By Matt Fotia
After a year at the foot of the Division Two table, Templestowe burst back into the limelight over the off-season, naming a new coach, getting some big name recruits and a new lease on life, as they look ready to tackle the Division once again in 2022.
The Dockers scored just one win, an impressive one away at Mulgrave albeit, across the interrupted 2021 season, with their experience void on show throughout the year, after several their key players from the 2019 season left for their home states in 2020 and never returned.
On multiple occasions the Dockers showed their talent, able to burst out of the blocks or win a quarter of two of football but were unable to match it with their more seasoned opponents over the course of four quarters.
At the end of the 2021 season the parted ways with highly regarded coach Craig De Corsey and were quick to find his replacement, with former Warrandyte mentor Anthony McGregor stepping into the hot seat.
McGregor, who works locally, applied via the normal channels, rather than being approached by the Dockers, having been drawn to the role due to both its location and the untapped talent he saw in their squad.
“I’m not a huge fan of having to travel too far regarding coaching,” McGregor said of his move to Templestowe.
“After work a couple of times throughout the year I’d pop in and watch, and I saw potential and room for growth,
“I also took over Warrandyte at a very similar stage in their development, they’d come off a couple of poor years, but you can see the potential,
“I think my strength in coaching is building relationships, especially with young groups, and that’s what Templestowe were looking for in the end.”
McGregor won’t be the only new face that rolls into Dockerland this year, with the Purple Haze adding a few big names to its list over the off-season.
Blackburn’s Max Otten has made the move and will provide a steady head down back, along with fellow Premier Division names in Michael Fogarty and Toby Ryan (both Doncaster).
Former AFL big man and Northern Football Netball League journeyman Cameron Cloke has also crossed over from Hurstbridge, why uber experienced league medal winner Kane Maghamez has returned from Manningham.
But the signings of Jai Hardwick and former Doncaster East premiership skipper Nick Bastsanis – both from Rosebud – are the headline acts for McGregor, adding crucial leadership to his young group.
“I met with a lot of the Templestowe young guys, and they were screaming out for leadership and some bigger older bodies with some extensive football knowledge, and obviously ability,
“They were craving that type of mentorship, so we went out and signed Nick Batsanis – who’s a very successful leader himself, and he was the first domino to fall, because from there it was just connections.”
With some improvements to the playing list and a new lease on life, McGregor is keen to bring Templestowe out of their shell, promising to hit the scoreboard with vigour in 2022, a different flavour to the previous Templestowe iterations.
“I’m very offensive,” McGregor said of his coaching style.
“I’m all about just playing footy with very simple structures and very simple plans, that when executed can be very damaging on the scoreboard,
“Everyone has to defend, but I’m all about run and carry to be honest.”
Despite it being the beginning of a new era for the Dockers, McGregor is not thinking too far down the line, looking to get the club excited by its young talent with some immediate success.
“I’m not looking too far into the future, because this group needs to see some instant gains,
“We want to win more than we lose, that’s our on-field goal and we want to develop a winning culture,
“And I think we have the personnel to do that.”
