The Prez’s Q & A with Senior Coach Des Ryan

𝑫𝒆𝒔, π’„π’π’π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’•π’–π’π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’π’” 𝒐𝒏 π’šπ’π’–π’“ π’‚π’‘π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’•π’Žπ’†π’π’• 𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 Cheltenham Football Netball Club π’‡π’π’“ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉 π’”π’–π’„π’„π’†π’”π’”π’Šπ’—π’† π’šπ’†π’‚π’“.

Being able to offer the playing group stability on and off the field gives us an advantage over other clubs, so as soon as the committee offered the position to me I was keen to hit the ground running for season 2019.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 π’†π’™π’„π’Šπ’•π’†π’Žπ’†π’π’• 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂’𝒔 π’π’†π’˜ π’“π’†π’„π’“π’–π’Šπ’•π’”, 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 π’•π’‰π’†π’Ž?

Since I arrived at the Cheltenham Rosellas, my goal has always been to make it a destination club and I feel that we have finally achieved that. My aim was to secure a playing assistant coach, which we have in Sandringham Zebras vice-captain; Dylan Weickhardt. In addition Myke Cook (14 AFL games and 125 games with Sandy Zebras) and Jack Davis (16 games with Sydney Swans NEAFL) will bring some much needed higher level experience to mentor our young emerging list. 

π‘«π’Šπ’… π’šπ’π’– 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 π’Žπ’π’“π’† π’”π’•π’“π’‚π’•π’†π’ˆπ’Šπ’„ π’Šπ’ π’šπ’π’–π’“ π’“π’†π’„π’“π’–π’Šπ’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’π’‚π’šπ’†π’“ π’‘π’π’Šπ’π’•β€™π’” π’‘π’π’π’Šπ’„π’š π’Šπ’ π’‘π’π’‚π’š?

Our side is predominately made up of home grown players from our affiliated junior club Cheltenham Panthers, so points have never been an issue for us. We have had twelve under 19 players debut in the seniors the last two years so that is our focus and future. Some of our more high profile recruits this year come with a high points loading but we have done our due diligence and won’t have any issues during the year. 

𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 π’šπ’π’– π’“π’†π’•π’‚π’Šπ’π’†π’… π’šπ’π’–π’“ 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 π’‘π’π’‚π’šπ’Šπ’π’ˆ π’π’Šπ’”π’•?

Besides a possible retirement and two players unfortunately out with knee reconstructions, we have managed to keep our list across the board while adding our recruits.

π‘―π’π’˜ π’Šπ’” 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 π’•π’“π’‚π’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’ˆπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ?

There is a great vibe at the club with the new recruits and addition of U/19 players. Training numbers have been extremely healthy and everyone is gearing up for a big year ahead. The boys are really putting the work in on the track and looking forward to Round 1.

𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏, 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‡π’Šπ’†π’π’… π’‰π’π’˜ π’…π’Šπ’… 𝒕𝒉𝒆 2018 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 π’ˆπ’?

Our vision from the start has always being to create a footy club that is welcoming for not only players but to family, friends, supporters and sponsors. Our membership, sponsorship, luncheons and apparel sales are at very good levels this year and I am pleased that we can offer an environment that stakeholders want to be a part of. 

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 2019? 

Stability is the key to any football club and it is reassuring that the majority of coaches and committee staff to all commit again for next year. Our relationship with local businesses will again be a key priority for the club and I am already delighted to welcome a new partner in Storage King Cheltenham, who will become our major sponsor for the next three years.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 π’‘π’–π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 π’Šπ’π’•π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼/19 π’”π’Šπ’…π’†, π’‰π’π’˜ 𝒂𝒓𝒆 π’•π’‰π’†π’š π’π’π’π’Œπ’Šπ’π’ˆ?

Our relationship with the Cheltenham Panthers is going from strength to strength and developing a strong pathway from the junior to senior football club will future proof this club. 

Hard work and the incentive of free playing subscriptions to all the U/19 players is seeing us start to reap the benefits and as the most successful U/19 club in the SFNL we are very excited about fielding our strongest team in a long time. 

As of today we have a committed playing list of 24 players, which will continue to grow over preseason and so far I would like to welcome the following new players to the club: Ned Walsh, Mitchell Bedford, Costa Manaveris, Lachie Meyer, Michael Fennell, Lachie Toniolo, James Edwards, Dylan Ingram, Max Vaughan, Matt Wright, Adam Dingli, James Still, Cameron Blitsas, Will King and Finn Ryan who have joined us from other clubs.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃𝒔 π’ˆπ’π’‚π’ 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’” π’šπ’†π’‚π’“? 

I believe depth is the key to any football club and it was very encouraging to see our thirds came back from the brink of folding two years ago to win the premiership this year. Furthermore to become some-what of a destination club has resulted in the club on the verge of entering a unprecedented fifth senior football team for 2019, which would make us the biggest football club in the SFNL.

The club also has a strong emphasis to continue to grow our netball arm of the club and the early signs are that we will enter a further two netball sides for 2019, bringing our total to six netball teams. We are very proud of our netball teams and they form a very important part of the future of our club.

With very minimal player losses throughout all sides, new recruits, emerging talent and the return of some past players the club is extremely optimistic on bringing home more silverware across the board come September.