INAUGURAL Laurimar senior coach Wayne Sharkie says a strong pre-season thus far has filled him with confidence ahead of the club’s first match against Kilmore on April 1.
“It’s been really upbeat, fantastic numbers, really good enthusiasm. Everyone’s just chomping at the bit to get into it,” Sharkie told NFL.org.au this week.
The newcomers of the Northern Football League’s senior competition, who will begin their journey in Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3, have had a wave of player interest since the announcement that the Power would be expanding their junior club.
Sharkie insisted the Power has had no trouble acquiring talent from around the region, despite having no prior form to advertise.
“Even before I was appointed they had a list of around 60 blokes who had emailed or rang the club to say they were interested,” he said.
“At our meet the coach meeting in October we had 45 turn up and then we had 60 on the track our first night.”
Sharkie said having such strong training numbers and some timely assistance has helped him transition from senior assistant coaching roles into the senior position at Laurimar.
Among his previous coaching roles have been assistant positions at Montmorency and Eastern Football League powerhouse Balwyn.
“It’s been what I always wanted to do, but not anything that I didn’t expect,” he said.
“I’ve been lucky because I’ve worked with some senior coaches that have given me a lot of rope.
“So I haven’t found it that different, and I’ve got some really good assistants that I can delegate to.”
One of those assistant coaches will be former Glenroy star and dual club best and fairest winner Adam Dennis.
Dennis has formally been an Essendon District Football League Division 1 Team of the Year member, and his addition to the Power looks to be one of the coups of the off-season.
He, along with recruits Jacson Cecil (Old Ivanhoe) and Damian Pywell (Kinglake) have been the players to most impress Sharkie on the training park across the first half of the club’s inaugural pre-season training program.
Laurimar will test itself ahead of its Northern Football League debut with practice matches against Western Region Football League outfit Wyndham Suns and reigning NFL Division 3 premier Watsonia on March 18 and March 25 respectively.
Photo by Andy Brownbill (Leader)
