By Matt Fotia
Succession plans, new recruits, a new committee, and a Senior Women’s side. It’s all happening down at Koonung Reserve, as Nunawading look to build a solid foundation for the future.
2021 will most likely go down as an untrustworthy source to judge clubs off, but Nunawading’s Division Four campaign looked to be a small step backwards on paper, with the Lions finishing at the foot of the table, with just one win to their name.
But despite that, there is a feeling of optimism around the club this pre-season, with the return of favourite son Jordan Winter in a player-coach role and introduction of Jeff Gallagher to the coaching ranks.
“It’s been the most positively minded pre-season since I’ve been down at the club,” said Senior Coach Ryan Dobson.
“I think having a few more coaches down in Jeff Gallagher from Fairpark and Jordy Winter back from Surrey Park in a playing coaching role, has lifted weight off my shoulders and allowed me to enjoy it more and that’s filtered down amongst the playing group.
“Plus, the guys have seen new faces and new faces always bring some positivity and energy.”
Winter and Gallagher will take a lot of the coaching work for the Lions in 2022, as Dobson prepares to step down from the head role at the end of the year.
Former Fairpark assistant Gallagher will take over from Dobson, with the club choosing to set up a succession plan, rather than throw someone in the deep end.
“I’m trying to ease into the background already, it’s no good standing over the top of someone and stifling them,
“I think the best way to help someone, when you’re trying to help them develop, is to give them opportunity.”
“What’s worked well is stepping back and letting Jeff and Jordy grow into that.
“Jordy’s doing the forward line and we’ll give him some autonomy there, I’m looking after the backs mainly and Jeff’s going to do the midfield, and hopefully that will help them take that step up next year.”
Accompanying the different coaching structure in 2022 will be a host of new names down at Koonung, with over 10 players moving across the summer.
Cory Tuckey will slot straight into the rucking role after coming over from Division Three club Ferntree Gully, whilst Belgrave pair Joshua Molden and Luke Bogdan and Forest Hill duo Nelson Payne and Mitchell Newman promise plenty.
Dobson says Tuckey was the only genuine target of the lot, with the club identifying a desperate need for a ruckman, whilst the rest of the recruits are just good people, who will help the club improve and bridge the gap between them and the top half of Division Four.
“It’s always about getting good people in,
“We did target a ruckman, that was the only one we really went out for in Cory Tuckey, but other than that it was about getting in as many new faces as we could.
“I know for a fact we’ll improve and Croydon North MLOC are doing the same thing,
“So, I think this year the division will be a whole lot more even, you’ll have your normal sides up the top, but we’re confident that we won’t see those drubbings.”
Meanwhile, Club Operations Manager Greg Hall has been a busy man this off-season, helping put together Nunawading’s first ever Senior Women’s side.
The Lions made the call to get a team up and running around August last year and despite having their original coach move on for personal reasons – which the club understand and respect – all systems are go for a debut when the season kicks off.
“We started discussing a women’s team towards the end of last season when we had a change of committee,
“Numbers were a bit slow at the start, but things have started kick along now, I think we’ve got 24 on the list, Trevor Haig’s going to coach the girls, so things are going well.”
Haig, who’s been a piece of the furniture down at Nunawading for a while, is under no illusions of what will be required of him, and Hall expects it to be a slow, but worthwhile process.
“Only a handful of them have played EFNL footy, some have played school footy, so it’s a challenge for Trevor, but he knows that,
“The whole year is going to be a development year, based around getting them together and getting them on the park.”
“Basically, the skills side of it will be the number one priority, and the development and understanding of the game will flow on from that.”
