2014 EFL Pre-Season Wiki | Tomorrow: Noble Park
by Alysia Thomas-Sam (@alysialts)
THE lucky Whitehorse Pioneers have defied gravity by keeping afloat in Division 3, avoiding relegation despite ending their past three seasons towards the bottom of the ladder.
But, with some new tricks and familiar faces, the Pioneers have the chance to gallop away from wooden spoon territory this year.
Because their hero is back.
Jamie Carpenter is the biggest incoming transfer for the Pioneers this year, arguably their best performer over the past half-decade.
However, he’s not sure if he’ll be donning the playing kit or shouting from the sidelines as an assistant coach.
“I’m still not sure if I’m going to play. I’ll just see how they go and if I think I can help them out in any way then I might play the occasional game. But we’ll see how we go first,” Carpenter admitted.
However it’s not exactly a bad problem that the Pioneers stalwart has the ability to both coach and play.
Ben Russian, who has replaced the retired Tony Vitacca as the Pioneers’ senior coach, feels the heavy load of transfers into the club in comparison to the single departure is a major positive for the squad.
“I think getting new blood in – players who have played in teams that have been successful – is going to have a really good influence on the group,” Russian said.
“It’s pretty well documented that the last three seasons for Whitehorse have been less than successful. I’m trying to get that winning culture around the club.”
NEW SQUAD
With a new squad comes a new dynamic to the side, meaning the reliable players of recent years have had to step it up in the pre-season to make the structure work for the season ahead.
Eddie Sim shone out for Carpenter in the pre-season. He’s young but executes his play with vigour. Sim had a good campaign last year for the Pioneers, who are hoping he can take a step further this season and achieve better things.
Pre-season for players also allows time for everyone to support the off-field matters in order for on-field success to ensue.
Coach Russian has been laying the foundations for development for the club both in the next year and next 24 months.
“I think we’ve definitely got the foundations down and we have since November,” he said.
“We’re going to continue to expand our off-field resources and look to supplement playing lists over the next two years. Fill all the holes that we need to fill.”
Division 3 is set to be a tight contest as each club has something to prove going into the 2014 season.
But who are the Pioneers’ biggest threats?
“I think the topsides this year are going to be probably Wantirna South – they look really good – and I think South Belgrave are going to come up and move up the divisions pretty quickly,” Russian answered.
Russian details the main ambitions for the Pioneers this year and stresses it’s not so much about how many wins are on the board.
“Our main aim is to stay in Division 3, which we think we can achieve. But apart from winning enough games to do that, what we’re trying to achieve in this season is probably not going to measured in wins or losses,” he said.
“We’re going to be measured in how far the playing group come from where they were now or in November to where they’re going to be after Round 18.”
ROUND 1
Whitehorse will travel in the first week of the season to the all too familiar location of Kimberley Drive to take on Chirnside Park.
Carpenter thinks the contest will be one to watch from a Pioneer point of view.
“I don’t think they’ve been travelling too well over the last few years, so it might be a good hit out to see where we are,” he said.
“We’ll have our best team in and I’m sure they will so, we’ll see how we go hopefully we can get a win away.”
Looking beyond Round 1, Carpenter is certain the year is going to be a tough one for the Pioneers as they face an intense competition of clubs.
“To be honest, I think it’s going to be tough. There’s a handful of games I think we can win with everything going well, but I’m sure, and as I’ve heard, Division 3 is going to be very tough this year,” he said.
Watch the Pioneers take on the Panthers in their first clash of the season at Kimberley Reserve on 5 April.