As the 2017 draws closer efnl.org.au will be taking a look at each clubs preparations for the season ahead. 44 Days, 44 clubs – Let the countdown begin!
First up – Donvale Football Club, efnl.org.au chats to John Giles, Senior President. 2017 Leaders President – John Giles Senior Coach – Matt Fife Senior Captain – Karl Toce
What is the club’s ethos/focus in season 2017?
We want to build upon the enormous strides we made last season. Having come through a difficult patch a couple of years back, we are really proud to have rebuilt ourselves to be competitive on the field and sustainable off it. We are moving from consolidating and being happy with surviving and sustaining; to actually seeking real on-field success and chasing rewards for the effort we are making.
What has the pre-season been like so far for the club, is there any group that have really impressed (younger players, veterans, new recruits etc.)
With the reappointment of our 2016 Coaches and the inclusion of Kevin Collins we were able to set standards early which the leadership group have driven which resonates through the group and this should transpire into a more consistent year.
Off the field has there been any changes to the structure of the club? And how are you situated heading into the 2017 season?
Our biggest off field challenge this year is undoubtedly the major redevelopment of our club rooms being undertaken by Manningham Council. While this work is welcomed, it will make for a topsy-turvy season; especially the first part of the year. The other welcome change is the continued growth in our girls footy program in our junior club. After a break-through year with U16s last season, we expect to have 3 or 4 sides this year and an open age Women’s team either this year or next.
If you could take one thing you learnt from the 2016 season to improve this year, what would it be?
I think our senior group will be really focused on consistency across the year. Last season we started strongly and finished really well; but went through a bit of a flat spot on the middle of the season. That ultimately hurt us as we were chasing our tails a bit in the last few weeks of the year. We will be looking for a more even effort this season.
Who are the players who you think will have a break-out season, who may have gone under the radar in the past as far the being known across the EFL community?
With a relatively young list & Under 19’s coming though for the first time, I think we are expecting improvement from all our players and I think they expect that as well.
Where does the club see itself in 3 years time?
We expect to be both sustainable and successful. We have a five year strategic plan that is helping guide us to where we want to go. Our juniors will have at least one team in every available age group, for both boys and girls; which is just about where our junior club is this year.
This will keep feeding our senior club into the future. We’d certainly like to have moved out of fourth division and be knocking on the door of success at a higher level. We think with the standard of our juniors coming through, we will need to get up a division or even two to remain an attractive footy proposition to those young players. With our redeveloped rooms as well, we will certainly aiming to stay a strong community focused club with deep ties to our members, supporters and sponsors.
Finally, who in your Division do you feel is the greatest threat to your chances of success in 2017 and why?
I’m not really keen to hand out ammunition to any of our opposition teams by leaving them out! I guess if we look at the ladder from last year then maybe those teams that finished higher up will be thereabouts again. We’ll be respecting all of our opponents equally. We do expect an even season and there to be a number of clubs who could expect to be in the premiership mix.