COACH JUMPS NET TO FACE OLD SIDE
WANDANA Heights coach James Brushfield says he is not prepared to put any unrealistic expectations on his young team before the Tennis Geelong Section 1 season.
Brushfield has made the move to Wandana Heights — where he coaches the club’s juniors — after helping guide Ocean Grove to the Section 2 grand final last season, and will face his old side in Round 1.
The 24-year-old will lead an inexperienced line-up, which will feature Jack Henry, Liam Digby, Lachlan Hansen, Jarrod Zanardo, and says winning games will be a secondary pursuit as the club looks to develop the next brigade of senior players.
“Personally I don’t play tennis with any expectations, I just try to go out there and do the best I can and I will be telling the kids the same thing,” Brushfield said.
“If we can get a few wins on the board then that’s great, but at the end of the day winning isn’t going to be the most important thing.
“It’s going to be a good experience for all of the juniors who have been playing Section 1 juniors. To come up and play at senior level will be good for them.”
Brushfield will be one of the star attractions of the revamped Section 1 competition, which will not feature any of the four sides that played last year.
Bannockburn, Grovedale, Waurn Ponds and reigning premier All-Saints Anglican have been hit by personnel changes, with Wandana Heights and Ocean Grove to be joined by Surf Coast (Torquay), St Mary’s, Geelong East Uniting, Barwon Heads and Hamlyn Park.
Brushfield, who won the recent AMT Bronze event at Melbourne Park, said while it was a tough call to leave Ocean Grove, he was excited to see how his pupils would adapt to doubles tennis.
“It’s just about trying to give the juniors an opportunity to play in a higher section,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the development from their singles games on to the doubles court.”
Wandana Heights hosts Ocean Grove at Wandana Drive tomorrow.