From left Gerard Bongiorno, Tony Cammarano and Justin Pearson, will combine with new senior coach Matt Shorey to infuse the young Kooweerup side with a boost of big game experience. 78559.
By Russell Bennett
KOOWEERUP Football Club fans are hoping their side’s two big name off-season recruits can lead its promising young brigade out of the Ellinbank and District Football League (EDFL) doldrums.
New coach Matt Shorey has entered the Demons’ fold after playing stints at Cora Lynn and Garfield, and a highly-touted recent tenure as Hampton Park skipper. The strong marking key position player also has a wealth of coaching experience, having led the Hampton Park Under-18s over the past three seasons.
He joins fellow boom recruit Luke ‘Tex’ Walker at Kooweerup. The former Pakenham champion was regarded as one of the best players in the Casey-Cardinia Football League when he made his off-season EDFL switch.
The star midfielder and 2011 Lions captain has a local football resume most could only dream of, as a four-time VCFL representative who starred in last year’s national carnival.
Walker, still in the prime of his career, will stake a strong claim as the EDFL recruit of the season.
The Demons have also brought over experienced Hampton Park big man Scott Eastwood to help out their tall defenders.
Former Pakenham St Francis Xavier and Cora Lynn utility Justin Pearson, and Kooweerup icon and recently retired ruckman Gerard Bongiorno will also boost the Demons’ off-field ranks – sharing the chairman of selector responsibilities.
Pearson said the Demons were building towards a successful era on the back of their talented youngsters.
“We’ve got a lot of kids and we’re going to give them a chance,” he said.
“We’re not thinking ‘bang, we’re going to come out and win the premiership in year one’ but we hope to improve on last year, knock on the door of the finals and build again next year.
“If we can get the kids confident and up and running early, and get a few wins, you never know what might happen.”
Bongiorno added that a winning mentality instilled by the likes of Shorey and Walker would help prevent heavy losses, like those felt last season.
“Last year we probably had 15 kids under 20-years-of-age,” Bongiorno said.
“And when we played (Warragul Industrials) a top four side last year, we kicked 12 goals in the first quarter and lost the game.
“That’s where Shorey’s and Tex’s experience will come in – being out there and telling the young blokes ‘Ok. This is what we need to do to close this one out’.”
Pearson said the Demons would put their youngsters’ leg speed to good use this season, and predicted the side’s running ability would be one of its biggest strengths.
“I’ve also been pretty impressed with our skills,” he said. “Our top-10 to dozen players could match most players in the league, it’s just that bottom eight we’re going to have to get the improvement from.”
Bongiorno said of his side’s young players, Jack Carson was a pre-season standout.
“When blokes have finished training, this guy will just keep on running,” he said.
“He’s only young, but when I looked at him last year, he just had everything.
“A lot of pressure is going to be taken off him this year and opposition clubs are going to find it hard to nail a lot of us down.” Due to its young list last season, many of the Demons’ stronger bodies had to be used in key positions that did not necessarily play to their strengths.
“Craig Dyker won the best and fairest last year playing centre-half-back, full-back,” Pearson said.
“This year with the recruits we’ve got he’ll be able to go on the ball and he’s another who’s been training the house down in the pre-season.
“Benny Miller our captain also had to play all over the place… ruck, half-back, half-forward. Hopefully this year we’ll be able to just settle him in the ruck and across the half-forward line.”
