Big change of pace
New look Winchelsea has to adopt new game plan
NEW coach Luke Rayner will deliver an up-tempo style of football as Winchelsea moves into an exciting new era.
As the Blues deal with life after David Mensch, who led the club to successive finals campaigns, Rayner said his side would have a new feel.
“We’re certainly going to have to play a different game style, that’s for sure,” Rayner said. “It might just take us a bit of time to adjust to that.
“We’re going to have to play a high level, high speed game with a lot of running. We need to play that high tempo both defensively and offensively to be able to play to our strengths.
“We’re not going to be a kick it down the line to the big forwards type of team; we need to be a team that works well together in an up-tempo way.”
For the past two seasons Winchelsea has relied on its tall timber at both ends of the field, with Mensch a goalkicking option in attack and Tim Van Der Klooster a valuable asset as a loose man in defence.
But with Mensch retiring, and Van Der Klooster weighing up his future, Rayner has been forced to adopt a new game plan.
New assistant coach Adam Bird, who has moved from Birregurra, helps offset the loss of key position players.
Former Torquay utility Oscar Briody also helps the Blues’ cause.
“Briody gives us some flexibility. We’ve lost a fair bit of talent, probably higher end talent, but I think we’ve been able to replace that with greater flexibility and youth, which will give us run on the big deck at Winchelsea,” Rayner said.
“We’ll present totally differently in terms of size and shape and game style and how that measures up — that’s the unknown for me.”
Losing Boe Trickey, Dan Wedding, Tom Steven and Chris and Joel Tipping to Lorne also hurts Winchelsea’s depth, which could be further tested if Steve Oliver and Chris Giuricin follow their mates to the Dolphins.
But Rayner has been busy recruiting.
“Adam Bird will hopefully be able to deliver the output of a David Mensch as a big forward option and hopefully he can produced 40-50 goals.
“Jarrod O’Connor was top five in the best and fairest at Maryborough and he will give us bite in midfield.
“Josh Carracher is as good as any (of our recruits). He’s played Bellarine interleague and was a steady member of Torquay for five years and he’s a Lake Wendouree premiership player.”
They have also added Will Carty (Cairns), Charlie Harris (Torquay) and Ben McKay (Maryborough).
“I’m really happy with how we’re going and the attitude at training and their willingness to learn and take on board everything we’re trying to do on the track,” Rayner said.
“I’m happy with the fact that I’m going to be able to give some of the younger players a taste of senior football that helps them develop into really good players for the club.”