Sport
29 January, 2023
Homecoming pies
DALE Cameron wants local DNA back on the field when Boort’s 2023 North Central Football League season starts in April. The homecoming coach - back at the club where he played junior and senior football before heading to Bendigo powerhouse...
DALE Cameron wants local DNA back on the field when Boort’s 2023 North Central Football League season starts in April.
The homecoming coach - back at the club where he played junior and senior football before heading to Bendigo powerhouse Strathfieldsaye and then coaching Bridgewater - knows there’s a big job for the Magpies to be competitive against top clubs.
“We’re coming from a long way behind,” Cameron said as the club finished its season training launch on Sunday.
But the work to lift the Magpies to longer-term challenge Birchip Watchem, Sea Lake Nandaly and Donald started immediately Cameron accepted the role in September.
“We’ve picked up players with a connection to the club and the town ... bringing the Boort DNA back,” he said. “There’s a strong pact among those players coming back to be together.
Cameron said there was an energy and enthusiasm, “playing team football and having a crack”.
“We want to make this happen but we also want the club to be competitive and sustainable,” he said. “We don’t want a flash in the pan.”
Big recruits include Jarrod Fitzpatrick, AFL premiership star Shane Biggs and Jonno Lanyon who has committed to play with his home-town club. Crossing from Bridgewater is Cam Ross who Cameron says is one of the best tap ruckman around, joining forces with club best and fairest Nathan Twigg who quickly earned a strong reputation with the Pies last season.
Much of Sunday’s launch session was spent on defensive drills. Cameron says a defensive mindset would be key “and then we can add an offensive element to the game”.
He said the Pies had good defenders, qualities that had not always been shown on the scoreboard. And with the prospect of exciting youngsters Tom Potter, Alex Cockerell and Frasier Holland now too old for the junior competition and able to focus on one game a day, Cameron says the DNA is growing.
But he said multiple times on Sunday: “We’re coming from a long way behind. We have a lot to do.”
Boort will play practice matches at Pyramid Hill and Kerang and hold a camp before the season starts on April 15.