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By: Daniel Cencic
A HOST of experienced names will don the red, white and black this season under new South Belgrave coach, Luke Galliott.
The new Saints mentor, appointed in September, served a lengthy apprenticeship in the coaching ranks, including serving as an assistant at Upper Ferntree Gully during its undefeated premiership season in 2016 under then-coach Chad Rogers.
Galliott takes over a Saints outfit that posted four wins and 14 losses for 10th position in Division 3 last season.
“It (the transition into senior coaching) was pretty seamless for me,” Galliott said.
“I just thought that the club was stagnating a bit but I could see potential, just from the people around and off the field – I was biding my time to make sure I was ready.
“The off-field support at the footy club is really strong and there’s a lot of exciting things happening there at the moment.”
Headlining the new recruits at the Saints is dual Upper Ferntree Gully premiership player, Tim Riseley, alongside fellow teammate Mike Smith.
Riseley captained the Kings’ 2016 flag, after winning the Paul Edie Medal in Division 3 in 2015.
Leigh Odermatt returns to the club after spending last season at Heathmont and 2017 at Coldstream, last playing for the Saints in 2016.
Odermatt played in the club’s 2013 Division 4 premiership and will serve as a playing-assistant this season.
Odermatt in action for Heathmont last season. PHOTO: Davis Harrigan Photography
“Everyone’s been fantastic to be honest,” Galliott said.
“Someone like Tim Riseley who’s a good mate of mine, it’s the first time he’s ever changed footy clubs at 29, but it’s been fresh and invigorating for him.
“(Leigh Odermatt) has been really hands-on and fantastic in everything that he’s brought back to the footy club.
“I don’t think he’s missed a beat (and) it’s the first time he hasn’t played cricket this year either so I think that’s freshened his body up, and he probably needed it.
“He was strong enough to recognise that, so I don’t think you’ll keep him off the park at all.
“He’s still one of the better players at the club, there’s no doubt about that.”
Meanwhile, Upper Ferntree Gully trio Ben Haddock, Carmine Porcaro and Tyler Willis have joined the club, along with three-time Berwick premiership forward Brody Connelly, 2017 Knox Division 2 premiership duo Declan Forbes and Adam Stein, while Dean Apostolopoulos returns.
The Saints are coming off a practice match with East Burwood last Friday night, before taking on Upwey this weekend.
“We left five or six of our better players out (against East Burwood) and that was deliberately structured because we’ve got the three practice games,” Galliott said.
“It was really important to see the other 24-26 (players) that deserve to get an opportunity and have a really good look at them against opposition.
“The boys are great, they brought everything that we’ve been working through in pre-season.
“We still have plenty of work to do but I guess the game-style structural type of stuff I was really pleased with.”
New club-room facilities along with LED lighting installed in 2017 at South Belgrave has the club again primed for night footy this season, including a Round 15 clash with Ferntree Gully.
“They’re the two huge factors in why the club’s ready to go forward,” Galliott said.
“(Night footy) is something we’re trying to strive to do more of – I think the turnover financially is really rewarding for the club so we’ll push to do more of that.”
Galliott says the Saints will field a new-look side come Round 1, as he looks to steer the club to its first finals campaign since 2014.
“The thing that’s most impressed me is that there’s probably 13 or 14 new guys that will play Round 1, if you include a couple of guys that were injured last year in Nick Stow and Harvey Moore,” he said.
“The other 10-12 South guys that are going to be fighting for spots – the numbers have been phenomenal, we’ve had 50-60 every night on the track.
“With the buy-in, they can see a change in the football side of the club in a really positive way and they’ve taken that on board and ran with it.
“There’s some real talent there within the group and hopefully our coaching group has the answers to get that out of them, but from what I’ve seen so far, it will.
“The internal talent’s strong, and they’ve probably just been looking for some more structure in the way they play and I’m sure they’re going to get it.”
South Belgrave kicks off its season against Ferntree Gully away on Saturday, April 6.