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By: Daniel Cencic
Twitter: @DC_EFL
A hunger to continue coaching and a will to improve the Coldstream Football Club in Division 4 has driven new Cougars mentor Chad Rogers this pre-season.
Rogers guided Upper Ferntree Gully to the Division 3 flag in 2016 where the club recorded an undefeated season, before stepping aside as coach at the end of 2017.
After four years at the Kings, Rogers felt the time was right for a new challenge.
“It’s been an enjoyable change to go back and start from scratch again, (it’s) a new group of players and a good young list (and) I’ve enjoyed the role so far,” Rogers said.
“It’s good to have that change, and I think four to five-year periods at clubs these days is long enough without hearing the same voice so it’s all about starting fresh and trying to improve the club in fourth division.”
Coldstream finished fourth in 2017, after being eliminated from the premiership race by the Whitehorse Pioneers in the first week of the Division 4 finals.
For Rogers, creating a strong club culture is one of the top priorities for the year.
“I’d just like to see this group improve as a whole and to create a great culture and be a club that everyone sees as respectable in the EFL,” he said.
“Results will go up themselves if we get that right – I understand that there’s a lot of clubs that have recruited really well in fourth division as well, so I think the competition’s going to be pretty tough.”
The club has seen the departures of Anthony Lorusso (Bayswater), Leigh Odermatt (Heathmont) as well as James Cecere (AFL Yarra Ranges) among the outs, along with outgoing playing-coach Michael Cardamone who has returned to Forest Hill.
The Cougars have landed Chris Whitchell, Brad Wotten, and Anthony Faulkner from Mitcham among their recruits for 2018, with the club expected to announce more new signings soon.
The strong-marking Whitchell played in the Tigers’ Division 3 flag in 2015 along with Faulkner, who booted three majors in the club’s drought-breaking premiership win.
Wotten has a basketball background, boasting height which could see the former Tiger played in a number of different positions.
The new coach has been impressed by the professionalism the trio has brought to Coldstream.
“Their professionalism and how they go about training when they’re there – they train with purpose and intensity and are role models in front of the young group,” Rogers said.
“We had to find some forwards and hopefully we’ve covered the loss of those (departed players).”
The Cougars have been abuzz since November’s AFL national draft, where their very own Bayley Fritsch was drafted to Melbourne with pick 31.
Fritsch made his first appearance for the Demons last weekend in the club’s JLT series match against North Melbourne in Tasmania, collecting 11 disposals and booting three goals to mount a serious case for round 1 selection.
Rogers says Fritsch’s success has been fantastic for the club.
“It shows that talent can come from (Division 4), it doesn’t matter what division it is they can all end up playing AFL level and that’s great for the club,” Rogers said.
“He’s been a stalwart of the club and was playing senior football I think as a 15-year-old.
“It’s great for them to see success happen and provides excitement and gives them that idea that things can be achievable.”
Of the club’s current crop of rising stars, there is no shortage of those to have impressed on the training track this pre-season.
“The likes of Darcy Carrigan, Mitch Edmonds (and) Lauchy Craig, a lot of those kids have really impressed in terms of their ability and it’s going to be really exciting to see how they perform in games,” Rogers said.
Rogers draws similarities between the wide expanses of Coldstream Reserve to his old home, Kings Park, and believes it to be an advantage to his young side.
“I think the game style will be perfect for that (Coldstream Reserve), obviously coached at Upper Gully which is another ground pretty much the same in terms of size and I think being a young list, our ability to run and spread is going to be an advantage on such a big ground.”
Coldstream travels to East Burwood Reserve to play the Rams in Round 1, on Saturday, April 7.
