With the 2013 season less than two months away, the Roosters’ new coach says he is looking forward to reaching successful heights and producing a solid core group of players for the next five years and beyond.
After going through the process of selecting a new coach, the West Preston-Lakeside committee decided that Raso was the best man to replace 2010 premiership coach Vin Datoli in the top job.
West’s football manager Paul McInerney said a number of factors led the club to appointing Raso, notably his strong leadership and communication skills as well as being highly recommended by peers in the AFL, VFL and TAC Cup.
McInerney also stated that Raso had a firm idea of how he wants the Roosters to play, whilst also understanding what West Preston-Lakeside expects on and off the field.
After going through the AFL system with Collingwood, Raso has since spent time as captain of Carlton’s VFL affiliate Northern Bullants (now Northern Blues) and also as an assistant coach at the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup.
His time with all three teams means he will be bringing plenty of experience to his new club, particularly benefiting the younger players.
Raso said his time at Collingwood was an experience he won’t forget. He played 19 games between 1998 and 1999 and said his two years with the Magpies showed him what was needed to make it at the highest level, particularly the hard work and the commitment level required.
He took that knowledge to the Northern Bullants, who he captained to a minor premiership in 2006.
Raso’s coaching career began at the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup, where he was an assistant coach last season.
He has played a club record 45 games at the Knights, having been younger than most when he started playing in the under-18s competition before being drafted to Collingwood.
During his time at the Knights, Raso drew knowledge from the coaches around him and has since developed his own coaching style which he will be bringing to the Roosters.
He has immediately enforced his policy of developing a core group of players coming through the under-19s, rather than simply buying players to the club.
He plans to produce a core group of 6-8 players to push the club into successful times in the short to mid future.
The 33-year-old believes that his age will allow him to communicate to the players as a friend, as well as a coach. He hopes to be able to grow as a coach whilst helping his players grow as well.
Raso said he was excited to work with new recruit Xavier Clarke as well as Simon Prestigiacomo, who he hopes will commit to a third season at J.E. Moore Park. He believes their experience will be important when it comes to decision-making in big games and potentially finals.
Along with the re-signing of Matt Sleeman as reserves coach and the recruitment of Alex Gleeson as a player and assistant coach, the coaching panel is looking very capable at West Preston-Lakeside.
Gleeson comes to West on the back of a very distinguished career at Oak Park in the Essendon District Football League.
He played 10 years of senior football with the Kangaroos and was club captain for five seasons, including its premiership year in 2009.
Gleeson was selected in the EDFL team of the year in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and is highly regarded in metropolitan football circles.
With Raso at the helm of a new coaching panel the Roosters are looking forward to an exciting new era.
