MOYSTON/Willaura’s season started brightly enough in the Mininera and District Football League.
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The reigning premiers from 2014 had a reasonably good preseason with everyone committing to the 2015 campaign.
Round one saw Moyston/Willaura inflict a crushing 205-point defeat on the Ararat Eagles in round one and it then accounted for Woorndoo/Mortlake the following week.
However, injuries to key players from round three onwards made it challenging for first-time head coach Jacob Hamilton and the club.
Hamilton said it was a up and down year for the Pumas, and was disappointed with the way the season ended. Moyston/Willaura crashed out of the finals series with a 39-point elimination final loss at the hands of Glenthompson/Dunkeld.
The Pumas coach pondered what might have been if his side had have stayed fit and healthy.
“We may have been able to challenge deeper into the finals,” Hamilton said.
“But that’s the way it goes.”
Hamilton confirmed to The Ararat Advertiser that he will not be coaching Moyston/Willaura next season, and is unsure about where he will be playing football in 2016.
“Football’s not on my radar at the moment,” he said, citing family commitments as a factor for steeping down.
Hamilton learnt that coaching is a big responsibility and something that was not be taken lightly, however he was grateful for the support that he received from the club.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.
Although Hamilton did find it difficult to get people to commit to training and playing for the Pumas, he acknowledged that was just part of the coaching role.
“I saw coaching as a great opportunity. I had a plan in mind (prior to the season) and was pretty happy with the way it panned out,” he said.
Due to the revolving door of injured players, Hamilton estimated that he had only had to drop a couple of senior players prior to matches this season which made his job easier.
HAMILTON’S TOP PLAYERS:
- Matt Peel: Moyston/Willaura’s senior football best and fairest for 2015. A runaway winner with 67 votes, Peel was rewarded for his commitment and his work on the training track stood out in each game. Peel’s fitness enabled him to become a premier onballer/forward for the Pumas this season.
- John Vanderwaal: Pumas’ veteran ‘just keeps on keeping on’, according to Hamilton. A rock down back for the Pumas, Vanderwaal polled 34 votes to be runner-up in the senior count. He and third placed Rhys Cronin patrolled the back flank, taking on the best forwards each week and proving to be a lethal combination.
- Rhys Cronin/Lachie Hamilton. Cronin finished just one vote behind Vanderwaal, and played a key role in the Pumas’ defence. The coach couldn’t separate these two players, with Hamilton lauded for his goal scoring ability in 2015. He averaged five goals a game, and may have cracked the ton if left in the forward line all season. Due to injuries, Hamilton was required to move up the ground at times.
BEST WIN: Round 14 v Lismore/Derrinallum – 11 points: The Pumas ended Lismore/Derrinallum’s 13-game winning streak with a come-from-behind victory. Hamilton said it was an amazing game, with the Pumas running the Demons off their feet to score the famous victory.
WORST LOSS: Round 11 v Penshurst – 143 points: Several key players were unavailable, making this match against Penshurst tough from the outset. Hamilton said he had a ‘very diverse’ playing group that day. Definitely a day to forget for the Pumas.
