Lions not shying away from the challenge: Wardman

There are always going to be challenges for teams that have been as successful as Subiaco has been over the past decade.

With the competition improving, injuries, and the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges have been thrown Subiaco’s way throughout the whole 2022 season.

Despite a difficult start where the side sits two wins outside of the top five, head coach Beau Wardman told Subiacofc.com.au the problems the Lions have encountered will hold them in good stead for the future.

“It’s been challenging, we’re probably not where we want to be,” he said.

“Some of our form has been good in patches but we haven’t had that consistency across four quarters that we’re striving for.

“We haven’t had the availability of some of our premiership players, but that’s given an opportunity for some of our young guys to come in.”

Despite their early season struggles, Wardman said the message for the group was the intention to feature in postseason action, and their preparation has been based around it.

“We’ve still got it in front of us if we’re good enough, and we’re up for the fight,” he said.

“We’ll continue to grow those guys, and as long as they're having fun enjoying it, I think that success will come and hopefully turn around really quickly for us.

“If we can get in there, we know that we can certainly do some damage.”

Across the season, Subiaco has played 38 players, with 16 of them making their League debut for the Lions.

Wardman acknowledged the club’s depth has been tested, with more players being used already this year than last season.

“Blooding a lot of those guys together has made it a bit more challenging for them at times,” he said.

“You want to be able to drip feed those guys in with a number of senior players around them to help enhance their performances.

“We haven’t had that luxury on a consistent basis.”

However, the two-time League Premiership coach said he’s been proud of the way his side has approached the season.

“The guys that have come in have been able to compete really well,” Wardman said.

“We understand they’re going to make some errors at times, that’s part of the learning and the education process.”

He said there was an eye towards bridging the match gap between the club’s 100-game veterans and the players coming through the system.

The mid-season bye was a chance for the eighth-placed Lions to reset for the second half of the year.

According to Wardman, it was also an opportunity to continue to educate as the competition nears the pointy end of the season.

“I think sometimes you can get lost when everyone talks about wins and losses,” he said.

“The club has a rich history of success, and we really want to continue that.”

Although the League side hasn’t reached the lofty heights of the past decade this season, there are a lot of positives according to Wardman.

As it stands, Subiaco’s Reserves and Colts sides are both in the top five heading into the second half of the season.

“The system we’re trying to play is holding up across the group, which is a positive sign for the guys coming through,” he said.

Wardman praised the efforts of forwards Ben Sokol and Ryan Borchet, who both sit in the top two goal kickers for the season.

He said the competition knows how dangerous they can be, and the challenge would be to give them enough supply so they can continue to impact.

Another positive sign was the players coming through the system, who have adapted to both the level and have bought into the Lions’ system.

Among them, Wardman said Noah Ash continues to improve on the wing, and Jake Stergiou has adapted well to a new role down back.

He said Stefan Giro has been important in replacing midfielder Greg Clark and has added a level of professionalism, while Chad Harris continues to get better after his maiden state appearance earlier this year.