VFL: North Ballarat 'biggest threat' says Ayers

PORT Melbourne coach Gary Ayres says North Ballarat is the biggest threat to his team’s premiership aspirations.Ayres describes the Roosters as the Victorian Football League benchmark, despite the fact his Boroughs are undefeated after 11 rounds.He said the fact the Roosters had won the past three premierships was hard to ignore and they were emerging again as a strong contender.The Selkirk Roosters have notched up five consecutive wins – their latest a 13-point victory against a second-ranked Williamstown that was heavily laden with Western Bulldogs-listed players. Ayres said Port Melbourne would know for certain how it measured up this week.They meet on the Roosters’ turf at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.Ayres said the match loomed as a great challenge that arrived at the right time to test his team.“This gives us the opportunity to be the team we want to be against what we believe is the best team,” Ayres said.“We want to acquit ourselves against North Ballarat and if we keep improving it will give us some confidence for the remaining season.“The only way to get better is to play better against the best.”Ayres said the Roosters appeared close to full strength and had sounded a warning in a fast seven-goal-to-one opening term against Williamstown at Keilor last Saturday.Likewise, the Boroughs had 15 goals on the board to one in a 104-point win against top-four rival Coburg on Saturday.Ayres said his team had been determined to get a strong start against a young Tigers outfit, and again, would look to do all they could to take on a strong opposition this week.North Ballarat is the sole top-echelon team the Boroughs are yet to beat this season.Port Melbourne has not won a premiership for almost 30 years.There is plenty of hype about what this season’s Boroughs might achieve but Ayres said his team was solely focused on trying to win enough games to play in the grand final.Their last grand final appearance was the 2008 grand final against the Roosters.The Boroughs still sport 10 players on their list who were in the selected final team that season. The Roosters have five – Matt Sharkey, Marc Greig, Orren Stephenson Myles Sewell and Billy Driscoll – plus North Melbourne-listed midfielder Cruize Garlett.Ayres said it was great to retain a good core stability but a lot had changed in the league and at the club since that 2008 final.“What we want to do is keep improving.‘‘You’re always adding players to your list, which has certainly made us stronger, because the competition does not stop for anyone,” Ayres said.“Things have changed a lot in the Roosters’ personnel too. ‘‘They have been able to have continued success due to their structures, systems and the way Gerard FitzGerald coaches.”Playing in Ballarat adds to the challenge for the Boroughs.Ayres said his team looked forward to the road trip and measuring just how much they had improved.