2014 EFL Pre-Season Wiki | Tomorrow: Balwyn
by Dan Campbell (@DC_Sting)
MANY an EFL pundit would struggle to find two greater contrasting seasons of football played than Croydon across 2012 and 2013.
And with Round 1 of 2014 only 37 days away, the Blues remain one of the most promising mysteries of the new season.
After its relegation from Division 1 at the end of the 2012 season, one would have been forgiven for questioning Croydon’s ability to threaten for a place in the league’s elite competition for many a year.
The Blues, however, produced a 2013 season that restored hope of a return to the premier division.
It was not an engineered hope, nor was it one of merciless desperation. Rather, it was one of careful planning and preparation, which bore fruit by season’s end, according to senior coach Paul Newlands.
“It wasn’t on our radar to try and go straight back up. I think it’s probably the worst thing that the club could have done,” he said.
“We took the steps that we needed, got the quality young kids and we proved the sort of football we could play.”
The Blues finished 2013 with a preliminary final loss to Mooroolbark, after defeating North Ringwood in a stunning semi-final display. Newlands believes his side took its time to “click” last season, although not without good reason.
“It did take the majority of the year, but throw 12 or 13 new blokes into a senior football team and it does take a while for blokes to get used to each other and get used to a whole new game plan. That proved itself in that first final against North Ringwood and we probably produced our best game of the year,” Newlands said.
Enter 2014 and the Blues have added a host of new players, including dual premiership full-back Ben Shelton from Bundoora in the Northern Football League.
“He’s a quality backman who comes with a bit of experience which our group needs. We’re a fairly young side and he brings a bit of experience to help Trent Martin and those sorts of blokes down back,” Newlands said.
A trio of brothers will also be taking the field for Croydon in 2014, with Jamie (ex-Kilsyth) and Mitchell Haag (ex-Mooroolbark) joining older brother Nathan. Both new additions have impressed the coach this pre-season.
“Jamie’s struggling a little bit with a few niggling injuries, but he’s getting there and over the last couple of weeks [has] been training fairly well,” Newlands said.
“All the Haag brothers have got some good attributes, so they’re going to be good footballers for the footy club.”
Other inclusions at the Blues include Jason Reynolds (VAFA), Ryan Lapthorne (Scoresby), Damien Volta (Lilydale), Sam Wilson (North Ringwood), Anthony Vulling (Coldstream).
The departures have been few for Croydon this off-season, with Michael Charles (YVMDFL) and Jack Larkin (South Croydon) the only ones leaving.
In his second season in charge as senior coach, family man Newlands, a father of two boys playing at the Blues’ junior club, has decided to focus on the senior side’s 2014 campaign, after seven years of serving as a junior coach at Barngeong Reserve.
“I’m stepping away from it this year to have a year off and concentrate on the seniors, but there’s some other stuff I want to do. I’ve coached my eldest son, but I’d like to do some stuff with my youngest boy, so I’ll do that either next year or the following,” he said.
As football, family, and camaraderie runs through the veins of Newlands, the goals are clear for the upcoming season.
“We want to try and take that next step, but there are some bloody good teams in second division as everyone knows. It’s a very close competition,” he said.
“We’ve got to do what we can to try and get back there [Division 1] again and have another crack.”
The 2014 season remains a promising mystery. However, Croydon’s approach is transparent to all and sundry.
“We’re playing second division football, but approaching it as a first division club,” Newlands said.
