Former Pakenham coach Michael “Jock” Holland was recently appointed coach of the MPNFL Sharks interleague team. The Sharks will take on the Goulburn Valley for the title of best country football league in Victoria at Shepparton on 26 May. 70340 Picture: Kim Cartmell
By David Nagel
WELL-respected Pakenham premiership coach Michael “Jock” Holland will lead the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (MPNFL) into battle this year as it attempts to claim the title of “number one country football league in the state”.
Holland was recently appointed coach of the MPNFL Sharks, who travel to Shepparton on Saturday 26 May to try and wrestle the number one ranking from the Goulburn Valley Football League.
Holland, who is not coaching at a local level this season, has been an assistant to previous coach Paul Kennedy for the last four years. He has an intimate knowledge of the team that has made a rapid rise in recent seasons and is looking forward to leading the Sharks into country football’s showcase match of the year.
“It’s definitely exciting, in the last three or four years we’ve gone from being ranked eighth to challenging for the top spot,” Holland said.
“They’re (Goulburn Valley) the best team going around, so we’ll have to be at the top of our game, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
Holland is not sure whether his non-involvement at club level will be a positive or negative in his new role.
“Look, it’s all changed now, with Casey and Nepean having their own teams, we can really only pick from players who have been involved over the last few years from those leagues,” he said.
“Assuming those players are available, I know them pretty well anyway so I don’t know if it will be beneficial, but it will be different. I suppose I’ll be able to see a few more games.”
Holland said nothing much will change from Kennedy’s time at the top who gave a fair say to all his assistants. Given the quality of players at his disposal, Holland said they needed very little coaching anyway.
“We have guidelines, but you don’t want to bog the players down with set plays; it’s all about putting their talent on show and letting them do what comes naturally,” he said.
Holland’s former Pakenham team-mate and former interleague star, Dan O’Loughlin is a big fan of representative football and will help out from the sidelines while Dan’s brother Tom will also join the team as one of two runners.
The Sharks have an impressive record in recent times. An 83-point thrashing of West Gippsland Latrobe in 2009 was followed by a 49- point victory over Hampden in 2010. Last year’s two-point victory over the Ovens and Murray at Frankston was a thrilling affair, and it’s that feeling that Holland hopes to replicate this season.
“PK (Kennedy) and I have both been involved in premierships, and you can’t quite compare it to that, but last year was as good as winning a good final,” he said.
“If we can get that team feeling again, I think we’ll give a really good account ourselves.”
