Two wins can’t make a season – but they can certainly make a difference.

For the VFL Cats, upset wins against last year’s grand finalist Box Hill and reigning premier Williamstown in consecutive weeks have not only pushed the side into the top eight and finals contention but allowed for a pass mark at the very least heading into the mid-season break.

Those two wins alone open up the second half of the year to optimism, as VFL program manger Troy Selwood agrees.

“Before the wins in the last two weeks, we’ve been super-competitive but just falling short against some quality opposition,” he said.

“We could sense there was a lack of belief that they [the players] could win those games, so we had to instil them with confidence that we were on the right track.”

“The last two weeks have been fantastic and a great reward for effort. We’ll come up against a number of really good opposition post the bye, but we’ll go into each of those weeks now thinking we can we win.”

Sitting at 5-5 and in seventh position, the VFL Cats have done well to square the win-loss ledger and give themselves a chance at September action. But what is more pleasing for Selwood is the clear improvement across a talented group.

“We’ve used 40 players thus far,” said the former Brisbane Lion.

“The real exciting part of it is some of these young, raw players that have delved into VFL senior footy and held their own.”

Young players like 2015 draftee Ryan Gardner, who has stood up in a key defensive post against men in his first season away from Tasmania, along with 19-year-old small defender and Geelong Falcon product Will Sexton.

“We’ve been really impressed with Ryan Gardner as a first year key defender playing on the likes of Travis Cloke and Sam Grimley and doing a great job against some really experienced, quality forwards,” Selwood noted.

“We think Will Sexton – for only 19 years old – shows great maturity in defence. We’ve been rapt with Will’s season to date.”

Ex-Falcon Will Sexton has been a surprise success for the VFL Cats thus far (Photo: Arj Giese)

There are of course older, more experienced heads who have set the standard for others to follow.

George Horlin-Smith showed tremendous leadership in the early part of the season before succumbing to a knee injury, as did Billie Smedts prior to breaking his leg in round nine.

Josh Cowan has stepped up in their absence to captain the side at times and greatly influence games, whilst Mitch Clark has returned to football after more than a year on the sidelines and asserted himself as the side’s leading goal kicker in just four outings.

Irishman Padraig Lucey and former category-B rookie Michael Luxford have pleasingly reached new heights with their football to become two of the VFL Cats’ most consistent performers.

But it’s improvement across the board that is fuelling confidence in the program for Selwood and first-year coach Shane O’Bree, with names like Atkins, Stewart, Edwards, Tsitas and Hickey elevating their standing within the side and the competition.

“Tom Atkins through the midfield has been setting the scene in terms of how aggressive you need to be as a VFL midfielder and getting after the opposition,” Selwood said.

“I knew Tom had it in him, but it was just a case of believing in himself that he could take his football to VFL level instead of just thinking he was a really good local footballer.”

Tom Atkins has taken his game to another level this season (Photo: Arj Giese)

“Tom Stewart in defence has been really solid. He’s now supported by Jake Edwards who has been really important down there in defence over the last two weeks.”

“The other two that probably stand out are James Tsitas and Alex Hickey – who have been in other VFL programs and were players we targeted early on that we’d love to get back into our program”

“Overall, we’ve been rewarded with some great maturity and leadership and we think that will only grow in the years to come – they’re all great role models for our young players who go to battle with them each weekend.”

Reinforcements are not far away either, with Scott Selwood and his 135 games’ worth of AFL experience set to play his first game of 2016 next week in the VFL.

It means those players who have already impressed will need to continue to do so as the VFL Cats strive for September.

“The competition for spots within the team is going to be hot. There’s going to be some really unlucky players who miss out,” Selwood said.

“I think we get to the midway point of the year and we look at where we sit, we think that there’s a real possibility there.”

“We’d be crazy to say we want to finish our season in August. The goal and the ambition is to get ourselves in a position to play in September.”