When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
So far it has been a season to forget for the Saints as injuries have constantly ruined any chance of the side stringing together consistent form but the players have continued to step up and fight.
As the Goulburn Valley League enters the closing stages of the regular season, it’s a difficult task to pick out the Saints’ best players when you look at their leaderboards.
Benalla Leaderboards
Contested possessions:
Tom Bennett — 124
Christopher Welsh — 120
James Martiniello — 105
Disposals:
Christopher Welsh — 308
Tom Bennett — 250
James Martiniello — 426
Contested marks:
Jarrad Waite — 20
Jordan Wolff — 14
Tom O’Brien — 14
1 percent-ers:
Jordan Wolff — 49
Wade King — 30
Jayden Guppy — 26
When it comes to disposal-related leaderboards, three names are always near the top of Benalla’s lists — Tom Bennett, Christopher Welsh and James Martiniello.
When it comes to winning contested possessions Tom Bennett leads the pack with a gap of four possessions going into the final few rounds of the year.
With captain Christopher Welsh snapping at his heals this battle is sure to come down to the final game.
Welsh and Bennett are in reverse standings in terms of their disposal tallies as the captain is the clear leader in the team when it comes to moving the ball around the field.
James Martiniello has stood out for Benalla this season as one of the most consistent players in the team, if not the league and the leaderboards reflect this.
Ex-Carlton and North Melbourne star Jarrad Waite has never been afraid of a contest and it shows on the contested marks leaderboard as Jordan Wolff and Tom O’Brien have formed a chasing pack to the experienced player.
You could not critique the Saints for lack of grit and Wolff epitomises the side’s “never say die” attitude with 49 percent-ers for the season so far.
While achieving these accolades will be the last thing on most of these players’ minds, it’s the small wins, even against fellow teammates, that can add up into something bigger.