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INFOCUS 2021 – NOBLE PARK

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By Davis Harrigan

Bull steam ahead for 2021

Noble Park will look to engage with season 2021 head-on, after missing their mark in 2019.

Noble Park have finished 7th, 8th and 7th across the last three years, despite their list being chock-full of state and national talent, meaning there’s definitely unfinished business for the Bulls in 2021.

Current coach Steve Hughes, who took over the reins from legendary coach Mick Fogarty at the end of 2019, has not had a chance to be on the sidelines yet, but is raring to go come round one.

After a year dominated by COVID headlines, and challenging situations that asked a lot of football clubs, Hughes is keen to see the players get back on the field.

“It’s an unknown for everybody, and the reality of your entire list not playing any competitive football for the best part of 18 months, it’s difficult to comprehend for everybody because it’s something we’ve never confronted before,” Hughes said.

“For me, what we’ve focused on is controlling what we can, such as getting our players as fit as they can be, so their bodies are ready.  We’re acutely aware there’s a higher potential for soft tissue injuries after such a long layoff, we’ve really tried to have a meaty pre-season. It’s been a pretty long road, but for us, we’ve prepared ourselves to avoid things like soft tissue injuries, and think we’ve ticked that box.”

Twelve months off from competitive sport can certainly set in, but there was a response from the club to ensure that players were not totally left in the dark in 2020.

Steve Hughes takes over from Noble Park legend Mick Fogarty.

“We had a mindset, whenever we could train, we facilitated that, it was about mentality and their mindset to get out and stay active,” Hughes remarked.

“We ran a couple of competitions where we had the young Bulls v the old Bulls, keeping a competitive landscape, but there were also players directly affected by COVID, so we tried to find a balance, not always making it about football.”

Hughes is confident everything has been done to ensure his side can get off to the best possible start.

 

“We’re coming off some really hard running, but also have a lot in rehab at the moment. If we can get through the practice match period without too many fresh injuries, we should be pretty healthy come round one, but we just think the niggles are a by-product of some really hard work around January and February,”

“Fingers crossed we have a healthy list ready to go.”

“Everybody plays for the main reason of competing at the pointy end of the year, which we haven’t done for a number of years now, and we’ve begun the year with high expectations and aggressive goals, which we have and we’re really keen to start the season well.

“Given it’s a 16-round competition, those early wins are really important, and we have a tough first up fixture with Berwick coming in, who will be keen to impress in their first game.  It doesn’t get any easier the next week after, so we’re aware we’re going to have to be ready to roll.”

Unlike a number of EFNL clubs, Noble Park will have some fairly decent intel on the new boys to the competition with some of the playing list being familiar with or having an understanding of the opposition, along with the recruitment of one of the coaching staff from the club.

“We’re lucky because we have Mick Maloney as our stoppage coach, who’s come directly from Narre Warren. He’s got some good insights for us about Berwick, but the number of players that know the list reasonably well and have seen Berwick play,” Hughes said.

“We’ll trust in the background we do with the likes of Mick giving us the hand of who their better players are, but we’re really excited to play in the first round, and there will be big expectations.”

Coaching is more than simply structures, tactics, and setting up a team of 22 players for victory, and Hughes highlighted the dynamic of forming a connection with the individuals; not just being a successful side, but a better understanding of how each player works or operates.

“I like to focus on relationships, from a coaching perspective that’s the most important component, and I think I’m reasonably good at building those relationships.  Getting to know the boys, not just their footy but their lives, that’s what I enjoy most about coaching,” Hughes said.

“There’s other elements, you have to be pretty well organised with things like vision and feedback, but we’re across that, and I feel really lucky with our overall footy department, with the likes of Gavin Vassallo, who’s an ex Noble-Park champion, Andrew Sharp is in the same boat and looking after our defence.  Glenn Manson is helping us with leadership, and it’s about what we can collectively do with players.”

Noble Park will see the return of one of their favourite stars, as well as several from VFL-listed clubs, which are set to bolster the playing list and depth for the Bulls in 2021.

“Ziggy Alwan has returned from Rowville, a highly decorated player, and we’re really excited about him rejoining…what I would highlight is, we’ve already a number of players come back that were already Noble Park listed, but they’ve come back as permanent players previously aligned to VFL programs,” Hughes said.

“Lachie McDonald is an example, he’s stopped with Sandringham and is now with us permanently, Brenton Hillard is back as well, so we feel really lucky with that, but we also recruited Mitch Woolgar from Aspendale, a big and strong defender, exactly what we need with the youth in our list.”

Hughes prides himself on being a coach that puts defence above everything else, but also uses it as an important tool and strategy for every other aspect of the game.

So far, the players have embraced this approach rather well.

“I’ve always coached with a defensive first mentality, I’ve been that way since I began my coaching (career), and we’ve worked really hard over the last few months to demonstrate the importance of it, with what we want to focus on and be our trademark, which is based around our defensive game elements,” Hughes said.

“Like I’ve spoken to the boys, that’s not necessarily something where we say ‘well we’re a great defensive team and you aren’t’, it’s something we have to work on week to week, but there’s been really good buy in from the players from day one.

“We’re making sure those defensive traits we’re trying to instill in a young group are being trained every week, it’s definitely not something we just speak about. It’s what will underpin our game.”

Noble Park travel to Berwick in Round One (April 17) of the Premier Division season.

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