Eagles ready to keep on soaring
ROUND 1 SFL FIXTURES
REIGNING premier New Norfolk has been ravaged by retirements, but that won’t stop new coach Jeremy Parker from shooting for another SFL flag for the dominant Eagles.
The Eagles have lost nine of their starting 18.
The retirement of Roger Belcher, Luke Joseph, Jason Laycock, Nathan Ross and Zeke Gardham, and move of Caden Wilson to DOSA and Nick Clayton to Claremont, have left a big hole in the premiership team.
That opens the door for a new generation of Eagles.
“Our aim will be to finish in the top three,” Parker said.
“Even though we have lost a few older guys, the players we have got coming up are very talented and obviously it’s im- portant to get some game time into them.”
Parker played for New Norfolk for nine years and was a member of the 2005 Premier League premiership team.
He also coached St Virgils for two years, was assistantcoach under Michael McGregor at Hobart City Demons in their inaugural year.
“I had last year away from footy, but I ended up being the runner for New Norfolk towards the end of the season,” he said.
“The opportunity came up New Norfolk v Lindisfarne, Boyer, 2pm. Cygnet v Claremont, Cygnet, 2pm. Brighton v Sorell, Pontville, 2pm. Dodges Ferry v Hobart, Shark Park, 2pm. Huonville bye. to be coach, and I grew up in New Norfolk so to get a chance to coach the side you grew up playing with is very exciting.”
New Norfolk will bank on its youth to make it competitive against premiership contenders such as Lindisfarne and Claremont.
“Being such a good side and such an experienced side, it was hard for our younger players to get a lot of game time,” Parker said. “But it’s their time now. They’ve had a taste of it and now it’s time to play regularly.”
Claremont premiership coach Kim Excell, who took the Pies to the flag in 2015, is back at the helm at Abbotsfield Park replacing David Hunt, who has gone to Dodges Ferry.
Excell scored arguably the recruit of the year in former Glenorchy premiership player Luke Potter, who returned to Hobart after playing with Riverina club Leeton.