By Matt Fotia
The Basin are on the lookout for an experienced playing assistant coach next year as Justin Stanton looks to take his young Bears outfit to the next level in 2021.
The Basin finished up the 2019 season in sixth spot on the Division Two ladder with a 5-12-1 record, despite performing well above that level according to many onlookers.
Stanton believes a lack of depth- the Bears reserves finished in seventh with a 4-14 record – and experience cost the Bears a handful of victories in a very competitive division.
“What we identified last season was our lack of depth and lack of maturity at crucial times in big games throughout the season,”
“The competition is really strong and you need composure and experience at important times and we dropped eight games by 10 points or under during the year.”
It’s not all bad having a young squad for Stanton. He says the connection the group have at The Basin is something to be desired and believes the current crop all have a common goal – to get another premiership cup in the trophy cabinet at Batterham Reserve.
“The way all the guys connect together, they’ve got a real hunger and willingness to learn and continue to improve, with an ultimate goal to become the next premiership players at The Basin.”
https://www.facebook.com/thebasinfnc/posts/3172684482780932
Given their location The Bears are doing more than okay. A suburb tucked away in the middle of some bigger towns, The Basin are one of the EFNL’s more well-represented clubs and continue to have strong numbers each season.
Stanton says this is just another appealing feature for any interested (playing assistant) candidates.
“The Basin is a strange location because it’s nestled in between Ferntree Gully, Boronia and Kilsyth and we’re all fighting for similar space, so the massive positive for us is that out of the 40 plus clubs in the EFNL, The Basin is the fifth biggest in the competition,”
“We field two senior women’s sides, an under 19’s, Reserves and Seniors, plus over 20 junior teams,”
“So that places us in a really good position with players coming through each year, but we’re also well placed off-field.”
So what exactly are The Bears looking for in an assistant coach?
Stanton says someone looking to develop their own coaching skills as their playing days begin to run out would be the perfect fit for the role.
“We’re looking for someone who’s got a proven history at a high senior level, that Premier/ VFL type player, who would be seeking to develop his coaching craft at an up and coming club,”
“Not only would they help tactically, but the younger guys would really benefit from learning about mid-week preparation, game-day preparation, post-game recovery etc.”
“We’ve got a number of guys in the 18-22 year old bracket and a sprinkling in the mid to late 20’s, so that’s why we’re looking for that experienced player who would give us that extra edge which we think will make us a contender for next year.”
If interested in the Senior Assistant role at The Basin, contact Justin Stanton via his mobile (0422 094 452) or via email (jstanton8@bigpond.com)
