Tara Murray
New Lancefield coach Tim Bannan is excited by the young talent coming through the Riddell District Football League club.
Bannan was last week announced as the Tigers new coach, replacing Tom Waters, who decided to step down from the role.
Bannan comes to the Tigers having coached Leithville-Gunbower in the Heathcote District Football League this year.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “I coached up in the bush last year and this is a fair bit closer to home.
“I was looking at coaching advertisements for jobs closer to home. I’d been involved with Gisborne and Riddell.
“There’s a good young group of players at Lancefield and I want to add some older heads around them.”
Bannan said the connection with Waters that also attracted him to the job. Waters, a two-time league best and fairest winner, has said that he will continue playing.
“I spent time with him at Gisborne,” Bannan said of Waters. “The last few years as coach were tough, as it was for most clubs throughout Australia.
“They had to try and keep kids playing football. He did a sensational job and kept the locals around as well.”
Bannan said the opportunity to coach the young kids was something he was looking forward to. He has previously coached juniors as well.
In a good sign for the Tigers, he said the club looks set to field under-19s next season for the first time in a number of years.
“That will be a massive boost to have those young kids coming through,” he said.
“Tom said it had been a few years and it’s good for the club to bolster the numbers with under-19s.
“The league has struggled for teams, so it’s good for the league and the community as well.”
Bannan takes on a side that won just two games for the year, both against the bottom side in the Western Rams.
Bannan said they would look to add a bit more experience to the group as they look to take that next step.
“Most clubs will be looking to get some experienced players,” he said. “We want to get a couple of older heads, big bodied midfielders to give the kids a break.
“They were stung by injuries this year. You can’t expect midfielders to play 100 per cent of the game it, doesn’t work.
“We want to give them some experience and support them with some older heads.”
