The next fortnight will be a crucial time for members of the Greater Western Victoria Rebels as the current squad of more than 55 is reduced to the mid-40s.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A practice game against the Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday will give the AFL-hopefuls their first taste of competitive action against a fellow TAC Cup side for the year and provide a clearer yardstick of the group’s progress.
The Rebels’ pre-season to date has involved plenty of fitness testing and intra-club games while the coaching staff have exposed the group to more vision and match simulation than ever before at this time of year.
Coach Gerard Fitzgerald said the next few weeks would be important to finalising the squad and felt Sunday’s hit-out at Bendigo would be a great measuring tool.
“(It will be interesting to see) particularly matches against another TAC Cup team. Up until now they have been internal games so it will be good to see how the boys go playing with each other against another TAC Cup team,” Fitzgerald said.
After a stellar draft crop last year, which saw four North Ballarat Rebels drafted in the top 33 picks and a total of six players find their way to an AFL club.
Fitzgerald said this year’s group would be a much younger outfit, having lost many of its top-agers.
The younger group has provided a different challenge for the coaching staff, with an even greater emphasis placed of development.
“We are going to be young,” he said.
“Obviously there are a lot more top-age boys in the team and some of those were very talented – as was evidenced by the success in the draft.
“It’s a different challenge in coaching. Last year it was to try and polish some real talent, this year it will go back towards more nurturing and developing. That’s the nature of the TAC Cup, it’s followed up by a developing group.”
Fitzgerald said the response to the slightly altered program had been outstanding.
Such is the nature of the TAC Cup program, the need to keep development programs in line with the needs of the group is an ever-present factor.
The key to the Rebels’ fortunes in 2017 will lie in the acceleration of learning that Fitzgerald and his fellow coaches can provide the group throughout the pre-season.
“Just seeing what can be done to accelerate the learning of a younger group.
“(There has been a) very good response, it’s been a really invigorating response.
“There are some really good indications that the program continues to improve.” The Rebels face Geelong Falcons in round one.
