Former Sunbury coach Travis Hodgson has taken the coaching mantle at the struggling Melton South Panthers in the Ballarat Football League.
The Panthers went winless throughout all of the season just gone and only won three games in 2021.
Hodgson holds a fantastic resume as both a player and a coach, most recently as coach of the Lions, after coaching Bacchus Marsh to a premiership in 2016.
While turning the Panthers’ form around is a challenge, it is one Hodgson said he is looking forward to.
“It is a very big challenge, but the club’s got a pretty good understanding of where it’s at,” he said.
“There’s no confusion from their end, so they’re pretty committed to try and make the climb and I’m excited by the challenge, there’s no doubt about that, and I’ll invest in it heavily.
“It might take a bit of time but I think if you can turn situations around like this they can be pretty special journeys.
“There’s no guarantees, and there’s a lot of work that goes into it but I think it’s a really good cause.
“I’ve taken part in rebuilding phases in the past, where clubs have started a fair way off the pace, and they’re always pretty exciting journeys, so I’m looking forward to having a crack at it.”
On top of Hodgson’s list was to add players to the list, whilst ensuring there wasn’t much turnover from the current playing group, which the club has been able to do.
“My first priority is definitely recruits, obviously a game plan and style will come secondary based on who we end up getting,” he said.
“Most of my energy at the moment is going into adding quality players to the list, South has some really good young kids.
“But we’re light on for experience and light on for A-grade talent, so that’s the challenge to try and get depth, that was an issue for the club.”
While Hodgson is realistic with the fact that wins might still be hard to come by in 2024, he just wants his side to put up more of a fight.
“Everyone loves winning games… but in the short term it’s about becoming more competitive,” he said.
“We gave up 3000 points last year which is way too many, so I think as a starting point it’s about being harder to play against and harder to score against.”
“Build those foundations and be in games for a lot longer, the longer you’re in games, the more chance you are of winning.
“That’s definitely the starting point and that’ll be the focus when I get the players in front of me.”
Harper Sercombe
