A new-look coaching panel combined with a number of promising recruits and youngsters has Lower Plenty primed to bounce back in 2017.
The Bears will run out in A Plus Labour Division 2 this year after a tough 2016 campaign which saw them relegated from Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 after five years in the top flight.
Senior coach Michael Ryan has overseen the club’s transformation throughout the off-season, luring a number of big names on and off the field.
Former Greensborough senior coach Ben Turner has taken on the role of assistant coach and past-player Dean Carr has returned from St Mary’s as senior assistant. Meanwhile, former AFL national umpire manager Jeff Gieschen will be the club’s director of coaching.
“We’ve been really fortunate to gather a really strong coaching panel this year,” Ryan told NFL.org.au.
“When we get to training it’s been really good to be able to delegate to the other coaches.
“Jeff’s been sensational in overseeing the whole process of the whole structure of how we want to set our 2017 season up.”
Gieschen, who coached Richmond from 1997-1999 and is the longest-serving AFL umpires’ boss in the league’s history, is thrilled in his new role after joining Lower Plenty last year as club development manager.
“It’s been really enjoyable. I’ve been really impressed with the group of coaches that’s been assembled,” Gieschen said.
“To have Ben, Dean, Darcy (Barden) and then our reserves group of coaches headed by Luke Groves and our under-19s coach John Jackson – we’ve got a really good team working together.”
The long-time Lower Plenty resident loves the area and enjoys getting involved in the local community.
“I’ve lived in Lower Plenty for 20-odd years, since I was coaching Richmond,” he said.
“I love the area and I’ve followed the league from afar, always interested in what’s happening.
“The Lower Plenty Football Club is right on my doorstep, I’m one of those people that likes to get involved in the local community.
“Grant Barden who was the president a few years ago said I should come down, have a look, get involved, be a supporter – and that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
Gieschen is excited about the young talent at Montmorency Park heading into the 2017 season.
“We’re all about local talent and the community. We’ve got our Research junior group of kids coming through and Michael and the coaches blooded a number of guys there last year,” he said.
A tough year on and off the field in 2016 has galvanised the club as it looks to this year bear the fruit of countless hours of hard work behind the scenes.
“Last year was always going to be an extremely tough year, what impressed me as a supporter of the club was how tightly the club stuck together and how resilient they were,” Gieschen said.
“On the scoreboard it didn’t look great, but there’s a lot of great things happening behind the scenes.
“My role at the club, it’s all about Michael Ryan and his group of coaches and the players. My role is one of supporting the club as much as I can, and being there for them.”
Ryan was keen to give Turner an opportunity as soon as he learnt of the former Greensborough coach’s availability for 2017.
“When it became apparent that Ben was searching for another opportunity, I gave him a call straight away through a mutual friend and we were fortunate enough to get Ben on board and he’s been sensational,” Ryan said.
“I think his coaching record with Greensborough was sensational, to be able to take them to a grand final and a prelim inside two years.
“He’s also going to head-up the midfield group this year, and you can just see the way he’s got the systems and the structures he’s got them going with already, they have full faith in him.”
On the field, Lower Plenty has welcomed back forward Ben Gill from Eltham Collegians. Gill was the Bears’ leading goal kicker in their Division 2 premiership year in 2011.
Matt Duckworth returns from Panton Hill, along with brother Tim, while the Bears have gained a further wealth of experience with the addition of Heidelberg premiership veterans Mark Favrin and Dale Nolan, and Southern Mallee Giants midfielder Fabian Dorbolo.
Youngsters Sam and Ben Patterson have also committed to the club from the Northern Knights.
“Ben (Gill) has come on board as a strength and conditioning coach, and he played at Lower for nine seasons prior to leaving for Eltham,” Ryan said.
“That was one of my mottos when we went back to second division – to get past players back to the club.
“We’re really lucky to get all those guys back on board and they’ve slipped in pretty comfortably.”
Ryan was keen to fill the void of experience, particularly with Billy Barden finishing up at the end of 2016 due to shoulder issues. The Bears’ premiership captain will look to play a handful of games for Quambatook in the Golden Rivers Football League this year.
“Getting Fabian Dorbolo and Mark Favrin and Dale Nolan from Heidelberg has been good with their experience, it’s something we’ve really lacked,” Ryan said.
“Dale will be in the best dozen players at our club. He’s going to be a very vital member of our side in 2017 along with Mark.
“Both have got plenty of footy still to offer and we’re going to be the beneficiaries of that we’d like to think.
“Sam and Ben Patterson we’ve been fortunate enough to get those two full-time from the Northern Knights, so we’re going to have plenty of youth mixed with experience in the side this year.
“It’s about getting games into the kids and getting them into the correct training habits to be a very solid senior footballer.”
While the Bears have welcomed a number of names, Blake Poyser has departed as he looks for an opportunity in Division 1 at Bundoora.
Ryan wishes the youngster all the best and says the door is always open at Montmorency Park.
“That was purely Blake’s decision to play first division football while he’s in his early 20s, so we wish him all the best – no hard feelings there whatsoever, Blake’s a ripping kid,” Ryan said.
On the training track, Dorbolo has been leading the charge in the pre-season, impressing his new coach with his tireless work ethic.
“The way his work ethic is on the training track, he’d be the main one that stands out, along with Patty Flynn and Darcy Barden – the three of them have been sensational,” Ryan said.
Ryan is aiming for Lower Plenty to play in its first finals series since 2011, but is wary of the challenges his side will face during the season.
“We definitely aim to be able to play finals,” he said.
“Diamond Creek are (a few) years into a program with Craig Hayes, so you’d like to think they’ll be up there at the pointy end.
“North Heidelberg with Brent Harvey are going to be super strong after losing the grand final to Hurstbridge last year after probably being the top side in the competition all year.
“I think those two are going to be pretty strong and we’d like to think we can compete amongst those couple.”
