Gulls look to young blood

By Russell Bennett
A TRIO of young recruits is at the centre of Tooradin Dalmore Football Club’s youth push – one new coach Tom Hallinan hopes will lead the side to the finals promised land.
Julian Suarez, Sam Watson and Sean Jacobs have all made the switch from Essendon and District Football League side Aberfeldie in search for a bigger senior opportunity with a promising Tooradin list.
“Those guys have come out of an A Grade competition but they’re looking for more opportunity at senior level,” Hallinan said.
Seagulls president Derek Genoni said the relationship between his club and Aberfeldie was a mutually beneficial one.
“We’ve had presidents and coaches meetings and some of our players have roots there,” Genoni said.
“They’ve got kids pushing through struggling to get a shot and we can give them an opportunity here.”
The Seagulls have also welcomed Jarryd and Dan Elton, and Mark Engley and Matt Wade into their fold. Jarryd Elton is a ruckman out of Somerville, while Dan has made his way down from the Tallangatta and District Football League.
Engley comes to Tooradin from the North Gippsland league, and Wade is a playing-assistant, formerly at VFL side Sandringham.
Hallinan said the Seagulls had a “natural attrition” of players from last season, with some older players seeking opportunities at other clubs – like Ben Disney’s switch with Paul Ray to Catani.
“They go with the club’s blessing, for sure,” Hallinan said.
“That’s just part of footy.
“But we’ve been really keen to build that core group under the age of 25.
“We want to build leadership, responsibility and confidence in their ability so we can have a strong squad over the next three to four years that will be sustainable and, hopefully, less reliant on guys like Beau Miller, Ryan White and Adam Splatt.
“I want those guys to complement the younger group.”
Hallinan said the Seagulls had made a conscious effort to boost their recruiting, following an injury-ravaged 2011 season.
“We’ve been quite successful in getting that depth, which means that if we cop a couple of injuries, we still have good replacements coming in,” he said.
Hallinan, himself, is making his return to Tooradin after five years away from the club.
He has spent the past three years at Nar Nar Goon, two as a senior assistant coach, and was instrumental in the side’s 2010 premiership.
Hallinan has assumed the coaching reins from two-time Norm Walker medallist Beau Miller, who will still play an integral role in the side’s development.
Back in the Seagulls fold, Hallinan has brought with him part of The Goon’s fighting spirit and the dogged determination of its strong club culture.
“At Tooradin we’re blessed with tremendous facilities but sometimes that can be taken for granted – the investment a player needs to put into a club,” he said.
“There’s this assumption that things will always just be done.
“I’m taking that assumption away and putting it firmly back on the players.
“Our players will have a strong involvement with our junior club, holding clinics, and will also have a strong hand in the week-to-week operation of the footy club.”
Hallinan desperately wants to return the Seagulls to finals action and said he is keen to continue the turn-around started last year under Miller.
“I’ve got a wonderful coaching staff to support me,” Hallinan said.
“I’m not about ‘it’s all mine’.
“We’ve got a forward line coach, a midfield coach and a wonderful chairman of selectors. I’ve got the support staff there and the full support of the board.
“My strength, this time, is my ability to delegate and trust.”
He said the turnaround would continue through improved midfield depth and added forward line marking power.
“We’ve been strategic in getting our recruits to fill positions that we had other players potentially unsuited to last year,” Hallinan said.
“That then frees up another three or four players to play a role they’re more suited to. Last year, if you had a needs assessment, they really had to be playing a role that potentially wasn’t to their strength but that was due to necessity.”
Hallinan said Splatt would be one of the first to benefit from the improved depth, now free of the constraints of full back and set to play across the wing and half-forward line.
Last Friday’s training saw the Seagulls host Nar Nar Goon for a competitive hit-out. Hallinan said it served as a way of his side measuring its progress prior to the start of the season.
“There’s no point us trialling certain tactics internally if we’ve got no checkpoint,” he said.
“I don’t want to get to a practice game and have that realisation … ‘bloody hell, we’ve been doing it all wrong’.
“I’d rather have that realisation now, and for our guys to buy into what I’m teaching them.”
Hallinan said the “synergy” developed between Tooradin’s junior and senior sides would be one of the club’s biggest strengths in the new season.
“The relationship between the two is really strong and now there are some young guys pushing really hard so we’re keen to get them a taste of senior football this year,” he said.
“Shaun Keenan has had a wonderful pre-season and Nathan Barker is another terrific young fellow.
“I’m just excited to see them keep developing.”