Young list is full of promise

SECOND-year Winchelsea coach Brendan Forssman has paid tribute to his coaching panel, one that remains united with the goal of continued improvement.

The efforts of the line coaches Paul Listro (midfield), Terry Hill (forwards) and exciting recruit Matt Costello (backs) were all highlighted throughout the pre-season.

“The biggest difference for me this year is that I’ve been able to spend more one-on-one time with my players which has been one of the biggest positives,” Forssman said.

After finishing 11th from 2015-16, the Blues rose to eighth spot last year, a promising season that also included a draw to East Geelong and an afterthe-siren defeat to Werribee.

Costello, alongside fellow recruit Joseph Fama, leads an under-23 academy to help groom one of the league’s youngest lists in hopes of return to their short-lived finals era.

“They’ve done a few sessions already, it’s not compulsory but it’s a work in progress and the kids will continue to grasp it until next year when we ramp it up a bit more,” Forssman said.

“Guys like Bailey Kahle and Caleb Brown will have different roles this year and for the sake of their development we don’t want to pigeonhole them to the one position.”

Winchelsea plays Bell Post Hill and Inverleigh once each this season, but the Blues still have a unique opening month. After travelling to Geelong West, they will host two night games (Anakie and Thomson) before Bannockburn (away) on Anzac Day.