COMMITMENT, consistency and camaraderie.
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These are the goals set for Great Western Football Club as it looks to improve in the 2016 Mininera and District Football League season.
Lions coach, Andrew Bach, has put his players on notice.
“Commitment is going to be used a lot this year. These guys have got to be turning up to training all the time, not when they just feel like it,” Bach said.
“I’ve told them: If you put in the hard work, you get results. They’ve definitely got a point to prove. If they want respect, they’ve got to earn it – not just from inside and outside the club, but from the opposition that we’re playing.
“The only way to do that is to start winning games.”
Great Western has thrown itself into recruiting heavily as it looks towards the upcoming season, and Bach is pleased with the progress being made.
“We’re happy with the way we’ve recruited considering what’s around. It gets harder every year to recruit players,” the Lions coach said.
A key signing for the Lions is AJ Bourke, who will be a playing assistant coach under Bach. Bourke is an onballer/forward from Beaufort, and is also in the Lions leadership group. Joining Bourke at the club from Beaufort is half back/wing player, Shaun Fuller and young Indigenous ruck/forward Zac McLeod.
Nick McKenzie is also returning to the Lions while the club is hopeful another ruck/forward, Liam Christian will commit for 2016. Midfielder/forward, Nathan McDonald, is another former player making his way back into the fold, after having not played football for several years.
Justin Thomas is another key signing, coming across to Great Western from Stawell-based club, Swifts. Thomas will be an asset to the club as he can play in various positions on the ground. Another ex-Swifts player who was with Leopold last year, half-forward Adam McGaffin, is also joining the Lions, as well as Chris Wilson from Ararat.
Josh Hustler, Nathan Ross and Sam Harris are earmarked as 2015 reserves players ready to step into the senior side this year. Damien Scott has signed on to lead Great Western’s reserves team in 2016.
Scott is the 2013 Lions reserves premiership coach and will assist Bach on game day as well as working with the ruckmen.
“The guys have a lot of respect for him (Scott) down there and he’s got a fair bit of knowledge,” Bach said.
Great Western has also overhauled its training regime, with AJ Bourke bringing in new ideas for both during the week and on match day.