40 DAYS TO GO | EFL Media will be previewing each club ahead of the 2019 season with the #InFocus2019 series, all thanks to Yarra Valley Water & Choose Tap.
By: Daniel Cencic
FINALS football is on the radar for Coldstream in season 2019.
The Cougars finished sixth on the Division 4 ladder last season after recording seven wins and 11 losses, with their young list set to be aided by added experience this year.
Senior coach Chad Rogers is optimistic of an improved return in the upcoming campaign.
“We believe that with the improvement in our young group and what we’ve recruited, we’ll definitely be a lot stronger,” he said.
Headlining the recruits is Daniel Gordon, who has returned to the Cougars after last playing at the club in 2010.
Gordon spent 2011-2018 plying his craft at Doncaster East, with the 29-year-old playing 14 senior matches last season, including the Lions’ 2018 drought-breaking Division 2 premiership victory over Lilydale.
“He’s added a lot of leadership to the group,” Rogers said.
Also joining the fold is midfielder Bradley Batten-Leitch from Premier Division club Montrose, Jake Iedema (Wandin, AFL Outer East), Jesse Matthews (Ringwood) and Cain Eisele (Chirnside Park).
“Brad’s a midfielder that’ll help us bolster that area,” Rogers said.
“Jake will add to our key position stocks (and) we’ve recruited five to 10 players that can fill gaps.
“We’ve just tried to recruit players where we’ve felt we needed to fill holes.
“I think we’ve done that really well.”
Young gun Darcy Fritsch has departed the club after signing at VFL club, Casey, where the 20-year-old has also aligned with Premier Division club, Norwood.
Fritsch, the brother of Melbourne-listed Bayley, played 32 senior games for Coldstream between 2016 and 2018.
“Because he’s on Casey’s list, they’ve told him he’s got to play Premier Division, so that’s why he’s gone to Norwood,” Rogers said.
“It’s good for him, good development and hopefully it goes well.”
The club completed a pre-season camp on the weekend which again saw Division 4 competition best and fairest winner Darcy Carrigan lead by example.
Darcy Carrigan battles with an opponent. PHOTO: Davis Harrigan Photography
Carrigan claimed the Division 4 top honour last year – the Perc James Medal – with a two-vote victory at last September’s Chandler Medal.
“We’ve actually just got back from our camp on the weekend, and he (Darcy) is one of the leaders and he’s led the way over the weekend with a few of the other boys,” Rogers said.
“It (the camp) was down at Rosebud and we went up to Arthur’s Seat a couple of times, a lot of beach games and fitness activities; plenty of fun but a lot of hard work and it set up some things going forward.”
Coldstream last played finals in 2017 and a return to the business end of the season is in the sights of the senior coach.
“Finals should be a pass-mark, and anything above that is obviously will be something that we’ll be aiming for,” Rogers said.
Meanwhile, an announcement on the club captaincy is imminent after the weekend’s pre-season camp.
“That’s part of our weekend so we’re organising that (this week) and I’m sure they would have got a fair idea over the weekend,” Rogers said.
Rogers says the list-build is similar to the one orchestrated at Upper Ferntree Gully when he served as senior coach from 2014-2017.
The build culminated in Upper Ferntree Gully winning the 2016 Division 3 flag, when it recorded an undefeated season.
“It’s pretty exciting actually,” Rogers said.
“The improvement of the young players plus what we’ve brought in around them should make us a very even and strong side this year and taking steps forward and improving on what we did last year.
“It’s very similar to the build I did at Upper Gully and they (Coldstream’s list) are in a similar position.”
Coldstream begins its 2019 season when it plays Surrey Park away on Saturday, April 6.
