Mooroolbark vice president and football operations manager Scott Hassan spoke to EFL.org.au ahead of the Mustangs’ 2017 campaign…
2017 Leaders
President – Andrew Craig-Smith
Senior Coach – Paris Harvie
Senior Captain – To be advised
What is the club’s ethos/focus in season 2017?
Continual development of the fantastic youth we currently have and being better prepared for finals should we be there at the business end of the season.
A disappointing finals campaign last year has given the players and coaching staff a clear focus on where they need to improve should we get the opportunity to again play at this important and exciting time of the year.
What has the pre-season been like so far for the club? Is there any group that has really impressed (younger players, veterans, new recruits, etc.)?
The pre-season campaign prior to Christmas was great with very encouraging numbers attending each session despite a few having cricket and work commitments.
All of the group are extremely keen to make amends for last season and have been training the house down. With the inclusion of a few key recruits, this has brought about a real sense of want and desire to take it to the next level.
It’s also been the added gym sessions and fitness work over the Christmas break that has seen a lot of the young guys become stronger and ready for the upcoming pre-season campaign that has really impressed to date.
Off the field has there been any changes to the structure of the club? And how are you situated heading into the 2017 season?
Off field, there has been no change this season with all of the 2016 committee continuing on and wanting to not only consolidate on what it achieved in 2016 but to include a few new and improved functions during the course of the season.
(Also) player sponsorship opportunities, which in course assists the players and the club greatly.
With the improvement of the senior playing group in 2016, it has seen a renewed enthusiasm around the club and we believe that increased numbers should eventuate in both membership sales and sponsorship.
We head into the 2017 season with a huge amount of confidence in our coaching staff and playing group and with all the amazing volunteers and helpers around the club that assist week in week out, we couldn’t be in a better position.
If you could take one thing you learnt from the 2016 season to improve this year, what would it be?
The one thing that was probably most evident from last season which we would like to improve on this year would be our strength.
Being such a young side in both seniors and reserves, we were probably a bit light on with the bigger-bodied midfielders. Coming up against physically stronger sides in Bayswater and Wantirna South in the finals, we were a bit exposed in that area.
Like I mentioned earlier, the boys know this was an issue last year and have been hitting the gym pretty hard in an attempt on getting their bodies stronger for the upcoming season.
Our overall season in 2016 was fantastic, both on and off the field and I firmly believe we can take the next step this year and produce an even more exciting brand of football which hopefully will give us another crack at finals.
Who are the players who you think will have a break-out season, who may have gone under the radar in the past as far the being known across the EFL community?
There are several I could put into this category as a number of our young players took it to the next level last year and going on pre-season form, it’s hard to single any player out.
If I had to name a couple, one would be James Cutting whose game improved dramatically last year and in doing so has become a critical member of our team.His ability to play at both ends of the ground will be a key component if we are to have success this year.
Another player I would be confident of giving us something special this year would be Johnno Egan. In his first season of senior footy last year, he played most of his games in the senior side only to miss four or five (matches) with injury. From his first game to the finals, he improved with each game and gained more confidence in his own ability and this was evident in our finals matches where he was in the best in both games.
These are only two players of what could be a break-out year for several of our young brigade as the coaching staff’s philosophy of giving our under-19s senior exposure over the previous two seasons should start to benefit the team greatly.
Where does the club see itself in three years’ time?
Like all Division 2 sides, hopefully in Division 1. We currently have an exciting bunch of youngsters who are the future of the club. Not just in playing ability but leadership and with our very strong junior club having some incredible players coming through, this should put us in good stead over the coming years.
Off-field, we would like to be in a financial position where some money can start to be spent on an electronic scoreboard and improvements around the club rooms to keep in touch with other local clubs around the area.
Finally, who in your division do you feel is the greatest threat to your chances of success in 2017 and why?
All teams. Division 2 has historically had the reputation of being the most competitive division of the four and we have no reason to think that 2017 will be any different.
Coming off an undefeated 2016 season in Division 3, Upper Ferntree Gully will be keen to prove themselves. Knox, coming down from Division 1, will obviously be wanting to improve on last year.
Overall it is tough to select one or two sides that will be a threat as going on last year’s results, each game is a test and can go either way on any given Saturday, no matter what the ladder positions are at the time.
Mooroolbark kicks off its 2017 season on Saturday, 8th April, when it takes on Mulgrave at Mulgrave Reserve.
