It’s been 10 years since Walyalup kicked more than 100 points three games in a row, a run that stretches back to the Club’s grand final season in 2013.
And the current steak has come in games that included last year’s grand finalists in Geelong and Sydney, as well as a 69-point win against Hawthorn in round eight.
After a rough start to the season with two wins from the opening seven rounds, Walyalup forward Bailey Banfield believes the team are back to their best.
“There must be a stat about the last time we kicked 100 points three times in a row,” Banfield said on The Final Siren podcast with Duck and Oz.
“The feeling is, we’re back to what we were doing last year, we’re back to our best.
“We have to bottle that, keep grinding away – if we can keep putting those performances on, we’ve shown over the past two years that our best is good enough to beat the best.
“It’s about bringing what we do well consistently.”
Walyalup have a 5-5 record and sit outside the eight on percentage, however a Carlton win against Collingwood on Sunday will put the Blues in eighth with five wins and a draw.
Banfield believes the competition is as open as ever.
“The ladder this year is all over the shop, anyone can beat anyone,” Banfield said.
“We’ve going to go as far as our footy takes us, if we can be consistent and every individual executes what they need to do.
“Our system stands up and can beat the best and we’re growing in that system. We’re adding (to the game plan) so we can be a better team than last year, so hopefully we can go further.”
Banfield is quietly having a breakout season in 2023, and impressed with 20 disposals, eight marks and a goal against the Cats.
After being named as the sub 10 times in 2022, and again in round one this season, he’s been named in the starting 22 for seven consecutive games, going back to round four.
Banfield said he’s building confidence as he improves alongside his teammates.
“They say half forward is the graveyard shift, I don’t know what that makes the sub!” Banfield joked.
“It’s been awesome, I’ve played seven games in a row, which is the first time I’ve been able to string together more than three since my first year.
“I think my form has been building over the past two or three weeks, which is coinciding with the team’s run.
“Getting backed in every week by the coaches definitely helps build that confidence so I can go out there, play with freedom and not have to worry about getting dropped every second week, which was the nature of the beast a bit last year.”
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