Coaches mind the gap

By RUSSELL BENNETT
A LACK of local Ellinbank and District Football League junior players and a widening gap between the top and bottom senior teams are the main concerns facing local coaches.
A Gazette EDFL survey has revealed the majority of the league’s 15 coaches want to see more done to boost junior playing stocks. They also want the gap bridged between the best and worst performed sides in the competition, and are looking forward to a proposed two-division system.
The survey also reached a consensus on the best players so far in the 2012 season, with Warragul Industrials coach Shane Brewster and Cora Lynn mentor Brendan Kimber leading the pack.
If there was a mid-season EDFL fantasy draft held tomorrow, Garfield young gun Eddie Morris and Nar Nar Goon big man Brett Dore would be in hot demand, while Brewster and Kimber received a second pat on the back from their peers, who have the Dusties and the Cobras as joint-flag favourites.
Many of these league hard men also revealed their softer sides. Asked a question about how they spend their time off the field, they opted for self-preservation, answering ‘spending time with my wife and kids’.
Poowong coach Matt Grant is the only EDFL coach to have not yet taken part in the survey. Keep an eye out for his thoughts on the state of the league in the coming weeks.