When Mernda’s senior men’s football team faces Lalor in Round 1, Rob Fletcher will have spent 563 days as head coach, without coaching the Demons in an official game.
After leading Mernda’s under-19s to a preliminary final, he took the reins as senior coach from Paul Derrick at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
After a season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fletcher is now hoping to break the senior team’s finals drought, having finished fifth on the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 ladder three times in the past four seasons.
That includes the most recent narrow miss in 2019 – when the club was edged out of a top-four finish by just two points.
Fletcher knows Mernda needs to deliver after years of disappointment.
“We have to play finals, there are no ifs or buts,” Fletcher told NFNL.org.au.
“If we don’t play finals, it’s a failure. Plain and simple.”
Fletcher said he is pleased with how the team is tracking towards Round 1.
“I thought we trained really hard and they handled it (COVID-19) really well,” he said.
“We can’t wait for the season to kick off, assuming we are able to play.”
Fletcher is looking forward to seeing the impact the club’s signings can have on the younger players.
“Shannon Smith, Kima (Bryce Kimuliatis), Jacob Austin (who have all signed from Craigieburn), Jarrod King (Bundoora) and the rest have stayed on which is good,” Fletcher said.
“Partner them with our signing of Michael Evans, my premiership captain from Jacana, as well.
“We’re going to be young. I think our average age will be 23 or 24.
“That’s why we went out and recruited some of the older guys like Shannon (Smith) and Jarrod (King). They’ll be leaders and assistant coaches on the ground so I think they’ll work hand in hand because they can teach some of our younger guys.”
Lane Tucker is the only signing from last year who has chosen not to stay on after the COVID-19 break, with the former Thomastown defender linking up with Tullamarine in 2021.
Mernda will also be without reigning best and fairest Brad Dimech, after he returned to his former home Roxburgh Park.
Fletcher conceded it would be difficult to replace a player of Dimech’s quality, however he believes the answer could come from within.
“If you look at a bloke like Matty Golledge who had a year and a bit off because of a knee reconstruction, he was flying before that. I think he is as tough as Brad, but I think he is actually a better user of the football,” Fletcher said.
“A couple of other young guys who haven’t been mentioned much, young Will Crouch and Tanar Pierce are looking good.
“Tanar Pierce came second in the (under-19) comp best and fairest and won our 19s best and fairest.
“We’ve got some kids from the 19s coming up, so we’re pretty excited.”
Mernda will host an intra club match on Sunday.
The Demons will then play Northern Saints on March 13, before taking on Oak Park on March 20.
The annual Patrick Chow Cup will be played under lights against Epping on Friday March 26.
Image supplied by Mernda Football Netball Club
