New-look Seagulls hungry for success
The Age
Saturday April 3, 2010
NEW Williamstown coach Peter German believes a different voice and direction can help propel the perennial finalist further into September this season.German, named VFL coach of the year last season, has effectively been involved in a swap of coaching roles with new Casey Scorpions coach Brad Gotch.The two coaches appear to be thriving in different environments and both have taken the youthful approach to recruiting over the off-season."Fifty per cent of our list is new and the average age of that list is 18 to 18," German said. "But it's like anything in this competition €” you've got one eye on now and one eye on the future."Following German from Casey was ex-Sydney rookie Peter Faulks, while the Scorpions picked up former Geelong big man Scott Simpson.But, German believes it could take as long as "two or three years" to identify the club's problem of being continuously eliminated from finals."We'll be trying to dig deep and trying to find out just what the problem has been over the last couple of years," German said. "I think that doesn't take a pre-season €” sometimes it takes two or three years to gauge what's really holding them back."Gold Coast adds a genuine X-factor into the league this season as the 14th team, which eliminates the bye. Port Melbourne will get first crack at the Coast next Saturday.Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna believes it will be an instant battle for the club's younger brigade."Early on, we'll be in fairly rough waters, I'd think. But as we get on, we'll start to hit our straps a bit better. We just need to keep seeing the boys' development, that's probably our mantra this year," McKenna said."Our aim now is to bump them up against the boys in the VFL and then if they're good enough, they'll be able to bump it up against the boys in the AFL."McKenna added: "We won't be playing our best football until later in the season."The club's mature-age recruits - Daniel Harris (North Melbourne), Sam Iles (Box Hill Hawks), Danny Stanley (Collingwood), Michael Coad (Sturt) and Nathan Ablett (Geelong) - will be relied upon, and the form of ex-NRL star Karmichael Hunt will be a talking point when he plays his first game in May.Perhaps the biggest movements on the field have been made by Box Hill after adding former Sydney midfielder Luke Ablett, former Claremont gun Ryan Jackson and ex-Hawk Haydn Kiel. Former Frankston skipper Shaun Pollard has also crossed over.Former Collingwood and Williamstown defender Jason Cloke and former Essendon midfielder Hayden Skipworth will bolster the Bendigo Bombers, while much-hyped former Hawk Mitch Thorp joins former Western Bulldogs defender Cameron Wight at the Werribee Tigers.Adam Bentick (Carlton), Malcolm Lynch (Western Bulldogs) and Shane Valenti (Melbourne) headline Port Melbourne's recruits, while former Bulldog and Kangaroo Sam Power has joined the Coburg Tigers.Former Collingwood ruckman Toby Thoolen leads a list of young recruits at Frankston.Reigning premier North Ballarat attracted former Brisbane Lions rookie Matt Tyler.There will also be a couple of scenic changes for fans, with Coburg Tigers to play half its home matches at Craigieburn's Highgate Reserve, while Collingwood will make a return to Victoria Park.ROUND 1Saturday, April 10Collingwood v Williamstown at Victoria Park, 1.10pmBox Hill Hawks v Werribee Tigers at Box Hill City Oval, 2pmNorthern Bullants v Bendigo Bombers at Visy Park, 2pmGold Coast v Port Melbourne at Southport, 2pmCasey Scorpions v Geelong at Casey Fields, 7pmSunday, April 11Coburg Tigers v North Ballarat at ABD Group Stadium, 2pmFrankston v Sandringham at Frankston Park, 2pm
© 2010 The Age
