Laharum welcomes challenge
Change is blowing in the wind in Horsham district football and much of it is gusting from the base of the northern Grampians at Laharum’s Cameron Oval.
The Demons, or Mountain Men, depending on your preference, are going through a period of evolution and transformation, which includes everything from a senior playing list to facilities at the club’s picturesque reserve.
Laharum has been such a potent force in the competition in the past few years that it set the benchmark, and it now faces a tough assignment to continue its reputation as a consistent finals challenger.
With Robbie Miller and Todd Heynen at the Demons’ helm, both in debut senior player-coaching roles, the Demons are in the process of redesigning their team, strategies and style.
The one thing that is guaranteed is that it will be a young, fresh-faced Laharum that runs onto the park this year.
Miller said the Demons had a ‘young, enthusiastic and exciting’ list as well as new voices barking instructions and providing direction.
“Our list was already young and we thought the best way to go about things was to try to recruit more young players,” he said.
“And that is what has made the pre-season so enjoyable.
“When I’m the second oldest at training at 25 and we’re all in a similar age bracket, we’re tending to gel together well.
“Players who are that little bit older than the others are lending a great hand by providing advice and leadership.”
Laharum has added mobile and athletic Kane Mason from Meningie in South Australia, solid defensive player Lachie Tanner from Koroit and Cody Richards from Horsham Saints to its list and hopes to announce other newcomers shortly.
“They are all young blokes and that seems to be how we’re shaping for what looks like a promising year,” Miller said.
“Pre-season training has been really good and numbers are starting to pick up. It’s coming along nicely.”
News of player departures at Laharum captured plenty of pre-season attention across the district football fraternity with confirmation former coach Shannon Argall, Sam Winfield, Elliot Braithwaite and Cam Bruce were leaving and that Rhys Bennett would sit the season out with a serious back complaint.
Miller agreed the departures had left a challenging circumstance but added he was confident the Demons were well equipped to deal with change.
“It was certainly a tough start to pre-season,” he said.
“The guys who are leaving have decided to take different paths and in the end we’re happy they chose to spend time at Laharum and wish them well.”
Millar said the appointment of Heynen as joint coach had been a major bonus for him and the club.
“He was assistant last year and since he has come on board in a joint role his involvement and professionalism have been second to none. We work well in tandem,” he said.
“There was no hiding that we were looking for an external coach but the job was offered and I was happy to accept.
“We’re ready for the challenge. Todd and I relish the opportunity to lead from the front.”
Miller, among football leaders to glean ideas from an AFL coaching conference at the MCG earlier this year, said the Demons were already working on a risk-taking game plan.
“We’re not going to shy away from the task at hand and play predictable football. I want us to back ourselves with run and carry and precision kicking. We want to play the new style of footy, not simply kick the ball down the lines, and that means backing ourselves and our team-mates,” he said.
While the make-up of football teams undergo major change this year, Cameron Oval will be subject to a major face-lift.
Work on a $600,000 to $700,000 first stage of a pavil- ion project will start at the end of the year, children’s playground development will get underway and the club will work on creating an Auskick oval, complete with watering system, next to Cameron Oval.
Club chairwoman Nadine Miller said the new pavilion, complete with new football and netball showers and changerooms and a first-aid room had ‘been a long time coming’ and represented an exciting chapter for the club and community sport in the district.
“Getting a State Government grant has given us a big tick to start the season and now we’ll have to put our head down and raise some more money,” she said. “It’s a big year all-round for the club.”
Laharum had a training camp last weekend and officials are planning practice matches against Newlyn at Laharum and another club yet to be announced before the start of the season.
The Demons have switched to 6.15pm Tuesday and Thursday training sessions at Laharum after preparing for much of the pre-season in Horsham.