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InFocus 2022 – Lilydale

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By Ryan Long

The Falcons will be looking to leave last season behind them as a distant memory, after landing a new coach and a new plan for the future.

After taking part in three consecutive finals series from 2017 to 2019, Lilydale lost a host of talent across the 2020 and 2021 pre-seasons, taking them from genuine finals contender to the Lilydale side that finished ninth in season 2021 with just two wins to their name.

However, there were signs of a phoenix rising from the ashes when the club announced that former South Croydon Coach, Luke McCormick would take over the reins in 2022.

McCormick has had a lot of experience coaching at various clubs including leading the successful Dogs outfit to a Grand Final in 2018 and a Semi-Final in 2019.

After having a minor role with the team last year, McCormick knows the club well and is enthusiastic about what the boys can achieve this season.

“There’s a great feeling around the club, numbers are fantastic, and we’ve got a few guys returning,” McCormick said.

“I’m quite bullish about what we’re going to do, I’m also realistic in the sense that we’re still very young and there are some good sides out there.”

“We’ve had a terrific pre-season where we’ve put a lot of structures in place and have a pretty balanced line-up.”

McCormick had a chance to see the boys play the last few games of the season and could see that the club was lacking some key personnel.

Once taking over as head coach, there’s been a heavy focus on the core structures of their game plan to change their on-field performances.

“This year we’re putting real clear structures in place early and we’ve had the full pre-season to work on that.

“We’ll be chalk and cheese from last year as to how clear the boys see a game plan and a game style.”

There haven’t been too many changes to personnel this year in terms of recruiting, the club will regain a couple of key players who missed last season due to injury along with the major inclusion of Jayden Depace, who last played for Lilydale in 2019.

“He’s the big one to return after two years, he won the best and fairest in 2019 and had 2020 and 2021 off.”

“He’s a key figure, our midfield is probably our biggest strength and he’s going to come back and bolster that up even stronger.”

“At the same time, we had a key forward and a key defender last year that missed a fair bit of the year and they’re back, up and about and firing.”

 

 

 

Considering the younger age demographic of the majority of this list, McCormick understands that it’ll take more than a pre-season to become a contender in Division One again.

“With such a young list, they’re on track, if we can hold everyone together and put in place what we want to put in place this year over the next sort of maybe two to three years, I think they’ll be right at the pointy end.”

“In saying that, I’m still looking forward to what we can do this year, I’m not saying that we’re going to push to the pointy end just yet but the balance we now have with some quality players who have been around for a couple of years and then some younger guys who got some experience last year, we’re going to be a lot better this year.”

“I still think we’re going to be a lot better this year and realistically I think we’re middle of the pack this year I hope, if not, a bit better.”

Last season, the Falcons were belted off the park more than they have in quite some time. The side was beaten by 10 goals or more in five of their nine losses of the year.

Despite that, the youth of the club has hung around, staying loyal to the club, very much eager to turn things around on the field.

It’s something that has McCormick very pleased about his first year in his tenure as Lilydale head coach.

“A lot of young guys across all clubs and I’ve seen it over the journey, if they don’t have success these days, if they don’t win, they just jump ship.”

“That’s been a huge thing in why I’m so wrapped with the numbers we have and been able to retain a lot of these guys because of last year,”

“Making them see the realism of it and that is, when you’re young and you come up against experienced guys, you’ve got to know that it’s not just going to happen, so you look at all the little things that they’re improving.”

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