2014 EFL Pre-Season Wiki | Tomorrow: Ferntree Gully
MOOROOLBARK Junior Football Club president Craig Pretty speaks to Dan Campbell as his club prepares for the 2014 season.
Dan Campbell: Overall, were you satisfied with what the club achieved, both on and off the field, in 2013?
Craig Pretty: With the on the field side, it probably would have been nice to have a few more teams make the finals, but that didn’t happen. But overall, we’ve had the majority of the kids register again this year, which is fantastic, which shows the kids were happy last year, so they’ve come back again to play this year which is great.
Approximately how many teams do you think you will field in 2014?
At the moment we’ve got 13 teams registered and we could get another one up and running.
What has the feeling been like around the club over the pre-season?
It’s actually been pretty good. We’ve got a few more people on the committee which has helped internally at the club. I think that has come out through the coaches and also through the players. Everyone seems to be enjoying training so far. We had a practice match last weekend and we had a really good day. All the kids are really enjoying themselves.
If you had to pick one, which team do you think is the club’s best chance of winning a premiership this season?
I couldn’t really say to be honest – I don’t really 100 per cent know. We’ve got a few teams with a lot of good players, it’s a little bit hard to pick. I probably haven’t looked into it that far at this time of the year.
Is there a particular age group of players that you need as soon as possible to fill a team ahead of Round 1?
Probably the only team we’ve got at the moment is the Under 14’s, which we’d love a few more players. Even the Under 12’s, we’d like a few more players there – they’re in A-Grade.
If any players are interested in playing for Mooroolbark Junior Football Club this season, what do they have to do?
Just give me [Craig Pretty] a call on 0411 868 435 or have a look at our website. Give me a buzz and we can have a chat if they’re interested in joining the club.