Spring Hills is ready to meet the challenges of its promotion head-on this soccer season.
The Stallions have jumped to state league 4 on the back of a thrilling title win last year.
And in what is a huge boost, Spring Hills has managed to keep its winning group together.
Darren Traynor will return as head coach while Tom Markovski will continue in his role as coaching director.
Known for its youthfulness, the experience his side picked up in securing last year’s title would prove vital in dealing with its jump in class, Markovski said.
“We have given a lot of opportunities to the boys who have come through the ranks of the under 18s,” he said.
“Some of those boys stepped up to help us win the fifth division … we are really looking forward to seeing how they improve this year. They are a bit more mature now … we just need to be focused and take our chances. That will be a big key for us.”
Spring Hills will make its state league 4 debut with an away match against Surf Coast on April 2. The Stallions will then host Bell Park in round two.
Set to line up against a host of new opposition, Markovski believes results in the first six weeks will prove essential in identifying where the club sits.
“Overall, we are probably aiming for a mid table finish,” he said. “That is how we are looking at it after being promoted, but it does depend on those first six games.
“If you start well, then you go for promotion. If you don’t, then you’re fighting off relegation, so we will have to see.
“Next year, we will aim to be promoted again,” Markovski said.
The jump for the men’s team has created a nice buzz at Spring Hills in the off-season, with membership base surpassing the 1000 mark.
With strong numbers across its junior women’s sides for a number of years, Spring Hills has also launched a senior women’s side.
The Stallions will start in state league 4.
The long-term goal for both men’s and women’s teams is to continue to beat down the promotion door, to ensure talented juniors don’t need to go elsewhere to play.
“The idea is to get local talent,” Markovski said.
“We are the biggest club in the Melton shire. All our kids are local kids; they are not from different areas.
“That was the focus when we started the club,” he said. “We wanted to give these kids somewhere to go.”
