Youth and development will be the focus of new Melton Centrals coach Mathew Sproule.
Sproule, appointed coach of the Riddell District Football League club just over two weeks ago, is already getting down to work.
Centrals finished 11th last season, with only two wins; both came against Rockbank, which failed to win a match.
Sproule admits there will be no quick fix on hand for the next season.
“It will be a development year,” he said. “We need to try and get more professional, on and off field. We need to get fitter and [be] training the whole time.
“In any footy, effort and hard work can go a long way.”
Sproule comes to the Centrals after coaching Ocean Grove, Modewarre and Portarlington in the Bellaraine Football League, including a grand final with Ocean Grove.
Despite living in Ocean Grove and coaching down the coast in recent years, Sproule is not a stranger to the Centrals and the Melton community.
“My son plays here, so I’ve been involved – I’m already down here two times a week,” he said.
“I’m coming back to my town and there’s a lot of work to do. I coached Melton South [in the Ballarat Football League] between 2000 and 2005 before I moved to Ocean Grove.”
Sproule is returning to coaching after a six-month break. His previous side, Portarlington, sacked him after two and a half years. Portarlington’s record under Sproule was three wins in 2014, five in 2015 and two this year.
He said the break ended up being a blessing in disguise.
“I was done at Portarlington,” he said. “It gave me time off during footy season for the first time in 30 years.”
He said one his aims at Melton was to develop a better pathway between seniors and juniors.
“I want to develop them to all play the same way through from juniors to seniors,” he said. “I’ll have a chat to the junior coaches about working with a similar game plan.
“With the club moving to the new ground last year, it’s a good chance to do something with the juniors.”
As for the senior list, Sproule said the club would continue to bring through younger players.
“The club has done most of the work already with the majority of players re-signed,” he said.
“We need to try bring in at least three or four players to have a bit of depth next year.”
