DOLPHIN KICK NEW COACH FOR GOLD COAST CRICKET
NEW Gold Coast Dolphins coach Jerry Cassell insists the club has the talent to turn around its first grade fortunes, with increased emphasis on professionalism holding the key to their revival.
Raised in Brisbane but now living in northern NSW, the former Queensland Bulls batsman was on Sunday unveiled as the replacement for outgoing Dolphins coach and club legend Damian Wallis.
Cassell has spent the past three years as Queensland Cricket’s pathways (under-17 and under-19) physio after a successful playing career in Brisbane, Sydney and overseas.
The 43-year-old said his time in the Bulls’ high performance set-up had given some valuable lessons to pass on at the Dolphins, who finished second-last in first grade’s two-day competition last season.
“On the physiotherapy side (with Queensland Cricket), we do a lot of stuff on education, getting the players prepared for what’s needed to play for the Bulls. There’s a lot more to it than what people think on the outside,” said Cassell, who also spent two seasons as a player-coach at Palm Beach Currumbin from 2016-18.
“It’s pretty full on these days because it’s gotten very professional.
“They’re very athletic in this day and age and what we’re starting to notice is there’s a gap between grade cricket and the high performance stuff like the Bulls and the Aussie teams, because they’re training full-time obviously. They’re very, very fit.
“There’s a lot of players (at the Dolphins) in between first and second grade and they’ve got the talent – they’ve got the talent to play for Queensland – but it’s just getting their head around the amount of work (needed).
“There’s a work ethic involved. You do have to be an athlete now, you can’t just turn up on a Saturday, roll the arm over and hoped to get picked for Queensland.”
Having served as the club’s batting coach three years ago, Cassell said he had been keeping a close eye on their performances in recent times.
“Wally (Wallis) has done a good job in the past. A lot of the games have gone against them just in certain moments.
“If you have a look statistically they’re not that far off the pace, it’s just key moments in games and maybe having one or two batsmen who, instead of averaging 35, they average 50 or 60 that season.”
Chris Swan, another former Bull and president at Surfers Paradise Demons, has been appointed the Dolphins’ Lord’s Taverners coach.