IN THESE parts, if the thought of inter-league football runs through your brain then it won’t be long before the name Michael ‘Jock’ Holland springs to mind. The Pakenham premiership coach of 2009 has been the concept’s most fervent supporter, whether as a hard-working midfielder, or on the coaching staff, Jock has given his all to make every inter-league campaign a success. Heading into his second year as coach of the Casey Cardinia Demons, Jock spoke with the Gazette’s DAVID NAGEL about this year’s campaign and why the inter-league concept is so dear to his heart.
Jock, the enthusiasm in this group has just been fantastic?
I’ve been involved in coaching for five or six years now and this is as good as it’s been. The players are enthusiastic and committed to each other and let’s just hope that translates to a good performance on game day.
The turnout has been that good you’ve even had to swing the axe this year?
I haven’t been a senior coach for a while but that’s a job that just never gets any easier. And it’s probably harder to justify to these blokes because they’ve done nothing wrong. They’ve committed to the concept and trained well … it probably comes down to a few blokes having the runs on the board.
What was the determining factor in picking this final squad?
To have two forwards together (Kerem Baskaya and Marc Holt) who have kicked 100 goals each over the last couple of years gives us something really exciting to work with. It sort of takes you back to the days when Ablett, Dunstall and Lockett were in the same forward line for Victoria. Look, it might not work but if it does work and we can get the ball in quick – with Jordy (Andrews) down there as well – it could make for some pretty exciting football. Blokes like Collo (Michael Collins) and Steve O’Bryan are great players as well, really adaptable, and that makes picking the team a bit easier as well
Jock, why do you have so much drive inside you when it comes to inter-league footy? You can tell it’s contagious within the playing group
My dad (Peter) drilled inter-league footy into me when I was a kid and I just really appreciated the opportunity to play when it came about. Inter-league footy went through a low point a few years back but I think with blokes like Collo leading the way, we can instil some real pride into the next generation. I know we have to keep winning to prove it, but I think we’re at least a top-10 league in the state, and with the better players representing us, I think we’ll prove that.
Speaking of the next generation … Who has surprised you at training?
I sort of knew what we had coming in, so they haven’t surprised me, but a young bloke like Jake Gains has got plenty of upside. He’s a bit stiff not to make it because he’s stood up to every challenge for Berwick so far, but we’ve got Scotty Meyer and Kym Jones are two exceptional ruckman. I’m a big wrap for Matty Clarke from ROC and Ryan Morrison’s another sensational young kid. I’m looking forward to seeing blokes like Dom Paynter, Josh Tonna and Russ Lehman really excel at this level.
They’ll get plenty out of this type of football won’t they?
They already have. I remember playing with the really good players from the other clubs and it just makes you a better footballer … it has to. You see them up close and it’s just a different experience to club level and the experiences and memories really linger on. I run into blokes who I played with and it’s just great to catch up and relive those memories. The young blokes should really take the experience on board.
You love the inter-league concept. How much of this is about spreading the inter-league message through the clubs and how much is about winning?
It’s all about winning … that beats anything else. I’m a competitive beast and so are the players and I’d be letting them down if that’s not my 100 per cent focus. Last year we won and the blokes celebrated like they’d been playing footy together every Saturday for years. To me … it’s all about winning.
