Tara Murray
Bacchus Marsh has added some key experienced players ahead of the Ballarat Football League season.
After a solid 2021 season the Cobras have looked to boost their squad with some experience.
Cobras coach Tom German said last season was a hard one with teams not able to get a good run at it,
“We met at the end of last season,” he said. “There’s areas we wanted to improve in and targeted a few guys.
“We were disappointed where we were, as we felt like we had a fairly good year.
“We were equal fourth on points, but were sitting seventh [and missing finals] with the nature of the league being so even.
“Everyone was hurt by the COVID interruption and not getting a clear run at it.”
The Cobras have added seven or eight players to their squad.
Jason Robinson and Jack Williams, who are both former VFL-listed players, will add to the Cobras back line.
Michael Culliver, who was playing in the Victorian Amateur Football League, joins the club, while Max Eastmure comes across from Torquay and Ryan Chandler has come across from Hillside.
Other recruits include Daniel Foley, Sam Crea and Rex Hickman.
German said the new guys had really brought into what they’re doing.
“We’ve had some really good pick ups this season,” he said. “Some really experienced guys have come on board.
“We had a pre-season camp at the Surf Coast and it was a really good weekend. The new guys have continued to buy into what we’re doing. The leaders have been really good at getting that buy in.”
While the Cobras have signed a number of experienced players, German said at the other end, there was some real talent coming through the club.
“There’s a good batch coming up from the under-17s,” he said. “Some of them are at the Rebels [Greater Western Victoria Rebels] and the Jets [Western Jets] and they have done a pre-season with us.
“They are a really exciting batch.”
Some of those younger guys were given an opportunity in the club’s first practice match against East Keilor.
German said while they took in a much younger side than East Keilor, it was relatively even throughout the match.
German said they were hoping to get some continuity this season and build on his first season getting to coach the group in matches having been appointed before the 2020 season.
“It has been hard the last couple of years to find that continuity,” he said.
“Being on the border bubble between metro and regional really affected that.
“We really want to build on last year and hopefully get a good run at it.
“It’s such an even competition you don’t know what will happen.”
The Cobras will kick off their season on on April 9 against Ballarat at Maddingley Park.
