Following an off-season shake up, Northcote Park will be looking to its next crop of stars to drive the club forward under new coach Stephen Saddington.
The Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 team were forced to appoint a new coach for the second time in 12 months when Barry Mitchell relinquished the role following the cancelled 2020 season.
But the Cougars have found a very capable replacement in Saddington, who is a former club captain, dual premiership star and best and fairest winner.
Saddington say the playing list was adapting to his game style ahead of the commencement of the 2021 season.
“The club was already on the way to learning a new style under Barry. Now I’ve come in and the players are adjusting to my way of playing, so it’s all just been a whole new learning curve for them,” Saddington told NFNL.org.au.
“We’ve just been trying to work with what we’ve got. We’re a young side that’s going to be fast and we’re going to be trying to play in that style.”
Saddington’s introduction to the top job at Northcote Park has been tough, needing to manage ground availability issues and a raft of player changes during the pre-season.
The Cougars have been unable to train on Bill Lawry Oval due to the premier cricket season, instead training on three different grounds throughout the pre-season.
Saddington will also need to find replacements for the departure of star midfielder and two-time club champion Jordan Perry to Marcellin, alongside the transfers of forwards Ash Close (Ivanhoe) and Jackson Starcevich (North Heidelberg).
“(Jordan’s) left us on pretty good terms. We’re confident he’ll be back with us at some stage. It just goes to show that work can be more important than footy sometimes,” Saddington said.
“Losing Ash and Jackson also hurt because they were two big boys, meaning we don’t have that bail-out kick down the line that we could’ve used in the past.”
But Saddington is optimistic about the emerging talent that is available at Northcote Park.
Matt Perry, the brother of Jordan, has been the best trainer at the club throughout the summer, according to Saddington, while former Essendon AFL player Ben McNiece is expected to slot into a midfield role.
A raft of young recruits has also given the Cougars plenty to be excited about. Saddington believes tall forwards Jack Sammartino (Preston Bullants) and Matthew Grocott (Queanbeyan) will provide an enticing goal-kicking combination.
“They have both worked really hard and put maximum effort into everything they do since coming down to the club,” Saddington said.
“I wouldn’t say they’re huge names compared to what other clubs in the league have brought in the past few seasons, but we’re still really looking forward to seeing them do some damage down in the forward line.
“I don’t think there’ll be many defenders who’ll be able to work and match their speed, so we’ll have to play a different style then what we have been used to.”
Other recruits include Reed Jepson (Epping) and Daniel Tallariti (Whitehorse Pioneers), who Saddington expects to join club stalwart Paul Dirago as key defenders in 2021.
Jack Brooks, a “strong ruck and centre half forward who can take a big mark” has also come down from the country to bolster the Cougars’ talent pool.
The major changes in personnel at Bill Lawry Oval has Northcote Park prepared for a rebuild and Saddington is intent on creating a thriving home for many growing players to develop.
“The club knew it had to change a few things when we couldn’t get enough numbers for an under-19s team and had to give a walkover in the reserves two years ago,” Saddington said.
“We still don’t have an under-19s side, but we now receive at least 40 players on the track every night, which is our first stepping stone to ensuring we have two strong sides that enjoy hanging around the club.
“We haven’t brought in any big names. Instead, we’ve got players who we think are good people and will love being involved with our club.”
Season 2021 will be defining for Saddington in many ways.
He has already carved out a famous legacy with Northcote Park during his playing days, before taking his talents to North Heidelberg, where he coached the Bulldogs to second division premierships in 2014 and 2017.
He will come up against his old side while at the helm of the Cougars in the Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 season.
“I was at North Heidelberg for six years – it’s become a massive part of my life as well as my time at Northcote Park,” Saddington said.
“I’ve got a lot of lifelong friends there. I think when it’s all said and done it’s just a game of footy, and it’ll be more enjoyable coaching against people you know when you can catch up after it.”
Looking to the year ahead, Saddington said it was essential for his young and exciting list to build form early so they can match it with the NFNL heavyweights as the season develops.
“There’s plenty of talent there, but I’m not sure whether our depth is as strong as other clubs, so that’s something we’ll have to work on in the next couple of years,” Saddington said.
“The first thing we will focus on is getting enough wins to stay up and then we’ll look towards finals and build from there.
“I think this season will be one of the most even years the NFNL has ever had.
“This is the standout competition in Victoria because any side can beat any other side on any given day, which is really exciting.”
Northcote Park will take on Seymour and Strathmore in practice matches before hosting Montmorency under lights at Bill Lawry Oval in their opening round clash on Friday April 9.
