ST MARY’S coach Con Borg believes 2014 showed his club is moving in the right direction, despite missing out on the Division 3 finals.
The highlight was the Burra’s under-19s taking out the Division 2 premiership, giving the club its first football premiership since joining the Northern Football League six years ago.
However, the success of the under-19s impacted negatively on the senior team, with many of the club’s young stars ineligible to play senior football late in the year to meet the under-19 finals eligibility rules.
Reflecting back on last season, Borg said the year was more positive than its 5-11 win-loss tally shows.
“You look at the win-loss (tally) and you look at that and say we didn’t progress in any way. Some may think that outside the club,” he said.
“(But) we played 20 under-19s players and out of those probably 10 to 12 would be in our best side last year.
“A lot of the year we were chopping and changing the side knowing we couldn’t play a lot of those players.
“We blooded a lot of youngsters which is good for the club going forward which you can see it in pre-season giving these kids senior footy.”
Borg conceded he’d hoped to win more games in his first year as senior coach, although he said he’d learned a lot from his debut season.
“I found it very enjoyable last year,” he said.
“There wasn’t too much I didn’t expect but I had higher expectations than winning the five games.
“I’ve come in having a look and I can see the talent that’s around the place and being a very young club they’re still learning.”
St Mary’s has signed a number of players in the off-season, although it has lost talented youngster John Desmond to Division 1 premier Greensborough.
A key member in the under-19 premiership side, Desmond also made a profound impact on the senior team. Despite playing just nine matches, he earned a place on the interchange in the Division 3 Team of the Year and finished sixth in the Coaches Player of the Year award.
“John Desmond is the one that’s going to hurt us the most, but apart from him we haven’t really lost anyone,” Borg said.
“Raygan Tate has signed with us from West Preston, Anthony Belvedere from Bundoora has signed with us and there are three or four ex-St Mary’s that have returned.
“Like most sides we’d like another ruckman coming through to help the two guys we have now. Apart from that we’ve got most of the other positions covered.”
With pre-season resuming and the heat expected to increase, Borg will be looking to up the ante just that little more as he pushes his troops towards what he’s hoping is a big 2015.
Borg believes running out games was an issue last year and he said the club won’t be making that mistake this time around.
“Fitness levels of the guys are something we are looking at improving,” he said.
“I think there were seven or eight games last year where we were in front at three-quarter time and we didn’t win.”
With the start of the season fast approaching, Borg said his side’s aim was to return to the finals for the first time since 2012.
“Our expectation last year was to try to win a final. Our first thing would be to make the finals this year and we take it from there. The main thing is to see some improvement.”
Borg said the constantly improving standard of Division 3 made the challenge increasingly greater for all clubs to make the top four.
“It’s not getting any easier and the quality of Div 3 is getting better,” he said.
“South Morang are a side to beat. They have recruited well and got some young kids coming through. Epping as well obviously played Div 1 only two years ago.
“They have to be the two sides and probably Reservoir as well having just missed out on last year’s premiership.
“Banyule is the unknown. They are a really strong amateur club so you would expect them to do well.”
