Ocean Grove coach Jordan Jones said there was a lot of upside despite the 30-point loss to Geelong Amateur at Ray Menzies Memorial Oval on 11 May.
The Grubbers trailed Ammos by seven points at three quarter time in the Round 6 BFL senior clash before the visitors booted four goals to one in the final term.
Final scores Portarlington 11.14 (80) defeated Ocean Grove 8.2 (50).
Ocean Grove sits in eighth spot on the BFL ladder with a 1-5 record after six rounds.
Jones said there were positives for playing group with Ocean Grove down to one rotation in final term.
“I wasn’t disappointed in the last quarter or the group,” Jones told the Voice.
“We are getting closer to playing four quarters of footy and just need to minimise our lapses in games.
“Unfortunately in the last quarter we were down to one rotation so that didn’t help running out the game and may have influenced the result.”
Gun Amateur spearhead Mitch Day booted four goals, while teammate Patrick Killen snared three majors.
Grubber Aaron Baxter was the only multiple goal kicker for his team with two majors.
Ocean Grove was without key starting ruck Steve Presani (soreness), which meant Tom Hobbs was forced to do most of the ruck duties.
“Presani should be back for Portarlington next weekend,” he said.
“We elected to rest him as he was sore through his shoulders and upper back.”
Amateur led at each quarter interval as the Ocean Grove Football Netball Club celebrated its pink day.
All Grubber senior players wore pink socks to mark the day.
Ocean Grove teenager Josh Lange, an Under 19s player, made his senior debut.
Grubber co-captain Justin Carey, who kicked a long goal before three quarter time to reduce margin to seven points, was named in the best alongside silky youngster Ollie Monteith.
OCEAN Grove now plays away to bottom-placed Portarlington at Portarlington in Round 7 on Saturday 25 May.
Senior game starts at 2.10pm.
Portarlington is winless after six rounds after it was thrashed by 121 points by reigning BFL premier and ladder leader Modewarre at Portarlington on 11 May.
No BFL club matches were played on Saturday 18 May due to the Bellarine Football League’s Interleague clash with the Geelong and District Football League.
SENIOR SCOREBOARD
GEELONG AMATEUR 11.14 (80) def OCEAN GROVE 8.2 (50)
OCEAN GROVE
Goals: O. Monteith, J. Carey, T. Hobbs, C. Marchbank, K. Long, L. Taylor.
Best: A. Baxter 2, J. Carey, C. Connor, T. Phelan, J. Ward, L. Popple, J. Linton.
