up with an unanswered six-goal first term to lead by 40 and despite the inexperienced Warriors holding their own across the remaining three quarters the game was iced in the first 30 minutes.

"It's good to get score on the board early and it helps because the opposition know they need to come back and it adds pressure," Herbertson said.

"It gives you a lever to simply win the next three quarters and you've won the game.

"The fast start was good, although our goal kicking wasn't great and up to the usual standards. We usually pride ourselves on that."

Aside from the ability to flick a switch and play fast, high-octane run and carry football, the Creekers had moments where they slowed the contest down and played like a side with an understanding of game situation.

"We try and take some tempo out of the game, it's a long game, two hours, so not many can run a full game out so we want to take the sting out when we can," Herbertson said.

"We like to keep possession and we've been pretty good with that."

Skipper Taylem Wason was brilliant across the backline, setting them up with his run and carry and even drifted forward to kick a long range goal, Phil Chatfield's "grunt" was noted by the coach while Jyran Chatfield and Tom Smith were a handful to combine for six goals.

The only negative to come out of the contest was a knee injury late in the second term to Creekers' Sam Wilson, with the club unsure of the severity at this stage.

Warriors coach Ben van de Camp lamented the slow start and said there was positives to take out of the contest.

"If you take the first term out of it, it was a fairly even contest," he said.

"We spoke about it last week, we need to adjust and read what the opposition are doing - for instance our handball receives were up, and once we realised we need to man up, then all of a sudden it impacts the capacity of them to get clean possession.

"We've worked on foot skills so we've now started to put some run in, and there was a few times we opened them up which was good, particularly off our back half.

"It got better as the day goes on and that's a confidence thing more than anything."

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