Twin City Wanderers have appointed an ‘outside’ coach for the first time in years as they strive to bounce back from a rare poor season.
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Former Wodonga Diamonds’ coach Lee Botting was recently appointed.
“Well, I can guarantee you we won’t miss it (finals) again,” defiant club president Harry Wilhelm said.
The club’s hopes of continuing its proud finals streak were torpedoed by a massive injury toll with 42 players used in first grade.
“We lost our Archie Thompson medallist Cody Walsh to an ACL in the last five minutes of the last game, so he’s out all next year,” Wilhelm said.
“That summed up our season.”
Wilhelm’s son Cayne coached last season.
“We’ve had club coaches before, we’ve tried them the last couple of years and it’s time we tried something different,” Harry Wilhelm said.
“It’s time for someone new, a fresh voice, fresh ideas.”
Botting took Diamonds from outside the finals to second in the league in 2009, followed by another finals appearance.
“I’m a very technical person, very strict in discipline and fitness, I think that’s what attracted the guys (at Twin City) to me,” he said.
“It hurt them not making finals and familiarity breeds contempt sometimes mate, you need an outside boost.”
The London-born Botting says hard work will be rewarded.
“It’s all about effort and who’s going to put in, nobody’s spot is a given,” he said.
“That’s a really clear message that I’ll send to each and every one of them.”
Twin City has also changed tact with its coaching workload.
Previously the head coach has led both the seniors and reserves, as well as also playing a role in the thirds, but Botting will just control the top team.
And the flipside of last season’s horror injury run was he’ll now have access to a number of youngsters with first grade experience.
Wilhelm says the club has retained its top-liners, like Josh Zito and Matt Hasler, but is determined to regain two former stars.
“If we can get Rohan Pearce and Jayson Ferguson, some more experienced players, blended with the kids that we’ve got, we’ll be fine,” he said.
“It’s exciting.”
Botting will address the players at The Blazing Stump Hotel in Wodonga on Sunday afternoon from 5pm.
Meanwhile, former Socceroo Jim Fraser and Football NSW coach education manager Oscar Gonzalez will run goalkeeping coaching clinics at Glen Park, starting at 6pm on Friday.
The free AWFA clinics will run over the weekend with anyone interested asked to contact their club.