Lions opt for Cassidy

By Brad Kingsbury
PAKENHAM appointed 2009 assistant coach and former Eastern Football League star Ryan Cassidy as its senior coach for 2010 after reigning premiership mentor Michael “Jock” Holland vacated the post in a surprise move last week.
Cassidy was a pivotal player in the midfield during the 2009 finals campaign and grew into the role of assistant coach, assuming more responsibility at training and during the game as the season progressed.
His future elevation to the senior job was a major consideration when he was recruited at the start of the year, however, the promotion was brought forward earlier than expected by Holland’s decision.
Holland was tipped to continue in the position for at least another season by most at the Toomuc Reserve but he said that external pressures, including the imminent birth of his first child in December, had forced a rethink.
“To have the success that we had this year obviously takes a lot of commitment and something would have had to give,” he said.
“It wouldn’t have been the family or my work so that meant if would have been football. I didn’t want to let myself or the club down and it was only fair on all parties that I step down.
“Ryan will be very good and I will have some involvement but Ryan and I will sit down and work that out in the next few weeks.”
Holland said he intended to return to coaching in the future but his priorities had changed this year.
Cassidy’s assistants and off-field team will be confirmed soon but he said that Holland would remain a key part of that group and he hoped that the system that proved so successful this year would continue in 2010 without too many problems.
“I did expect him to go around again but he made the call with his commitments and it’s an exciting move for me to coach,” he said.
“I’m hoping it’s a bit of a role reversal from this year with Jock but we’ll talk about that and there will be a couple of other people involved, too.”
The 27-year-old midfielder played three seasons with the Box Hill Hawks before transferring to Vermont in the super-strong Eastern Football League and becoming a household name, winning two premierships and a host of awards.
“I played under David Banfield at Vermont and Donald McDonald at Box Hill so I guess they’re the blokes that I have taken a lot from, but Jock and I have similar ideas so not a lot will need to change,” Cassidy said.
“My first priority is to keep the core group together and they are only around the 23-24(-year-old) mark so they are still on the improve and it’s an exciting time.”
Cassidy said that while the Lions did not need to recruit too aggressively, there were still areas that needed to be addressed, in particular its big man stocks, which will take a hit because of the retirement of Glen Wouters and Clint Walker.
Those and other issues would be among his priorities during the coming planning phase for next year, he said.