It's fair to say that neither of the Yass Valley Aussie Rules teams have had a great year in 2019, but Yass Roos coach Adam Curtois hopes that the win over the Murrumbateman Eagles will mark a turning point for his side.
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The pair played on Sunday in the second Yass Valley derby, and the Roos scored an impressive 6.14.50 to 12.14.86 win over their neighbours.
"It was really pleasing to see the guys put together a four quarter performance," Curtois said.
"It was probably our best performance of the year."
The Roos and the Eagles sit at fifth and sixth respectively in the AFL Canberra Regional Men's division, and Curtois is the first to admit that Yass have under-performed when compared to recent seasons.
"I think our second half of the year is looking a lot more positive than our first half of the year," he said.
"I'm not terribly happy about the first half, we're a lot better side than what we've shown recently."
Both of Yass's two wins for the season have come over the Eagles, but Curtois was under no illusions prior to the game that Murrumbateman would be easy to beat.
"It's a pretty even comp this year, every week seems to be a battle," he said. "It doesn't matter who you play, every week you've gotta come with your best attitude."
The primary difference on the day between the two sides was their accuracy in front of goal.
The Eagles had a total of 20 scoring shots, as opposed to Yass's 26, but the former could only convert six of those into goals, whereas the Roos scored at 46 per cent.
This accuracy is key for the Roos, especially going into this weekend's clash with the Belconnen Magpies.
The Magpies are currently fourth on the ladder, with three wins and five losses for the season, but they have proven to be difficult opponents on their day. This was particularly evident last weekend, when they managed a comprehensive 7.6.48 to 10.13.73 defeat of the Goulburn Swans.
According to Curtois, Belconnen's mercurial nature is a by-product of the size of the club.
"Belconnen tend to take players up [through divisions] or bring players down for certain weeks, so you're never certain what to expect with them," he said.
Whatever the case, Curtois is confident that his team's habit of disappearing for a quarter per match is behind them.
"I think now we've got players in the right position to test every other side in the comp," he said.
The Yass Roos will play the Belconnen Magpies on Saturday June 29 from 2pm at Adero Law Nest. Meanwhile, the Murrumbateman Eagles will take on at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval from 1pm.
